catwoman7

any of the surgeries will work just fine as long as you follow the rules. DS is more forgiving due to all the malabsorption so it makes it a little easier to lose and maintain weight, but any of them will work as long as you're committed.

I don't know the answer to your last question, but just so you know, not many bariatric surgeons perform the DS, and it's not a common surgery, so that's probably why you're not finding much. Check out that dsfacts site that an above poster mentioned - I was on that site once and found it very helpful.

yes - I've heard biotin can stimulate facial hair growth. Unfortunately, I've also heard it's not as effective for the hair on your head! I don't think anything really helps. If you're going to lose hair, you will, if not, you won't. I lost very little hair. I started noticing extra strands in my comb when I was about 5-6 months out. This went on for maybe 3 or 4 months. If it weren't for the strands in the comb, I never would have noticed. And neither did anyone else. Even if you lose some hair, it's temporary - and for most people, you're the only one who notices. In the end, it's a small price to pay.

it's not done all that much in the US, either. I think I read only about 10% of weight loss surgeries in the US are DS (it may even be lower than that)

a true DS is different from an MGB and a SIPS. I don't really know much about SIPS, but I know some surgeons do those now instead of a true DS. They're somewhat similar but not the same as I understand. An MGB is a variation of the RNY. a true DS is the most powerful of the current weight loss surgeries . It's a sleeved stomach (VSG) with a partial intestinal bypass. It tends to produce the greatest amount of weight loss and an easier maintenance (because of the malabsorption). But vitamin deficient risk is also the greatest with it, so you have to be really religious about taking your supplements. since a DS involved a sleeved stomach, yes, there would be a greater risk of reflux with that than with an RNY. An RNY often improves - if not cures - reflux, whereas there's a risk of reflux with a sleeved stomach (note I said risk - not everyone who has a sleeved stomach develops reflux). btw - there's also a malabsorption component with the RNY, but it's not as great as with the DS. Not as much of the intestine is bypassed with the RNY.

8 lbs in the first two weeks is fine. A lot of people come home from the hospital heavier than when they went in because of all the fluids they pump into you. It takes a few days to get that all out of your system and for the real weight loss to begin. I lost 16 lbs in the first *month* (I don't remember what it was in the first two weeks), so we're probably about the same.

I lost 16 lbs in the first month, and 12 in the second month. The biggest lesson I learned is to never compare yourself to others. We all lose at different rates for all different reasons - age, gender, starting BMI, metabolism rate, whether or not we lost a lot of weight pre-op, etc. Your commitment to your program will have MUCH more impact on your eventual success than your rate of weight loss will. I was a slow loser from the get-go, and I lost every last pound of my excess weight. I just kept my nose to the grindstone and followed all the rules..

your diet will be pretty restricted for the first few months, but you'll eventually be able to eat a lot of that stuff again - you'll just have to monitor how much, and how often, or the weight will come back. I can eat pretty much anything now (3.5 years out) and have been able to for awhile, but if I eat too much fried food or too many sweets, I'll feel like crap afterward. And that's OK - I shouldn't be eating that stuff all the time anyway - that's how I got to 373 lbs. But Indian food, Arabic food, *occasional* fast food (as long as it's not all fried stuff, which doesn't sit very well), maybe a 1/2 cup of ice cream or a sliver of cake, etc - yes, I can eat that. Just not all the time.

I used to have this problem but haven't in years (since WAY before I had bypass surgery). I've used a SonicCare toothbrush for probably 6-8 years - so maybe that's made the difference (the brushes are pretty small)? I'm not sure - other than I never have that problem anymore.

for most of us, hunger and appetite does eventually come back - and then things get a lot more challenging. Take full advantage of this period when you're indifferent to or hate food - it'll NEVER be easier to lose weight than it is right now!

it's very common. I used a coccyx pillow for a long time in my office and in my car, I'm retired now, but I still have the one in my car. It's gotten better, but I still can't sit for more than like an hour

I ate 600-800 for the first several months - so same as you. It's probably just a stall.

your stomach may just not be ready for it yet. A lot of meats can be pretty dry. do you throw up even things like yogurt? If so, another possibility is a stricture. But first try eating more slowly and see if that does the trick. But do lay off the meat for the time being - just try soft things. If you continue to vomit even though you're eating mushy things very slowly, then call your clinic. They may want to check for a stricture.

