Steve
Dear Steve,
I was reading your post where you answered some questions and, to my
knowledge, some of the information you stated is incorrect. As I say, this
is only to my knowledge, but I didn't want you thinking some of the wrong
things.
A distal refers to length of intestine bypassed, not only in the duodenal
switch, but with the RNY gastric bypass surgery as well. It is the duodenal
switch procedure that eliminates the dumping, not the distal. I have had
RNY surgery performed distally and I do dump. You are correct about the
fully functioning stomach with the duodenal switch. I like to think of DS
as literally having your cake and eating it too because you can, if you
choose to, eat cake and not dump from it.
A friend of mine had duodenal switch surgery and her pouch is about 3-4xs
larger than mine. When we eat together, I'm through after 3 or 4 bites of
my food. She eats a normal sized meal. For going out and socializing, your
surgery is DEFINITELY preferable to mine.
malabsorption of fats for its success. This means that vitamins A&D and
calcium need to be taken in large doses everyday - and you need an annual
blood test to make sure you are getting enough.
Actually, in the first year or two, blood tests should be run at 3 month
intervals. Annually is way too long a stretch to see how you're doing
because malnutrition and dehydration set in much sooner and should be caught
quickly. You can cause severe damage if you wait too long and have
developed problems.
When was your surgery? How are you doing with it? My girlfriend is
panicking because she thinks she' eating too much and not losing fast enough
but so few people here have opted for duodenal switch so she has no one to
compare notes with. She had her surgery October 24, 2002 and has lost about
105 lbs.
live each day like it's your last... love like you've never been hurt...
Deb in Hazlet, NJ
"Debbie Dancer"
distal rny
September 3, 2002
386/237/160?
BMI 60/35/24?
-149
-69.5"
Angel to Bill (8/14/03), Debbie (waiting for a date) Ilene (6/26/03), Roy
(7/29/03) and Ro