Dr-Patient

First, if you've dropped 70 pounds, I'm sure someone (if not many of them) WILL notice the weight loss. Second, I think that's way too many people to tell your most personal business. Some might get it; others might have comments/criticisms you really don't need or want to hear. They can Celebrate your weight loss without having your wls be the reunion's hot topic. You can be the 'hot' topic ["damn, she looks good!"], but not your surgery. It's not their business. You said, "I really don't want them to know..." Well, that's it. End of discussion [within yourself]. Do what you want, but, if it were me, I wouldn't even think to tell them. If they ask, "what are you doing to lose all that weight!!?", I'd just say "I'm eating lots of Protein and I cut out all those carbs," etc. [One caveat; IF everyone in your family is clinically obese and also could benefit from wls, saying you had it to encourage them to get it might be different...only IF you want to tell them.] We live in a 'tell everyone everything; share everything' world [on FB, etc.]. I am not into that. I'm a very private-minded person and have learned to protect my serenity and spirit (as well as that of others). Have fun. Enjoy the gathering. But do only what you feel comfortable doing or saying.

Just sharing: The ASMBS (official organization of weight loss surgeons, etc) has an e-newsletter they send doctors, etc. Here's the link to today's email blast of current/recent articles about WLS: http://connect.asmbs.org/stories-of-the-week-08-18-14.html Two of those entries are: Daily Checkup: Sleeve Gastrectomy is an Effective Weight-Loss Surgery (New York Daily News) Q&A with Dr. Linda Zhang from Mount Sinai Hospital on sleeve gastrectomy, which she calls a relatively simple procedure in comparison to gastric bypass and can help patients lose 70% of their excess body weight. Dr. Zhang comments, “A lot of people say that they want surgery because they want to live longer, and it’s shown that this surgery decreases long-term mortality.” In addition, “what we’re finding is that sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass have very similar results, even though gastric bypass is much more complex and includes rerouting the intestines. You don’t lose quite as much weight with the sleeve procedure, but it’s simpler and there’s less risk.” The article says “for a reliable online source, start with ASMBS.org and that patients should consider going to an ASMBS Center of Excellence. Cancer Tops List of Surprising Health Problems Tied to Obesity (ABC News, MedPage Today) Reports on a new study in The Lancet that found 10% of all gallbladder, kidney, liver and colon cancers could be attributed to excess weight and that a “whopping 41% of uterine cancers were tied to obesity. Also reported, overweight women have a harder time getting pregnant. Dr. Marc Bessler comments, “ Obesity is an inflammatory state and that alone might decrease fertility.” Dr. Bessler said some of his patients become pregnant just months after weight-loss surgery once they have dropped a few pounds. In an accompanying commentary to The Lancet study, Peter T. Campbell, PhD, of the American Cancer Society characterized obesity as “a certain and avoidable cause of cancer and that “more research is not needed to justify, or even demand, policy changes aimed at curbing overweight and obesity.”

@@simply_Me Hello. You're new here. I just want to say that usually people on BP are nice and respond appropriately, not only as a self-described "jerk," but apparently very rude and inappropriately nasty, as well. The reply to your post proved your comment was spot on. Wow.

Four weeks out, I wouldn't want to start adding all that sugar and carbs. I admit that 2 months ago, I tried ice cream, and it took me two months to stop having some 2-3 times a week after that. Potato chips and ice cream stalled me for two months. I could've been to goal. I say...why start with that stuff so soon? Later on down the road, sure, have a little. But I'd stay true to the Protein plan at your very early stage. Don't you want this VSG to be a true success...even early on? PS: Ice cream is a slider food. Next thing you know, you'll have slowly ingested half a pint without even knowing it.

