AngelaWilliamsMD

I use the anti-aging and multi vitamin patches in different places, and rotate the places every day. For example, one to each arm on Monday, one to each breast on Tuesday, etc. I haven't had any lab deficiencies and my anemia that I had prior to surgery (and the patches), has resolved. I practice as an Internal Medicine physician and although I have no affiliation with PatchMD, the idea of using impregnated Patches with vitamins...or other medicines, is not new and is well studied.

Just thought I'd share a study I found in one of my medical journey subscriptions. Interesting read!
Sleeve Gastrectomy Improves Testosterone Levels in Obese Men
Thu, 10/08/15 - 11:39
Sleeve gastrectomy can normalize testosterone levels in men with obesity-related hypogonadism, according to a recent study.
Previous research has suggested both the potential benefits of bariatric surgery to overall health and potential adverse effects of testosterone replacement therapy. For this reason, researchers aimed to investigate the effects of surgery-related weight loss on serum testosterone and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
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In their study, they followed 24 men undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, measuring their serum testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and PSA levels before surgery, then again 3, 6, and 12 months after.
Overall, the amount of men in the study with low serum testosterone levels dropped from 63% to 41% 12 months after surgery.
“Our cohort experienced a significant increase in average serum testosterone as quickly as 3 months after sleeve gastrectomy and by 12 months, this value had increased from 295 to 423 ng/dL (p=0.003). DHEA showed a trend toward increase, from 12.8 to 39.6 ng/mL (p=0.12) and serum PSA concentration rose over 12 months from 0.62 to 0.75 ng/mL (p=0.047) with no change in PSA mass.”
“The take home message is that if you are an obese man with low testosterone your therapy should be weight loss not testosterone replacement, and a successful way to achieve meaningful weight loss is through a bariatric operation,” they concluded.
“This is a unique and beneficial finding for sleeve gastrectomy hasn’t been studied before, demonstrating for the first time, that testosterone levels are improved in a group of obese male patients following sleeve gastrectomy.”
—Michael Potts
References:
Morton JM, Mokhrati T, Nair AA, et al. Male sex hormones normalize after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Paper presented at: The 2015 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. Chicago, IL. October 5, 2015.
American College of Surgeons. Testosterone Levels Improve in Obese Men Following a Common Weight-Loss Operation [press release]. October 5, 2015. https://www.facs.org/media/press-releases/2015/morton.
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If you are really telling the truth, there are cases of patients testing positive if they are around chronic marijuana smokers. Request a quantitative level if you can.

I use the anti-aging and multi vitamin patches in different places, and rotate the places every day. For example, one to each arm on Monday, one to each breast on Tuesday, etc. I haven't had any lab deficiencies and my anemia that I had prior to surgery (and the patches), has resolved. I practice as an Internal Medicine physician and although I have no affiliation with PatchMD, the idea of using impregnated Patches with vitamins...or other medicines, is not new and is well studied.

I use the anti-aging and multi vitamin patches in different places, and rotate the places every day. For example, one to each arm on Monday, one to each breast on Tuesday, etc. I haven't had any lab deficiencies and my anemia that I had prior to surgery (and the patches), has resolved. I practice as an Internal Medicine physician and although I have no affiliation with PatchMD, the idea of using impregnated Patches with vitamins...or other medicines, is not new and is well studied.