I gained 2 or 3 lbs before my last meeting. They still went through with the surgery. It probably depends on your surgeon. But 2 or 3 lbs could be water retention or constipation. I kind of doubt they're going to care about just a couple of pounds, esp since it's the only time, but then again, it depends on your surgeon

I've been active on a couple of traditional internet forums for about five years and have never heard of this, so it's definitely not a thing. (thankfully!!)

oh yes - absolutely - follow your bariatric team's plan - that is first & foremost. I was referring more to outside support. I think the advice on a lot of the FB groups is really bad, and rarely gets corrected. At least on these more traditional forums, *usually* someone will correct bad advice. But yes - absolutely follow your team's plans and instructions. (p.s. by "you" I mean the OP - not you, GreenTealael!!)

a lot of people have those kinds of problems pre-surgery - and many are resolved by the surgery! if you have GERD, you're definitely wise to be leaning toward bypass. The bypass usually improves and often cures it - VSG can make it worse (not always - but as a fellow pre-surgery GERD-sufferer, I didn't want to take the risk of making it worse) you'll be really happy with the surgery - as mentioned above, it should resolve a lot of those health problems you mentioned

I took off three weeks but felt good enough to go back after two. I was pretty tired for awhile, though, so I was glad for that third week - but I could have gone back if I had to.

dying from any weight loss surgery is almost unheard of these days. Back in the 60s or 70s, yes - but not now. These surgeries have come a L-O-N-G way and are extremely safe now. Mortality rates on gastric bypass are 0.3%. It's even lower for the sleeve. That means you have a 99.7% chance of pulling through just fine. And you will. vitamin deficiencies are rare if you take your vitamins religiously. You have to take vitamins with the sleeve, too. dumping - not all RNY'ers dump. I know LOTS of RNY'ers who've never dumped (I haven't, either). The statistic I see thrown around on these and other boards are that 30% of us dump. I don't know if there are any hardcore research statistics behind that, but suffice it to say, lots of us don't dump (I kind of wish I did - it would keep me from eating some of the things that I shouldn't!) lastly, if you have GERD, you're taking a big risk with getting the sleeve. It could be fine - or your GERD could get a lot worse. I know of several people who have had to revise from VSG to RNY because of GERD. I had GERD pre-surgery, and I didn't want to risk it getting worse - so the choice was a no-brainer for me.

although an occasional cookie is probably fine (I never did it the first year, but I do *occasionally* now that I'm in maintenance), this "shock your system" approach sounds insane. I personally wouldn't take too much advice I found in FB groups - there's a lot of really bad advice out there. I'd stick to forums like this one et al.

it's not a universal problem. I've never had issues with it. Some do, some don't. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones!

several companies have a flavorless option - Quest and Unjury come to mind - but I know I've seen others. If you can't find any in stores, check online

I would definitely take it. Although it doesn't *guarantee* you won't have gallbladder problems, it greatly reduces your risk. It's worth it...

some people are carb sensitive (I'm not, but I know a lot of people are). If you are, you might want to cut back on some of your carbs - it might help (oatmeal, rice, popcorn, Kind bars, Larabars, fruit). A lot of people focus mainly on proteins and non-starchy vegetables during the weight loss phase and then add more carbs in once they hit maintenance. Again, not everyone is carb sensitive, but if you are, it might help.

re: weight loss, You usually come home from the hospital weighing more than you did when you went in because they pump you full of fluids during your surgery. It takes a few days to get all that water out of your system. Secondly, almost everyone has their first stall right out of the gate - as in within the first month. They call it "the three week stall" because it's usually the third week out, but not always. Mine was weeks 2 and 3. Once I hit week four, it broke and I dropped like 6-8 lbs within a couple of days. Just keep following your program and the weight will start coming off. I should add that not everyone drops 30 lbs the first month - in fact, I've been hanging around bariatric sites long enough to know that that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. I lost 16 lbs the first month. I was a slow loser practically the whole time and ended up losing over 200 lbs. Just stick with your program and it'll happen - whether fast or slow!