Just Lora

Dr Brad Winterstein Omaha, Nebraska $12500

FYI: The name of the medication is lorcaserin.

Sorry about your Dad!

While googling GOAT, :confused1: I found the following article: How Fatty Foods Curb Hunger ScienceDaily (Oct. 10, 2008) — Fatty foods may not be the healthiest diet choice, but those rich in unsaturated fats – such as avocados, nuts and olive oil – have been found to play a pivotal role in sending this important message to your brain: stop eating, you're full. A new study by UC Irvine pharmacologists shows that these fats trigger production of a compound in the small intestine that curbs hunger pangs. This discovery, the researchers say, points toward new approaches to treating obesity and other eating disorders. Daniele Piomelli, the Louise Turner Arnold Chair in Neurosciences, and his colleagues have studied how a fat-derived compound called oleoylethanolamide regulates hunger and body weight. In their current work, which appears in the Oct. 8 issue of Cell Metabolism, they found that an unsaturated fatty acid called oleic acid stimulates production of OEA, which in turn decreases appetite. Oleic acid is transformed into OEA by cells in the upper region of the small intestine. OEA then finds its way to nerve endings that carry the hunger-curbing message to the brain. There, it activates a brain circuit that increases feelings of fullness. In previous studies, Piomelli found that increasing OEA levels can reduce appetite, produce weight loss and lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Piomelli believes OEA could be used in a variety of drugs because it is a key to the way the body naturally handles fatty foods and regulates eating and body weight. "We are excited to find that OEA activates cell receptors that already have been the focus of successful drug development," he said. "This gives us hope for a new class of anti-obesity drugs based on the savvy use of natural appetite-controlling mechanisms." Nearly 30 percent of Americans are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has declared obesity an epidemic disease. The occurrence of obesity has risen by almost 60 percent since 1991, and it greatly increases the risk of premature death, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Piomelli's study colleagues include Jin Fu and Giuseppe Astarita of UCI; Gary Schwartz and Xiaosong Li of Yeshiva University; and Silvana Gaetani, Patrizia Campolongo and Vincenzo Cuomo of the University of Rome. The National Institutes of Health, New York Obesity Research Center, the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and the Italian Ministry of Research supported the study. Adapted from materials provided by University of California - Irvine, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Ask your surgeon how his other sleever did/doing. :thumbup: Ask to speak to his post op sleevers. You may be able to determine if he is just presenting the worse possible outcome. Good Luck!

Was always told I was fat as a child. Was thin in high school (123lbs). DH (then boyfriend) stated I was to skinny. After high school I started to blossom. Married at age 20. Continued to blossom +160lbs. Went on Nutri-System. Lost over 30lbs. Became pregnant with daughter then 2.5 years later with son. Was stuck at 178lbs. Tried everything.......then fen-phen. I lost weight. Made it to 127lbs before it was taken of the market. Started nursing school and the weight started to creep back on. At graduation I was 160lbs. I started working 7pm to 7am on an oncology floor. Started gaining weight.....again tried everything, BUT I only managed to to loss 30lbs, but gaining it back & more. I honestly believe I have dieted myself fat. Started having health problems. Both my PCP & Gyno couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. Finally a NP did a thyroid test.....Guess what? I have hypothyroidism. Change to a day position in the ER; thinking this would help along with the meds. Also changed doctors. In October 2008, at a work physical I my weight was 238lbs. This was an ALL time high without being pregnant. Started working with doctor on weight loss/exercise program. Made it to 225lbs from October to April. Dr Walsh asked if I have ever thought about WLS .......so, now I have to work with the NUT until October to meet all insurance requirements. Otherwise, I have been approved for surgery.

I hope I become addicted to exercise. :thumbup:

My doctor promised me he would take pictures of the part of my tummy removed. It would be cool to have a DVD. I'll have to ask him if that is a possibility. Thanks for sharing your story! It only reinforces what a great tool the sleeve is.

Vampyrvet-thx for sharing your story. alegne242 took the words right out of my mouth. I am also pre-op. When I first though about WLS, I was interested in the band. After researching & talking with banders & sleevers, I realized the sleeve was the way to go. Even my surgeon (who performs both bands & sleeves) believes the sleeves are better.