Sheanie

I wish I had purchased a boat load of Protein samples from Vitalady pre op. That way I could have had a selection. What I did was the yucky ones I threw out the empty packet. The ones I liked, I taped to the inside of my cupboard so I could order the larger container. Don't waste your money on a big tub of one flavor, your taste buds go on strike after surgery. I just went thru my pantry and tossed out 3 tubs of expired Protein powder I bought 3 years ago. Wish I had that money back. Good luck on the 6th!

I have a dear friend who had your Iron condition as well as Lyme Disease. Yes, I believe DS would be a better choice for you because many of us end up needing iron infusions. Not ALL, but many. But if you speak with a hematologist, they will tell you they really aren't sure where iron is absorbed in the body. They suspect all the way through, but I have my doubts. In any event, my iron absorption always sucked pre op. Had one infusion post DS, at the 3 year mark when my ferritin bottomed out at 9. Since then, however, I am suddenly able to absorb Proferrin Heme iron marvelously. If you are having weight loss surgery, it sounds like the DS is your best choice. Definitely research all your options, but you've already got a handle on the fact that a "blind stomach" (left with the RNY) is a bad idea. Keep reading. There are other problems with the RNY, like not being able to take Ibuprofen. DSers can take all meds, sometimes the extended release ones are a problem, but not for me.

Since following the Vitalady DS regimen (tweaking according to my lab values) my Vitamins are stellar. I have yearly labs done, no need for 6 months unless you have an issue. For me, a two part surgery wasn't an option. I knew as a lightweight (starting at 231) that I'd most likely lose all my excess weight with the surgeon I chose. I have a tiny, tight sleeve, so restriction is still excellent at 4+ years out. The malabsorption is what keeps my weight off. I love the combination, I have no problems with any food except flour. Typical for the DS, flour causes bloating and gas. If I want to eat bread, I simply time it so that 3-4 hours later I do not offend anyone. I would highly recommend doing your research and thoroughly researching your surgeon. You want an experienced DS surgeon, not someone who does only 10 per year.

DS Switcher: I do not know your surgery type. And like I already stated, how much we supplement is based upon our own individual lab results. So without knowing your labs, I could not possibly dream of commenting. I don't give personal Vitamin advice. I refer you to Vitalady, who has print-outs of the recommended STARTING points for supplementation for each surgery type. Of course, if you are working to raise any level, your amount will vary. And frequent labs to follow your progress are not only suggested, but vitally important. When supplementing with fat soluble vites, you don't want to over-shoot your goal.

Yes, Elisabeth, and it's also scary when you consider that the labels are directed to "normies", or non-DS people. Our needs are not addressed on the backs of any bottles anywhere. Our needs are dictated by the results of our labs.

No Beans for me, either. Too many carbs along with the Protein for my tastes. Ditto on stuff like oatmeal as well. I prefer cheese, bacon, eggs and heavier Proteins.

Lily, he took exception (I think) to me calling Carly's DOCTOR an idiot. Which is hilarious when taken in context, because I'm married to one. My husband readily admits he knows absolutely nothing about Vitamins. They don't teach that in dental school, or medical school. So I think what Arts was upset about was my calling an idiot an idiot. It's all relative. Once I realized I couldn't depend on my surgeon and family doctor for Vitamin help, I moved on to the ones who could really help me: Vitalady and the DS forums and veterans on those sites. People who get offended usually haven't had their eyes opened yet by having their vitamin levels tank from following bad advice. I have. So I recognize idiots when I see them. A surgeon who recommends Flintstone vitamins is an IDIOT, unless he's a pediatrician, that is. My Vitamin A tanked while taking Celebrate DS Essentials, which contained absolutely NO Vitamin A whatsoever. I took those because my surgeons office sold them to me as an all-inclusive ADEK that was everything I would need. I learned the hard way that my surgeon gave bad advice. I hope to help other DSers with my experience, so that they do not have to learn the way I did.

I couldn't read the article, but I can respond as someone who suffers from depression. The DS did not improve my symptoms whatsoever. In fact, during the active weight loss phase, when hormones are released from the fat cells that are being metabolized, my depression became much worse. I think that this concept of the DS improving depression is a dangerous one. The surgeon operates on our guts, not our brains. Expecting the DS and resultant weight loss to improve our mental state is unrealistic and sets a person up for even deeper depression. In fact, I believe that the psychological evaluation is designed to weed out just this type of unrealistic expectations. At least that's one topic that was touched upon during my psych eval.