Benefits of Sleeve Gastrectomy Wane at 5 Years
Miriam E Tucker
August 06, 2015
The weight loss and diabetes remission achieved with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) appear to wane by 5 years, a new cohort study suggests.
Sleeve gastrectomy has been growing in popularity as a bariatric technique, but data on its long-term effect on obesity-related comorbidities are scarce, with most findings reported so far limited to 2-year outcomes, explain Inbal Golomb, from Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva, Israel, and colleagues, in their paper published online August 5, 2015 in JAMA Surgery.
In their retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort study of 443 patients who underwent bariatric surgery at the university hospital between 2006 and 2013, the percentage of excess body weight lost had dropped from 77% in 241 patients with available data at 1 year to 56% among 39 at 5 years.
And of the 82 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes prior to surgery, the proportions achieving complete remission — defined as a fasting glucose level of less than 100 mg/dL and HbA1c below 6% — were 51% of 71 with available data at 1 year and 20% of 10 at the 5-year mark. Total cholesterol didn't change significantly at all, and decreases in LDL cholesterol were significant at 1 year but not at 5 years.
"Undergoing LSG induced a reduction in [percent of excess weight loss] and a major improvement in obesity-related comorbidities in the short term," Mr Golomb and colleagues note. But the longer follow-up data "revealed weight regain and a decrease in remission rates for [type 2 diabetes] and other obesity-related comorbidities. These data should be taken into consideration in the decision-making process for the most appropriate operation for a given obese patient," they conclude.
In an accompanying editorial, Anita P Courcoulas, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh department of surgery, Pennsylvania, observes that there are "critical gaps in knowledge in this area," resulting from the "paucity of comparative trials, incomplete follow-up, a lack of standardized definitions for changes in health status (eg, diabetes mellitus remission), and the tendency to a rush to judgment in favor of surgical-treatment options."
Gastric Bypass Appears Better for Diabetes and Heavier Patients
Asked to comment, Philip Schauer, MD, director of the Bariatric & Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, told Medscape Medical News, "This is a 5-year study that adds to our understanding of the durability of the sleeve gastrectomy. These authors show, like the others do, that some of that weight loss and improvement in comorbidities does retard over time."
However, added Dr Schauer, who was one of the first surgeons to perform LSG over a decade ago, "Even at 5 years, there is still significant weight loss, and even though the remission rate of diabetes drops from 50% to 20%, that's still remarkable. That's not achievable with medical treatment."
He noted that LSG typically works better — and with more durable results — for patients with a shorter duration of diabetes and for those with lower levels of obesity (ie, 50–100 pounds overweight, as opposed >100 pounds). And it has some advantages over gastric bypass: it's a shorter procedure, with less short-term comorbidity.
But, he said, there is growing evidence from his data and those of others that "when we look at longer-term and more important outcomes, we're now seeing pretty consistent reporting in favor of the gastric bypass over the sleeve, at least for diabetes and the higher-weight people, too."
Large Randomized Trial Comparing Surgical Procedures Impractical
In her editorial, Dr Courcoulas says that cost and feasibility issues will make a large randomized comparative trial among surgical procedures relatively impractical.
Therefore, she said, data on long-term outcomes will need to come from sources such as large electronic databases and "also by thoughtful inference that will be made through pooled analyses of data like that from Golomb and colleagues and from many other disparate randomized and nonrandomized studies of bariatric surgery.
"It will take time, patience, and a willingness to avoid a rush to judgment," she adds.
Dr Schauer said, "I agree with her; we have to dampen our enthusiasm a little bit until we see the longer-term results."
In the meantime, Dr Courcoulas writes, "clinicians and prospective patients will need to discuss and weigh the evidence in a dynamic exchange driven not always by final conclusions but by the most current available data."
The study authors have no relevant financial relationships. Dr Courcoulas reports receiving grants from Nutrisystem, Ethicon, and Covidien and serving as a project consultant for Ethicon and Apollo Endosurgery. D. Schauer has received grants from Ethicon, Covidien, Novo Nordisk, the National Institutes of Health, and a travel grant from Nestle and is on advisory board for Surgiquest.
JAMA Surg.Published online August 5, 2015. Abstract, Editorial

I use the anti-aging and multi vitamin patches in different places, and rotate the places every day. For example, one to each arm on Monday, one to each breast on Tuesday, etc. I haven't had any lab deficiencies and my anemia that I had prior to surgery (and the patches), has resolved. I practice as an Internal Medicine physician and although I have no affiliation with PatchMD, the idea of using impregnated Patches with vitamins...or other medicines, is not new and is well studied.

I use the anti-aging and multi vitamin patches in different places, and rotate the places every day. For example, one to each arm on Monday, one to each breast on Tuesday, etc. I haven't had any lab deficiencies and my anemia that I had prior to surgery (and the patches), has resolved. I practice as an Internal Medicine physician and although I have no affiliation with PatchMD, the idea of using impregnated Patches with vitamins...or other medicines, is not new and is well studied.

