Strivingforbetter

I also have a longer common channel. I think the normal DS is 3 feet and mine is about twice that because I had a lower BMI to start out. Sounds like we had basically the same surgery. Hey, we have to talk about these things to know if we're normal.

It's going to take some time before things to back to normal. I'm six weeks post-op, so I'm still figuring things out too. My bowel movements are still very soft and small, nothing like before. Your output should be a little more substantial tween weeks 2-3, if I remember correctly. And since we're being open here, may I also add that the color is also not what it used to be? They're more the color of hay. I'd also like to ask someone on here if they've noticed an orange oil in their bowel movements after eating foods high in fat. It's the same color of orange in pepperoni oil (sorry to be so graphic; I'd really like to know if this is normal). I have a follow-up with my doctor next week, but I've been considering asking this question on this site too. Le'ts face it, the plumbing changes considerably with the DS.

I cannot stand the flavor of the Bariatric Advantage chewable multi-vitamins. I'm shopping around for a better flavor. I dread taking them 2x a day. I'm a DS patient, so I have to have them for life. I've got to find something I can live with because Bariatric Advantage makes me shiver/gag when I take them.

I was just going to suggest you check out the duodenal switch and saw Life Under Construction beat me to it. It's a good option for you to check out. Most patients stop their diabetes medication within the first month. I'm six weeks post-op from the DS (revision after the lap-band), and it's been a good choice for me. While I never had diabetes, the weight has steadily dropped off, unlike when I had the lap-band. I looked at all of the options and became well educated on the life time commitment before I decided which surgery had the best long-term results and lifestyle I could live with. Wishing you the best.

I couldn't drink normally until week 3. If I drank too fast or too much before then, it really hurt! Like most other people, I take water with me everywhere and drink all day long.

If you're hitting a stall, it might be a good idea to steer clear of the scale. I keep telling myself this is a long-term process and it will take time for my body to adjust. It turned out my stall was only for 6-7 days. I was panicking because I was thinking I was going to fail at this weight loss approach just like I have every other time I've tried to lose weight. When I hit my stall I had lost 17 pounds. That was June 28th. As of today, July 13th, I'm down 23.5 pounds. There is no way I could lose this much this quickly without an intervention. I typically lose weight slowly and have never lost more than 20 pounds on my own. It hasn't been easy, but I know my decision to have surgery was the right one. We have to patient....which can be hard.

I've had four c-sections and they were a lot more painful than the DS surgery. I'm one month post-op and feel great. I hardly used any pain medication in the hospital and was completely off it by day three. I was out running errands by day 6. The most painful surgery I've ever had was a total knee replacement. The DS isn't bad at all. The recovery is easy once you get off the liquid diet.

There are a few people with You Tube channels who have had this surgery and could give you a lot of information. I'm a modified DS patient (longer common channel), but I still watch video blogs from single anastomosis patients as well as VGS patients. I've learned a lot. You could check it out.

I had the option of having the sleeve instead of the DS. I opted for the DS because statistically it has the best long-term results for keeping the weight off. I tried the band for two years and it was not effective for me at all. If I was going under the knife a second time, I didn't want the potential to fail again. The DS felt like more of a sure thing.

It took me a while to figure out what being hungry or full felt like. It's confusing. I'm only one month post-op, so I'm still trying to figure this out, but when I'm full, I usually hiccup and get a stabbing feeling in my new stomach. There's also a feeling my food might come up if I eat one more bite. Granted, i only eat about 4 oz of food right now. The first few weeks are the hardest.

My stall is officially broken!! I'm down another pound as of this morning!! Whew.

Thank you, blizair09! After Googling this issue, it appears this is very common.

Yes, I'm following a low carb diet, which is why I'm eating meat, cheese, beans, etc. I do think my body is in shock from losing the first 17 pounds in two weeks. I eat approx. 700-800 calories a day. I'll stick to my doctor's eating plan and hope next week things go better. Thank you for responding.

Thank you. I'm guessing on my caloric intake, but I'm pretty sure it's around 700 a day. I'm going to track it today and find out for sure how much I'm eating. It sure doesn't feel like much. Two slices of lunch meat for lunch fills me up.

I was told the same thing and worried I would be known around the office for my bathroom odors. Nope. Nothing has changed. It doesn't smell any worse or better than before.

You look amazing!! I'm happy for you.