Yes, Lily, I agree with you that most dieticians and NUTs are clueless as to the dietary needs of the DS. Out of the 2 NUTs in my surgeons' practice, one was very good, the other was downright dangerous. When I was lactose intolerant immediately post op, the bad one almost killed me with bad advice. The good one, however, called me back and gave me correct information and then went the extra mile of reading the labels on all of the in-office products she had sold me to consume. Wouldn't it be refreshing, though, to run into all "good" dieticians? It's a hard concept to grasp, though, that FAT is our friend now. Eating low fat causes us to GAIN weight. Eating high fat allows us to eat more calories and feel more satisfied. It's very hard for people to wrap their brains around.

Holy shit, Elisabeth! Pardon my French, but is your Ferritin 7? As in SEVEN? I do hope I misread that. Mine was 9, and I was blacking out at work when I stood up. I can't imagine how horrible you feel at 7. My hematologist infuses at a Ferritin of 50. He is very young and says he prefers not to let patients become symptomatic before infusions. Love that man. I do hope you get in soon for your infusions. My hematologist wrote my Rx for Proferrin Forte, but a regular doctor can write it as well. I was unable to absorb oral Iron pre-DS. One time while pregnant I actually got my iron up by taking dessicated calves liver capsules and liquid chloryphyl (sp) on the advice of my midwife. Now, because of mad cow disease, calves liver capsules are very difficult to obtain. Proferrin works for me. I hope you have the same good luck that I did after infusions with it. I really think that since most DSers stop taking oral iron after needing infusions that it's quite possible that we might be able to absorb iron orally once our levels are up again with infusions. But, apparently, most of the older hematologists advised patients to not bother with oral iron after infusions. So we just didn't know.

I, too, needed Iron infusions. Funny thing, though, after infusions I can now absorb iron orally. My ferritin is actually coming up nicely on Proferrin Forte, which I now am getting by prescription, so that's a savings for us. At $50 per bottle, that's the most expensive Vitamin I take. But it's cheaper than infusions, so I'm not complaining. B12 is Water soluble, mine is very high as well, and I'm not concerned. I also follow the Vitalady DS regimen, but I tweak how much I take of my A and D according to my lab results.

Arts: despite your insistence that I am not "playing nice", Carly is now charting her own lab values on a spreadsheet and most likely will be spotting her own deficiencies. Now, if that occurred because of me, perhaps, not "playing nice", then I will be the one throwing sand in the sandbox at recess. I have also (gasp!) been known to run with scissors. As for my "credentials", I don't owe you any such explanation. But, for anyone wondering, I am not a doctor nor do I hold any medical degree. I do have a medical background and have extensive knowledge of medical information. I have learned about my DS and Vitamins and I chart my own lab results on a spreadsheet. I follow my own Vitamin trends, spotting deficiencies before they happen. If I had truly been offensive, I would hope that a moderator or the forum owner would have sent me a PM to that effect. As I have not received any such notice, I am confident that my advice was welcome. If "nannying" is allowed to run rampant on this forum, it will certainly be scaring away other "vets".

I did not call Carly an idiot. I called her doctor an idiot for telling her to take Flintstones childrens Vitamins. That was an important message: that her doctor is giving her dangerous information concerning vitamins. We go to our surgeons for cutting. They know next to nothing about vitamins. There is a glitch in this forum. My profile does not show my surgery type even after I updated it twice. I was replying to someone whose surgery type was not shown, but since this is a DS thread, I replied as such. Regardless, her Vitamin regimen is dangerously deficient for RNY or gastric bypass as well. Carly is very smart for questioning her surgeon's idiotic Flintstone advice. Arts137: If you wish to keep "vets" on this site, stop nannying. It's annoying when you don't follow the details.

Elizabethsew, do I read correctly that you are an RN? If so, I am very confused about your statement that Type 2 Diabetics still need insulin until they reach a "healthy weight". This is simply not true. Most do not need insulin any longer IN THE HOSPITAL. Second, I think that your initial opening statement leads newbies to think that it's routine and acceptable to perform the Duodenal Switch in two parts, that is, two separate surgeries. It is not desirable. The best metabolic advantage to the Duodenal Switch is attained when it is done in one operation all at once. Also, the DS is not rare or selectively done only on patients with a higher Body Mass Index, or BMI. It is frequently done on much smaller obese people and has been for several years now. I would visit as many sites as possible if I were researching weight loss surgery today.