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lsereno

Gastric Sleeve Patients
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Blog Entries posted by lsereno

  1. lsereno

    Hello World!

    By lsereno,

    After more than two years post-op and almost three years on this board, I've decided to create a blog. I never made one before because I didn't want the responsibility of keeping up with new entries and dreaming up fresh and exciting content to share. But I've come to recognize that blogs, even when they are abandoned, can provide a permanent link to some great information. So, I'm going to use my blog to answer questions that I see come up over and over in the online VSG community. I'll put each topic in a separate entry so they are easy to link to.
     
    A bit about me: I'm a retired techie. I wrote techincal documentation for end-users, administrators, and programmers. I also worked on websites and UI design. After retiring, one of my projects was getting healthy. After years of trying to lose weight including a stint with Weight Watchers in person, Weight Watchers online, hiring a personal trainer, hypnosis, and a brief fling with Alli, I decided to try weight loss surgery. At first, I wanted the band. After learning more about it, I decided on the sleeve.
     
    I had VSG through Kaiser Fremont in May 2011. I got to my personal goal in March 2012. I've been staying there since.
     
    I hope you find the information I provide useful.
     
    Lynda
  2. lsereno
    Yes, there are a lot of acronyms here. I've listed just the ones related to weight loss surgery, not ones in common use, such as LOL (laugh out loud). Be sure to let me know of any I've missed:
     
    BMI: Body Mass Index
    CW: Current Weight
    DS: Duodenal Switch weight loss surgery
    EWL: Excess Weight Loss
    FF: Fat Free
    GBP: Gastric Bypass
    GW: Goal Weight
    LBL: Lower Body Lift
    MO: Morbidly Obese
    NSV: Non Scale Victory, such as fitting in an airline seat
    NUT: Nutritionist
    OH: Obesity Help, another good online forum
    PB2: Peanut Butter 2 (peanut powder substitute for peanut butter)
    PCP: Primary Care Physcian
    PPI: Proton Pump Inhibitor, such as Prilosec
    RNY: Roux-eN-Y (gastric bypass) weight loss surgery
    SF: Sugar Free
    SMO: Super Morbidly Obese
    SW: Surgery Weight
    TT: Tummy Tuck
    VBG: Vertical Banded Gastroplasty weight loss surgery
    VSG: Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy weight loss surgery
    VST: Vertical Sleeve Talk, our wonderful forum
    WLS: Weight Loss Surgery
  3. lsereno
    A bougie is guide that is used to help the surgeon size your new stomach. Once you are under sedation, the bougie is passed down your throat and into your stomach. The surgeon cuts your stomach around the bougie. Typically, surgeons now use between a 32 and 40. The smaller the number, the smaller the guide's circumference. Early out, surgeons used bougies as large as 70.
     
    There is a huge amount of controversy about bougie sizes. But bougie size is not the only factor in determining how large you stomach will be. Some surgeons oversew the staple line. Some cut closer to the bougie. Some people have longer stomachs. All these factors affect how much smaller your stomach is.
     
    And your stomach size is not the only factor in your success. How compliant you are with your program and how resistant your body is to losing weight are important aspects to consider as well.
     
    The pic I've included of bougie sizes is one that periodically makes the rounds on this board and others.
     
     
    If you want more details on bougie size and it's effect on your success, read Carmelita's blog entry on this over on Obesity Help:
    http://www.obesityhe.../2011/03/31/-2/
     
    Lynda
  4. lsereno
    If your WLS program provided a guide, I suggest you use that. But many people do not receive a program guide when they have WLS. If you fall in that boat, here are some links to guides that I have saved from this forum over the years. If you have any to add, post a comment with a link.
     
    Kaiser Fremont Bariatric Program Guide (this is my program's guide and it covers VSG and other WLS)
    http://mydoctor.kais...rics/binder.jsp
     
    The Cornell Weight Loss Surgery Program: Dietary Guidelines for Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
    http://www.cornellwe...gastrectomy.pdf
     
    Institute for Advanced Bariatric Surgery: Preparatory Surgery Guide
    http://www.laplose.c...urgeryGuide.pdf
     
    Institute for Advanced Bariatric Surgery: Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery Diet Guide
    http://www.laplose.c...veDietGuide.pdf
     
    Northwest Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: Laproscopic Gastric Sleeve Diet
    http://www.northwest...ectomy-diet.pdf
     