Benefits of Sleeve Gastrectomy Wane at 5 Years
Miriam E Tucker
August 06, 2015
The weight loss and diabetes remission achieved with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) appear to wane by 5 years, a new cohort study suggests.
Sleeve gastrectomy has been growing in popularity as a bariatric technique, but data on its long-term effect on obesity-related comorbidities are scarce, with most findings reported so far limited to 2-year outcomes, explain Inbal Golomb, from Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva, Israel, and colleagues, in their paper published online August 5, 2015 in JAMA Surgery.
In their retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort study of 443 patients who underwent bariatric surgery at the university hospital between 2006 and 2013, the percentage of excess body weight lost had dropped from 77% in 241 patients with available data at 1 year to 56% among 39 at 5 years.
And of the 82 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes prior to surgery, the proportions achieving complete remission — defined as a fasting glucose level of less than 100 mg/dL and HbA1c below 6% — were 51% of 71 with available data at 1 year and 20% of 10 at the 5-year mark. Total cholesterol didn't change significantly at all, and decreases in LDL cholesterol were significant at 1 year but not at 5 years.
"Undergoing LSG induced a reduction in [percent of excess weight loss] and a major improvement in obesity-related comorbidities in the short term," Mr Golomb and colleagues note. But the longer follow-up data "revealed weight regain and a decrease in remission rates for [type 2 diabetes] and other obesity-related comorbidities. These data should be taken into consideration in the decision-making process for the most appropriate operation for a given obese patient," they conclude.
In an accompanying editorial, Anita P Courcoulas, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh department of surgery, Pennsylvania, observes that there are "critical gaps in knowledge in this area," resulting from the "paucity of comparative trials, incomplete follow-up, a lack of standardized definitions for changes in health status (eg, diabetes mellitus remission), and the tendency to a rush to judgment in favor of surgical-treatment options."
Gastric Bypass Appears Better for Diabetes and Heavier Patients
Asked to comment, Philip Schauer, MD, director of the Bariatric & Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, told Medscape Medical News, "This is a 5-year study that adds to our understanding of the durability of the sleeve gastrectomy. These authors show, like the others do, that some of that weight loss and improvement in comorbidities does retard over time."
However, added Dr Schauer, who was one of the first surgeons to perform LSG over a decade ago, "Even at 5 years, there is still significant weight loss, and even though the remission rate of diabetes drops from 50% to 20%, that's still remarkable. That's not achievable with medical treatment."
He noted that LSG typically works better — and with more durable results — for patients with a shorter duration of diabetes and for those with lower levels of obesity (ie, 50–100 pounds overweight, as opposed >100 pounds). And it has some advantages over gastric bypass: it's a shorter procedure, with less short-term comorbidity.
But, he said, there is growing evidence from his data and those of others that "when we look at longer-term and more important outcomes, we're now seeing pretty consistent reporting in favor of the gastric bypass over the sleeve, at least for diabetes and the higher-weight people, too."
Large Randomized Trial Comparing Surgical Procedures Impractical
In her editorial, Dr Courcoulas says that cost and feasibility issues will make a large randomized comparative trial among surgical procedures relatively impractical.
Therefore, she said, data on long-term outcomes will need to come from sources such as large electronic databases and "also by thoughtful inference that will be made through pooled analyses of data like that from Golomb and colleagues and from many other disparate randomized and nonrandomized studies of bariatric surgery.
"It will take time, patience, and a willingness to avoid a rush to judgment," she adds.
Dr Schauer said, "I agree with her; we have to dampen our enthusiasm a little bit until we see the longer-term results."
In the meantime, Dr Courcoulas writes, "clinicians and prospective patients will need to discuss and weigh the evidence in a dynamic exchange driven not always by final conclusions but by the most current available data."
The study authors have no relevant financial relationships. Dr Courcoulas reports receiving grants from Nutrisystem, Ethicon, and Covidien and serving as a project consultant for Ethicon and Apollo Endosurgery. D. Schauer has received grants from Ethicon, Covidien, Novo Nordisk, the National Institutes of Health, and a travel grant from Nestle and is on advisory board for Surgiquest.
JAMA Surg.Published online August 5, 2015. Abstract, Editorial

