Dame J

If you check the article out online at the globe check out the comments section. It's people like that that make me not tell people that I have had the surgery

Globe and Mail - Tues March 13th, 2007 There's a downside to obesity surgery SHERYL UBELACKER Canadian Press TORONTO — When people with obesity have surgery to help them lose weight, they can also lose something else — the ability to properly absorb certain nutrients, in particular Vitamin B1. And that deficiency can potentially lead to permanent brain damage if left untreated, researchers say. In a review of the medical literature, researchers at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine found 32 cases of bariatric surgery patients who developed symptoms of Wernicke encephalopathy, a condition marked by memory loss and confusion, an inability to co-ordinate movements and rapid eye movement. Wernicke's is caused by a deficiency in vitamin B1, also called thiamine, and these classic symptoms are usually seen in alcoholics, said lead author Dr. Sonal Singh, an internal medicine specialist at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. “But interesting to our study, we found that these people also had other symptoms, like hearing loss, convulsions and tingling and numbness of the arms and legs — symptoms that have not been previously described with Wernicke's,” Dr. Singh said in an interview. That made the researchers wonder if these bariatric surgery patients were suffering from more than just a B1 deficiency and may have been experiencing a deficit of other critical nutrients or had developed immunological problems. Strangely, almost half of the patients with the neurological symptoms showed no brain lesions when given an MRI scan, said Dr. Singh, whose study is published Tuesday in the journal Neurology. Of the 32 patients — who had one of four weight-loss surgeries, including gastric bypass and gastric banding — 13 made a full recovery. Eighteen others were left with various levels of dysfunction and one patient, a 33-year-old woman, died. Most had experienced vomiting prior to onset of the neurological symptoms, said Dr. Singh, noting that patients ranged in age from 23 to 55, and 27 of the 32 were women. (In the United States, 75 per cent of bariatric surgery patients are women, he said.) The vomiting could have been caused by any of several factors, including the anatomical changes created by the surgery; blockages caused by swelling around the surgical area; and ulcerations or other erosions of the stomach developed following the operation. “When people who have had weight-loss surgery start experiencing any of these symptoms, they need to see a doctor right away,” stressed Dr. Singh. “Doctors should consider vitamin B1 deficiency and Wernicke encephalopathy when they see patients with these types of neurological complications after weight-loss surgery. If treated promptly, the outlook is usually good.” The average point at which patients began exhibiting Wernicke's symptoms was four to 12 weeks after surgery, although one patient developed problems two weeks after the operation and another 18 months later. Dr. Singh said his study could not determine how common Wernicke's encephalopathy is among people who have surgery to help them lose weight, and he said studies that follow patients are needed to establish how often it occurs. While some doctors prescribe thiamine supplementation after bariatric surgery as a matter of course, Dr. Singh believes national standards should be set for physicians to follow. “This is an emerging risk which is going to become more important in the future as more people get surgery,” he said.

Mandi you are doing so well! I am sure you will be able to exceed your goal. Congrats on the new computer! :clap2:

good Luck Annie. I am sure all will go well. Let us know! :biggrin1:

Strangely I was not nervous the day of surgery or even in the OR although walking into the OR and putting yourself on the operating table is a very weird experience. anyway I was really nervous the night before. I thought of things that could go wrong. I questioned my motives and everything and even began to doubt the success I would have. Forget about it! I just had to keep focused on what I wanted, what I hoped would come from the surgery. And well it was weird, the next day I was so calm. Driving to surgery and waiting in the waiting room I was totally Zen. Very strange for me but there you go. So far so good. I am not looking back! :bananajump:

Congrats Green. That is so great! I can't help but weigh myself every week, but I think that the victory of trying on the smaller sizes and having them fit is just as good if not better! :biggrin1:

Mandi thanks for the info. I had heard gallstones were a problem that could occur in weight loss but I was not sure why. Hummm... I wonder how they can be prevented.

Can't wait till I get a fill. I have been eating what I am supposed to be eating but I am SOOOOO hungry. I feel like I can eat anything but I don't want to mess anything up so I have been sticking with the rules. Honest though I am counting down to the first fill. Oh also I have been working on trying to identify when I am hungry and just head hungry. It is still a struggle but this post op experience has been helpful in figuring it out.