These stories remind me of an e-book of medical bloopers, including some post-op comments from drugged patients. It's "Medical Bloopers:Amusing and Amazing Stories"... A red & white cover . But you have to bring your humor bone. Not for stiffs. The "Doc Hollywood" guy contributed to it. One story above reminds me of one story in there: a patient was awakening from anesthesia and when telling the patient to get onto the stretcher to go to recovery, the nurses are saying to "move over, c'mon, move here, right there, now you're doing it, that's it... And the groggy patient said, "you sound like one of my former lovers" or something like that. Funny. Funny "crystal ball" story there, too.

My very first post to BP was about Water. Now, many months out, I can drink water nicely, and get 3-4 gooood swallows at a time, wait a few, then more of the same. The taste of it never changed for me; I just hated that I couldn't guzzle water as before. Still can't guzzle, but it is definitely reasonably good for a water-lover.

Fellas, please advise: Does a woman's loose skin distract, annoy, or repulse you in intimate times; or are you so focused on 'other stuff', it really doesn't matter? I've lost ~55 pounds and still want to lost another 30-40 pounds. I do see some loose skin, though it's not bad at this point. It's not a current matter for me--the "what is he thinking (because I need to find me a new 'he'")--but I'm thinking to maybe see an old friend who's been begging me for years. LOL. (and we do have a 22-year crush/attraction to each other). And, ladies, have the men you're dating voiced, or seemed to have any concern about this? What's been your experience with this? Granted, those I ask who are here on BP understand, but give your best thoughts on this matter. I don't think I need to really worry about it, but just curious if this is a turn-off (especially if the guy doesn't know of the WLS). Thanks to all respondents.

How old are you? If > 50, you don't want to be too frail. But... Probably people are just so used to seeing you big, they just have to accept that you're a more normal weight now, especially for your height. Don't undo your work to please others. If you do that for this, you'll do it in other areas of your life...and be totally screwed. Live for you, as you know what your weight struggle, desires and health needs have been and are. Are you healthy and happy? That's what matters, not everyone else's opinion.

Congratulations, RJ. Now, suggestion (if I may): Go get a little sexy, fitted, black dress, or even a red one, and show those new curves! Rock on, RJ.

I want some! I love Cheerios and (something else; I can't remember the name). But my box of Cheerios is just sitting here. I don't want the carbs right now. Oh well.

Your post is timely. Last week, a 37-year-friend of mine (who had a RNY--gastric bypass--Sept. 30th), was slurring his words after having 3 drinks. Mind you, he's an alcoholic who had been doing very well until of late! Also, since he's lost 100 pounds and is looking good, feeling cocky, and noticing the "honeys checking me out," (despite being married), he now feels he can do what he used to do--hang out and drink. Being that he'd previously been in a car accident due to driving drunk, on Monday I actually contacted his doctor (who I met at Obesity Week last November), and I told the doc to contact his internist and get him in for new labs. Just a month ago, my friend said his internist told him his liver showed signs of him drinking again, and to stop! My friend then admitted to me that he said he'd only been drinking two glasses of wine, but in fact, was drinking a full bottle of wine every night. Addictive personailities really need to be careful with the alcohol, especially given malabsoprtion, or altered absorption post-wls. Thank you for your important post.

I'm happy to see that you didn't just take selfies; having "real" pictures, taken by someone else, from a proper distance, is so much better. You are doing great. Keep it up. Congratulations.

Step away! Step away! Once you get started, it's sooo hard to stop. The carbs will take over your mind. Hunger will ensue and you'll graze for everything you shouldn't have. [i got stuck for 2 months!! Lost precious time.] Do you still have some Cookies? Open bag. Pour bleach over the cookies, and put them in the trash. Do it now--"Stat!" :-)

I just want to share, now that I have finally broken through my carbohydrate-binge after entering Onederland May 13th (and celebrating with occasional chips and ice cream). Because of my own actions--and the pull of carbs, causing hunger and cravings!--I got stuck in the 190s for two freakin' months. But I regrouped and finally got back on track last week. This morning I was 189.6! That's still too close to 190, but I'll take it; and I've been a really good (and motivated) girl all day. With my next milestone goal of 175 [hopefully by September], and the 180s now in view, I purged another component of my past weight-battle life: I gathered ALL the weight-loss crap/diet supplements I had around the house, in cabinets, and dumped them in the trash can [see picture]. Sensa. Xenadrine. Boxes of Optifast shakes and chicken Soup. Medifast. Venon (diet pills). Some other stuff--some chemicals that work on the brain to affect mood and the satiety center, etc. A bunch of stuff. It felt good to say "no more!!" Another NSV. Yeah. This reinforced a life lesson: It's easier and better to not get into trouble [don't even start the bad carbs], then to try to get out of it [fighting cravings].

Additional picture of gathered--now trashed--weight loss stuff.

Congratulations to you!! I am not big on exercising; but last night I danced for 3 hours; thank God for the repeat feature on my CD player. Same song for 2 hours. LOL. Had to shower/wash-dry hair before going to bed. I need to push myself, cuz I want to get into the 180s before week's end (after blowing two months with carbs). Again, good for you!

FYI, if interested: Excuse its length, but here's the email blast I received of today's ASMBS' Connect: News topics of the week re: obesity and WLS. You might find some articles of interest to you. They sent: The following is a summary/brief analysis of the obesity and surgery stories making news this week: Company Seeks FDA Approval for Balloon System for Obesity… Retinopathy Stable After Bariatric Surgery…Sleeve Gastrectomy vs. Medical Management for Diabetes… UK May Seen Huge Increase in Bariatric Surgery… New Clues on How Metabolic Surgery Affects Diabetes…Sharon Osbourne Felt Like a Cheat After Surgery… Obesity Worse Than Smoking… Childhood Obesity Drops in NYC… Stigma Around Obesity Persists… Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in the News… ReShape Submits Dual Balloon System Application to FDA (Bariatric News) ReShape Medical is seeking FDA approval for the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System, "the first and only dual balloon for non-surgical weight loss designed for people with a BMI 30-40." According to the company, the system is the first device to meet its primary effectiveness endpoints in a U.S. randomized, sham-controlled pivotal trial. Dr. Jaime Ponce, Principal Investigator in the so-called REDUCE trial, commented, “Meeting the primary endpoints is an important accomplishment, as it convincingly demonstrates the superiority of the ReShape procedure over diet and exercise alone. The ReShape procedure offers a new alternative to help patients kick-start weight loss and learn new behaviours. We are excited about what this new treatment option may do for millions of people needing to lose excess weight.” The device has been available in the E.U. since December 2011. ReShape Medical anticipates a launch in the U.S. in mid-to-late 2015. No Change in Retinopathy in Diabetes 2 Years After Surgery (Medscape) Results from the STAMPEDE trial presented at the American Diabetes Association 2014 Scientific Sessions show no change in diabetic retinopathy for patients two years after bariatric surgery. Lead author Dr. Rishi P. Singh commented that he was “pleasantly reassured” that there wasn’t a higher incidence or significant progression of the disease after surgery. He said the results demonstrate that regular eye exams are still important for this patient population. "This is the first time that a prospective, randomized clinical trial has shown that intensive medical management vs gastric bypass doesn't appear to increase the retinopathy incidence or progression, nor does it increase the rate of vision loss or changes in intraocular blood pressure (a sign of glaucoma)," he added. Dr. Bruce Wolfe, bariatric surgeon at Oregon Health and Science University, commented on the results saying, "The induction of remission or improvement in diabetes control is positive for the patient, but drawing conclusions about the many-year process of diabetic complications of diabetic neuropathy or diabetic retinopathy is premature." Additionally, he added that patients who are informed that their diabetes has gone into remission after they have had bariatric surgery may think, "I don't need to go to these eye assessments anymore," but that would be too hasty, he stressed. Better Long-term Diabetes Outcomes with Sleeve Gastrectomy vs. Medical Management (Healio) Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy helped adults with type 2 diabetes achieve better blood glucose control than standard care alone, according to research presented at the joint meeting of the International Congress of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society. To determine long-term outcomes of diabetes in patients with sleeve gastrectomy vs. medical care alone, investigators reviewed medical records of veterans with type 2 diabetes, ages 18 to 80, undergoing the surgery at a VA medical center in a major metropolitan area. Two years of data from the charts of 30 patients treated with surgery were compared to 23 control patients. All patients had received medical treatment and been part of the MOVE national weight management program designed by the VA National Center for Health before being offered surgery. Significant improvements in BMI and HbA1c were seen in patients with surgery at one year, with improvements sustained through the end of two years; BMI decreased from 46 to 34 and HbA1c from 7.25% to 5.98%. These kinds of outcomes were not witnessed in patients without surgery during the study. At study completion, 76% of patients with surgery were able to discontinue or reduce their diabetes medications, compared with 26% of patients receiving medical treatment only. Thousands More to Get Obesity Ops on the NHS: NICE Calls for Huge Increase in Surgery - But Even Obesity Charities Condemn It (Daily Mail) New draft guidance from the U.K.’s National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) suggests that people with obesity who have type 2 diabetes should be assessed for bariatric surgery under the country’s National Health Service (NHS). At present weight loss surgery is given to patients on the NHS who have morbid obesity with a BMI score of over 40 or to those who have a BMI over 35 and who have another serious health condition - such as type 2 diabetes. But now Nice is suggesting that people with a BMI score of 30 to 35 should be considered for an assessment for surgery under the NHS if they have been diagnosed within the last 10 years. This could mean hundreds of thousands more patients could be considered for treatment. The draft guideline also recommends that people who have undergone bariatric surgery under the NHS should have a "follow up care package" for at least two years after their operation. However, opponents of the guidelines say it is wrong of Nice to recommend that the NHS offer operations costing £5,000 when the agency faces a £30billion deficit. Scientists Discover Clues Why Weight-loss Surgery Cures Diabetes (Medical Xpress) A study published in the journal Endocrinology found the actions of specialized cells in the intestine that secrete a cocktail of powerful hormones when we eat may help bring us a step closer to understanding why gastric bypass surgery "cures diabetes in most patients." The research team showed that gut hormone cells previously thought to contain just one hormone, had up to six hormones including the hunger hormone ghrelin. Study team leader Dr. Craig Smith, a Senior Lecturer in Molecular Cell Physiology at University of Manchester, commented, “Understanding the messages the gut sends out when we eat food and when things go wrong, as is the case in diabetes, is our next challenge and hopefully one that will result in the development of drugs which could be used instead of surgery to cure obesity and prevent diabetes.” Sharon Osbourne Opens Up About Feeling Like a ‘Cheat’ After Gastric Bypass Surgery (NY Daily News) In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sharon Osbourne commented that she has “secret shame” about having bariatric surgery in 1999. "I felt (like) such a cheat when I had that band on my stomach,” she said. "People are saying, 'You look wonderful! I'd go, 'Thank you, I just have to leave and vomit.'" Osbourne had the gastric band removed in 2006 and says she controls her weight through the low-carb Atkins diet, but admitted she struggles because she is still a food addict. Obesity in the News… Extreme Obesity Cuts Lifespan More than Smoking: Study (Reuters, CBSNews.com, Voice of America) Extensive media coverage of the “largest-ever study of the effect of extreme obesity on mortality,” which showed the “most extreme cases” may shorten a person's lifespan more than smoking. Scientists at the National Cancer Institute found people who suffered from severe obesity died 6.5 to 13.7 years earlier than people of healthy weight. A data review was conducted of 20 large studies from U.S., Sweden and Australian, which included 9,564 adults with extreme obesity and 304,011 of normal weight. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes were mostly responsible for an increased risk of dying “at any given time” when BMI rose to levels of extreme obesity. The study was published in the journal PLOS Medicine. Severe Childhood Obesity Shows a Decline in New York City (Reuters) The prevalence of severe obesity among school children in New York City was down by almost 10% in the 2010-11 school year compared to the 2006-07. Earlier research had shown a decline in overall obesity among NYC public school children, but the prevalence of severe obesity had not been studied. The new study, published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, shows NYC rates “buck national trends.” Height and weight measurements were recorded for 947,765 children attending public schools in kindergarten through eighth grade. Severe obesity fell from 6.3% of the children in the 2006-07 school year to 5.7% in 2010-11. The change represents a 9.5% decrease. The prevalence of severe obesity was highest among boys, minorities and poor children. Additionally, while prevalence declined in every group, the greatest decrease was among white students and wealthy students. Many Obese Women Face Stigma Every Day, Study Finds (HealthDay) A new study found women who were overweight or suffered from obesity were likely to be faced with frequent, daily insults and humiliation from strangers, family and friends. Researchers recruited 50 women who were asked to log their “weight-stigmatizing” events in a diary during the course of a week. A total of 1,077 occurrences were reported including physical barriers (84%), nasty comments from others (74%), being stared at (72%) and others making negative assumptions (72%). Each woman experienced an average of three negative events over a seven-day period. Researchers found BMI was “the most significant factor associated with all forms of stigma except that caused by interpersonal relationships.” Ted Kyle, advocacy advisor for The Obesity Society, felt the study was limited due to the size and lack of data from other groups including males and other ethnic groups as most participates were white. He commented, “Most everybody struggles with some kind of health issue but obesity is something you wear on the outside.” The study was published recently in the Journal of Health Psychology.