Benefits of Sleeve Gastrectomy Wane at 5 Years
Miriam E Tucker
August 06, 2015
The weight loss and diabetes remission achieved with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) appear to wane by 5 years, a new cohort study suggests.
Sleeve gastrectomy has been growing in popularity as a bariatric technique, but data on its long-term effect on obesity-related comorbidities are scarce, with most findings reported so far limited to 2-year outcomes, explain Inbal Golomb, from Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva, Israel, and colleagues, in their paper published online August 5, 2015 in JAMA Surgery.
In their retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort study of 443 patients who underwent bariatric surgery at the university hospital between 2006 and 2013, the percentage of excess body weight lost had dropped from 77% in 241 patients with available data at 1 year to 56% among 39 at 5 years.
And of the 82 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes prior to surgery, the proportions achieving complete remission — defined as a fasting glucose level of less than 100 mg/dL and HbA1c below 6% — were 51% of 71 with available data at 1 year and 20% of 10 at the 5-year mark. Total cholesterol didn't change significantly at all, and decreases in LDL cholesterol were significant at 1 year but not at 5 years.
"Undergoing LSG induced a reduction in [percent of excess weight loss] and a major improvement in obesity-related comorbidities in the short term," Mr Golomb and colleagues note. But the longer follow-up data "revealed weight regain and a decrease in remission rates for [type 2 diabetes] and other obesity-related comorbidities. These data should be taken into consideration in the decision-making process for the most appropriate operation for a given obese patient," they conclude.
In an accompanying editorial, Anita P Courcoulas, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh department of surgery, Pennsylvania, observes that there are "critical gaps in knowledge in this area," resulting from the "paucity of comparative trials, incomplete follow-up, a lack of standardized definitions for changes in health status (eg, diabetes mellitus remission), and the tendency to a rush to judgment in favor of surgical-treatment options."
Gastric Bypass Appears Better for Diabetes and Heavier Patients
Asked to comment, Philip Schauer, MD, director of the Bariatric & Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, told Medscape Medical News, "This is a 5-year study that adds to our understanding of the durability of the sleeve gastrectomy. These authors show, like the others do, that some of that weight loss and improvement in comorbidities does retard over time."
However, added Dr Schauer, who was one of the first surgeons to perform LSG over a decade ago, "Even at 5 years, there is still significant weight loss, and even though the remission rate of diabetes drops from 50% to 20%, that's still remarkable. That's not achievable with medical treatment."
He noted that LSG typically works better — and with more durable results — for patients with a shorter duration of diabetes and for those with lower levels of obesity (ie, 50–100 pounds overweight, as opposed >100 pounds). And it has some advantages over gastric bypass: it's a shorter procedure, with less short-term comorbidity.
But, he said, there is growing evidence from his data and those of others that "when we look at longer-term and more important outcomes, we're now seeing pretty consistent reporting in favor of the gastric bypass over the sleeve, at least for diabetes and the higher-weight people, too."
Large Randomized Trial Comparing Surgical Procedures Impractical
In her editorial, Dr Courcoulas says that cost and feasibility issues will make a large randomized comparative trial among surgical procedures relatively impractical.
Therefore, she said, data on long-term outcomes will need to come from sources such as large electronic databases and "also by thoughtful inference that will be made through pooled analyses of data like that from Golomb and colleagues and from many other disparate randomized and nonrandomized studies of bariatric surgery.
"It will take time, patience, and a willingness to avoid a rush to judgment," she adds.
Dr Schauer said, "I agree with her; we have to dampen our enthusiasm a little bit until we see the longer-term results."
In the meantime, Dr Courcoulas writes, "clinicians and prospective patients will need to discuss and weigh the evidence in a dynamic exchange driven not always by final conclusions but by the most current available data."
The study authors have no relevant financial relationships. Dr Courcoulas reports receiving grants from Nutrisystem, Ethicon, and Covidien and serving as a project consultant for Ethicon and Apollo Endosurgery. D. Schauer has received grants from Ethicon, Covidien, Novo Nordisk, the National Institutes of Health, and a travel grant from Nestle and is on advisory board for Surgiquest.
JAMA Surg.Published online August 5, 2015. Abstract, Editorial

This article is about the sleeve, not the lap band. Yes, they are both "restrictive" in a sense, but very different procedures. It is important to realize that the sleeve is not a cure for obesity. Instead, we all should focus on utilizing it as a tool for weight loss and improved general health.

McDonald's vanilla Ice Cream (didn't eat the cone)...believe I had dumping syndrome afterwards. This was 2 weeks post op, and the best negative reinforcement I've ever had!

You're still early out, you may want to lose some more weight first and not rush things. Getting clearance by a physician is never a bad thing either!

You're still early out, you may want to lose some more weight first and not rush things. Getting clearance by a physician is never a bad thing either!

You're still early out, you may want to lose some more weight first and not rush things. Getting clearance by a physician is never a bad thing either!

Sorry I'm late posting, but I weigh 128.7!

Me. I freaked myself out to the point that I flew myself back home the same night and resolved to do better. Don't let this happen to you...you'll be okay.

Congratulations!

Yes. The 6 weeks I took off were completely worth it in my case. I had mental and physical fatigue that didn't really get better until I was on soft foods and steadily getting in my Protein the first month.

I agree with what the others have said, slow it down. It sounds very early to be doing some of the things you are doing!

I use the Multivitamin and anti-aging Patches. They adhere well to the skin and labs don't show any deficiencies, so I'm happy! I also like to not have to worry about the extra calories and carbs I'd get from the gummies I used to take.

So sorry to hear this! Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way.

Why not just keep going. You're almost there.

Good morning, I'm hoping to reach goal with this challenge, so here I go!
Current weight 132.2
Goal weight 125

Why not just keep going. You're almost there.