    Ellis Medicine Program Guide
    http://www.ellishosp...pGuidelines.pdf
     
    Here are some additional guides posted by Misty (read her post here: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/85182-list-of-vsg-post-op-diets-from-surgeons/)
     
     
     
    Auckland Weight Loss Surgery (New Zealand) - Patient Information Book Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
    http://aucklandweightlosssurgery.co.nz/downloads/Laparoscopic%20Sleeve%20Gastrectomy.pdf
     
    Brigham and Women's Hospital - Dietary Guidelines for Sleeve Gastrectomy
    http://www.brighamandwomens.org/Departments_and_Services/surgery/services/generalsurg/WeightLossSurgery/PostOpSleeveGastrectomyDiet.pdf
     
    Columbia University - Sleeve Gastrectomy Discharge Instructions
    http://obesitymd.org/postop_sleeve.html
     
    Goodnight Surgical – The Sleeve Gastectromy Guide (PDF)
    http://goodnightsurgical.com/doc/Sleeve_Gastrectomy_Guide.pdf
     
    HealthPoint (New Zealand) - The Sleeve Gastectromy Information for Patients (PDF,Must be downloaded, can’t be viewed online)
    http://www.healthpoint.co.nz/download,267405.do
     
    Johns Hopkins - Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Guide
    http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns_hopkins_bayview/_docs/medical_services/bariatrics/nutrition_sleeve.pdf
     
    London Bariatric Group (UK) – A guide to eating and drinking after Sleeve Gastectromy
    http://www.laparoscopicconsultant.co.uk/pdf/post-op-sleeve-gastrectomy.pdf
     
    London Obesity Clinic (UK) - Eating after Sleeve Gastectromy
    http://www.obesitycliniclondon.co.uk/pdf/eating-after-sleeve-gastrectomy.pdf
     
    Miami HOPE Center - Patient Education Booklet Sleeve Gastectromy
    http://www.miamihope.com/docs/Patient_Educational_Booklet_Sleeve_Gastrectomy.pdf
     
    Murfressboro Surgical Specialists - Dietary Guidelines Post-Op Sleeve Gastectromy Procedure
    http://www.murfsurg.com/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.htm
     
    North London Obesity Surgery Services (UK) - Eating After A Sleeve Gastrectomy
    http://www.whittington.nhs.uk/document.ashx?id=1948
     
    Northwest Obesity Center – Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve Diet
    http://www.northwestobesitysurgery.com/pdf/sleeve-gastrectomy-diet.pdf
     
    Peachtree Bariatrics – Gastric Sleeve Patient Manual Guide
    http://www.peachtreebariatrics.com/docs/Gastric-Sleeve-Patient-Manual.pdf
     
    Pinnacle Health (Australia) - Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery Patient Manual (Word Doc, must be downloaded, cannot be read online)
    http://www.pinnaclehealth.org/pinnacle/media/Images/Sleeve-Gastrectomy-Patient-Manual.doc
     
    St. George Obesity Surgery (Australia) - Sleeve Gastrectomy Pre and Post Operative Information for Patients
    http://www.stgeorgeobesitysurgery.com.au/pdf/sleeve-gastrectomy-booklet.pdf
     
    St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (Canada) – Bariatric Surgery Guidebook
    http://www.stjoes.ca/media/PatientED/U-Z/PD%206000%20Bariatric%20Surgery%20-%20Gastric%20Bypass%20February%2029%202012.pdf
     
    University of Missouri - Guidelines Before & After Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
    http://www.muhealth.org/documents/bariatric/Bariatric%20Booklet%20VSG.pdf
     
    Upper Gastro Intestinal Surgery (Dr. Talbot, Australia) - Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for Weight Loss
    http://www.uppergisurgery.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/sleeve-2011.pdf
     
    Virginia Hospital Center - Your Complete Guide for Nutrition and Exercise Following Sleeve Gastrectomy
    http://www.surgicalassociatesvhc.com/Nutrition-and-Exercise-following-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-82011.pdf
     
    Walter Reed - Nutritional Guidelines Handbook
    http://www.wrnmmc.capmed.mil/Health%20Services/Surgery/Surgery/Bariatric%20Surgery/Shared%20Documents/Nutr%20Guidelines%20Section%20Handbook.pdf
     
    Walter Reed – Nutrition for Bariatric Surgery Presentation
    http://www.wrnmmc.capmed.mil/Health%20Services/Surgery/Surgery/Bariatric%20Surgery/Shared%20Documents/Nutrition%20for%20Bariatric%20Surgery%20Presentation.pdf

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