I do a similar thing; I make Parmesean cheese Tuile [i think that's how it's spelled]. Baking pan; parchment paper. I gently toss a bunch of shredded parmesean cheese (maybe 2 cups or slightly less) with whatever herbs I want: fresh parsley flakes, a little pepper, and 1/2 Sweet & Low (optional). I spread that mixture out on the parchment paper; maybe top with more parsley for color. Bake in the over slowly, at maybe 350. Keeping an eye on it. When it turns a golden brown (~15-20 minutes), remove from oven. Let cool some, then break it up into shards. So it's like Parmesean cheese chips. You get protein; no carbs. Salty flavor. Crunch. As above, you can store them in a baggie, etc., and snack on them prn (as needed). You can also put these cheese shards as a garnish for your honey and family and friends. Stick it atop their mashed potatoes, on a salad or whatever.

Is it only the scars that itch, or are you itching all over? If just the actual incisions, it means you're healing, though not everyone itches. Try not to scratch! If you're itching all over, it could be the liquid Lortab or codeine-containing pain killer (if ithat's what they gave you). Stop the meds and that itching should abate within 24 hrs. Good luck. It gets better!

Your post helps me try to figure out my prep for an eventual garage/yard sale. I've so many clothes. It's going to be a chore. I'll try to follow this to see how it goes. Good luck.

Thanks. I'll check it out and may join by week's end. But... Men...we need MEN to be there! :-) And congrats on reaching your goal!

Certainly don't put the (whatever you use) on the cut/incised area, just where the sticky stuff is on your intact skin. Otherwise, wait a few days; the sticky areas will get a little dirty and "beady," and with Vaseline or gentle pressure and a cloth, just roll them into little gummy beads and they'll come off. No biggie, in any case. Just keep everything clean to prevent infection or darker scars.

Nail polish remover, or vinegar, usually does the trick. Or after a shower, gently rub off with a washcloth.

I'm with ya! I'm at seven months and, for the past 6 weeks, have been battling with carbs! And I still want to lose ~25-30 more pounds. Hopefully I'll get fully back on track and see the scale move down again soon. Stuck at 192-195# since May 13 because my "honeymoon" might be over. I have to stay focused, reduce carbs and reduce volume. Also, to eat slower again. But, Andrew, you've done great, having lost 133 pounds! Since surgery in December! Wow. Good for you!! PS: This is why I love this site. It's good to see we're not alone; not the only one dealing with whatever, at whatever stage.

I love this article, Alex.