My work pants are loose on me as well. Which is surprising because I have not lost that much weight. Guess it is time to measure myself. :biggrin1: Anyway I should get new work pants and things but I don't really want to because I worry that in a couple months I will become too small for those and have to buy new ones all over again. I think I am going to try to hold out as long as I can. I hope I still have some smaller sizes hanging around from when I lost weight a couple years ago with WW.

honestly Mandi you will not need to support the bed more than it is. It does have a bar down the middle to keep it all together but the wood slatts are thick and spaced close together so that it can withstand the weight and any *ahem* action that may be going on. Trust me you should be fine with just the wood slatts.

that would really piss me off too. I mean you had a letter from the Dr. It's not like you just took random sick days. Are you given a certain amount of sick days. I think I get 10 a year and I know I have used 5 because of the surgery, if anyone said I was using too many I would freak right out.

Well I was just at Dr. Cobourn's new office today. Today was their first day in the new office doing O.R. and all of that. The place looks amazing. Lots of rich woods and some great outdoor fountains and stuff. Very upscale. So I guess in other words if you are wondering where any of you $16,000 went you now know. :heh: Honestly though it looks great and it is just 10 min away from the old place.

Welcome back Neenagh. Don't you worry about the tight pants you will be back to your slimmer self in no time. When are you going for your next fill?

Mandi I love the bed. Same one I have LOL. I have the woodslatts but I also have a bedspring so I bed is super high. Love it. The price was right too which helps. :biggrin1:

Don't forget this site is so great and everyone here is not only helpful but also VERY supportive. This site has been one of my greatest tools and support networks.

Rosi I know exactly what you are going through. I had the same problem with trying to decide who to tell. It the end I just thought of the people I for sure had to tell. For example I had to tell my parents because currently I am living in their home so they would have known something was going on. But as for telling anyone else I decided not to only because when ever I had attempted to loose weight in the past I have been very open about it, which in turn gives others the impression that they can monitor me and comment on things and then give me notice on what they think is best. Not that this is a very bad thing but I know it gets wearing especially when your not doing as well as you want. Plus I know that people can be overly judgemental with topics like wightloss surgery and can be very critical. In truth last week a friend of mine mentioned WLS and was saying how those people are lazy and all of that. I was so glad that I never told her what I had done. The thing I kept telling myself was once you tell you can't take it back, so think carefully before you start telling people.

Yoda you married a Chef eh? Very nice... and handy.

The Beans do sound pretty good. I will have to try it this weekend when I start my mushies. Maybe I will add in some Black Beans. :hungry:

Astro I know what you mean. I have my lunch soup and I think I could eat more or I could tackle bigger things, more chewy things. I try to pull back on those thoughts because I really worry about messing things up, but serioulsy I don't get full. That's why I am looking for some satisfying ideas for mushies.

Hey Doddie, What kinds of things are you eating on Mushies? I start this weekend and I am trying to think of some good ideas now so I can shop for it. I tried looking at other posts but it is mostly recipes for mashed potatoes. Don't get me wrong I love it but I need some other ideas. Anyone else who is doing mushies or those who have done it feel free to help out with this too!

Goals for March Walk at least 30 minutes A DAY Drink more water loose a few inches loose 10 pounds from now to end of March Not bitch so much about missing old food and habits

wheezy that was my understanding from Dr. C as well. He said fills for life and he did say that if there was a problem and the band had to come out the clinic would cover the majority of the cost. I know for me it was a hard choice to make between the two clinics. It just came down to who I felt the most comfortable with. After speaking to staff and then meeting Dr. Cobourn I was done. So far I have nothing bad at all to say about my choice. Good luck to those that are making their choices.

Cloe the chicken Carbonara is my favorite sub there too!. :hungry: sorry for mentioning it. If it makes you feel better I am still on liquids so it will be ages before I ever have a bite of quizinos again.

Hi Sin I usually weigh my food before I cook it but after I remove bones, skin and fat. Honestly I have weighed it before and after cooking and there is not much of a difference IMHO. Your question did give me pause though and so I searched on different calorie websites and it seems to be a mixed opinion. I say do whatever works. I just find it much easier to weigh it before as opposed to after.

Congratulations Neal. Wow amazing job! Enjoy your success! :clap2: