Deciding To "Switch"

Last Friday, March 20, my wife and I went for our consultation with our bariatric surgeon in Nashville. We expected him to discuss the gastric by pass procedure we are both interested in having done as soon as possible. While he did discuss by-pass with us he explained and recommended a different procedure he referred to as the "duodenal switch." On WebMD website the surgery is called a "bilopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch."

In a biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch a portion of the stomach is removed, (leaving just a small sleeve) but the remaining stomach remains attached to the duodenum (the upper part of the small intestine). The duodenum is connected to the lower part of the small intestine.

The reason our surgeon recommended this option for both of us is because of our ages and our our BMI (body mass index) numbers. There are biological changes unique to "the switch" which will help us loose weight more efficiently and with more biological "help" in keeping it off. I won't go into the details here on the blog but the biological changes are different than the gastric by-pass.

The recovery time from the switch surgery and subsequent diet are very similar to gastric by-pass. What's different about it is the malabsorbtion of food in the lower intestine. With by pass a person to a large extent eventually can make decisions on what foods to eat or not eat. The choice lies with their mental decision. With "the switch" a significant factor in a person's decision about what to eat is based on biological reaction (or potential reaction) of the new digestive process.

There's a lot for us to understand about the procedure, and what will be a mandatory lifestyle change. Since last Friday both Paula and I have been researching online, reading as much information as we can, thinking and praying about our decision. I must confess I have been the most dramatic about it (Like I am with everything).

But I believe that tomorrow we are going to call the surgeon's office and let them know that we want them to file a request for with our insurance company for approval of the duodenal switch procedure.

It will take a couple of weeks to get it approved or denied. God willing, when it is approved we will be scheduled for our surgery. The way things look now it will be sometime between the middle of June for my wife and about 4 weeks later for me.

We both know that we are doing this with God's blessing. We'd appreciate your prayers and your support as we take this step of faith together on our way to becoming healthier people who will be able to better serve God for His glory.