I had gastric sleeve by Dr Umbach in Las Vegas. He runs Blossom Barriatric like a mill. He goes too fast because it's a money making factory there. Consequently, his speed nearly killed me. They tried to take me out of anesthesia too quickly using narcan. The paralytic was still in effect. I went into Respiratory Arrest and when I opened my eyes was in a hospital in ICU on a ventilator. Scariest thing that ever happened to me in my life. He also set a hot instrument on me and I had a 3rd degree burn on my stomach. In any case, I lost 20 pounds during the first 6 weeks and have not lost anymore weight. It's been 4 months. Has this happened to anyone else? I feel hungry every three hours. Pretty depressed especially after I spent 12,500.00 ..almost died and was burned during the procedure.

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@@theantichick Just want to say that I think you're a great source of info AND a great person as well

Awww. ::

@ShelterDog64. As of Sept 30th, Fort Sill no longer does ANY type of surgery. We have changed to a super clinic. We don't deliver babies either. My PCM here at the Army hospital sent me to a bariatric clinic in Norman. The dietitian strongly believes that Breakfast should stay a MR shake because it has good Protein and Vitamins. She states that it is hard to get good, healthy breakfast foods that won't compromise the need for low carbs and fat. I'm sure eventually one could move away from the shakes, but I actually enjoy them and they are a part of my daily routine now.

@ShelterDog64. As of Sept 30th, Fort Sill no longer does ANY type of surgery. We have changed to a super clinic. We don't deliver babies either. My PCM here at the Army hospital sent me to a bariatric clinic in Norman. The dietitian strongly believes that breakfast should stay a MR shake because it has good Protein and Vitamins. She states that it is hard to get good, healthy breakfast foods that won't compromise the need for low carbs and fat. I'm sure eventually one could move away from the shakes, but I actually enjoy them and they are a part of my daily routine now.

Oh, I didn't realize Reynolds had closed inpatient services I'm glad the shakes in the morning works well for you...it's funny how different all dietitians are in their recommendations. The one I have here at Madigan insists that we NOT use Meal Replacements, although I still do when I feel like it. But breakfast is the one meal that I find easy to get my protein, I'm more likely to do the shake or bar for lunch, that's my challenging meal.

Good luck to you, when is your surgery?

How awful. I am so sorry you had to experience such awful care.

As to why you are no longer losing weight it would be very helpful to know what you are doing. You may be hungry every three hours because you need more Protein? Or, if you are eating carbs and sugar you may be craving more. You may not be eating enough or you may be eating too much. Without more information or is hard to know.

Are you tracking your food?

What is your protein target?

Are you reaching your protein target every day?

Are you drinking at least 64 oz of Fluid every day?

Are you avoiding added sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup), starches and fried foods?

Are you practicing mindful eating?

Are you taking your Vitamins and supplements as directed?

Are you exercising?

Do you have a NUT?

Your questions are excellent. I am eating pretty much the same foods I ate before but much lesser quantity. I don't drink Protein shakes anymore. Today for example, I ate a half of English muffin, a half macaroni and cheese smallfrozrn dinner and a pickle. I'm not doing very good but I think it's because when I was doing good, I stopped losing weight. I am not on any exercise program as I have a knee that is needing surgery. I have diabetes on insulin and am taking prednisone for PMR. I weigh about 170..at 5ft 3inches. I know insulin and prednisone is bad.

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How do you expect to lose when you are eating carbs, fats and prepackaged food? I am sorry for what you went through but it has nothing to do with what your choosing to do now. Be in the moment, protein, low carb veg, Water. Good luck.

That listed diet is all carbs, almost no Protein. I strongly suspect she is getting almost no protein in her diet at this point (especially not drinking shakes) and that means her body, due to her caloric deficit, is now catabolizing her muscle tissue. As she loses muscle mass, her body's ability to burn calories is compromised...so she burns fewer and fewer as she loses muscle mass. Eventually, she will wonder why she isn't losing any weight, when her diet has basically destroyed her ability to burn calories.

There is a lot to this that people just don't seem to understand, or have ever learned about. You absolutely must have protein, 50 grams of it per day AT A MINIMUM if you're a woman, and more if at all possible. Protein is not stored as fat, so even eating more than your body can use will only result in it leaving your system after it is broken down. Shift your focus away from carbs and onto protein, where it belongs...and then start lifting weights, to try and maintain what muscle mass you can. It's important.

Everything you mentioned eating is probably alot of the reason you're not losing as you should. I'm sorry you had the surgical experience that you had, that was terrible for real.

But you really need to find a nutritionist that you can talk to that can get you on plan to what you need to eat. If you didn't go through any kind of education before the surgery, then you've really not been guided to what can work for you.

Also, you mentioned that you couldn't exercise because of a knee injury. There are millions of videos on you tube for sitting exercises. You can do those with no stress at all on your knees. Any movement is good movement and will burn calories!

I wish you much luck on your journey

Edited October 20, 20169 yr by kyboo1972

@ShelterDog64 My surgery is Nov 1st. 12 more days EEK! How about you, when is yours? I wish you the best.

I'm very very sorry about what you went through, and agree with @@Babbs on the malpractice. When it comes to your weight, I highly advise low carb and high high Protein. I'm not sure how far out you are, but I cannot eat Pasta or bread. Those are empty carbs and not giving you any nutrients.

I hope things go better - I understand how you can slip up after that kind of trauma, but get your mind back in the game so you stop eating the wrong foods.

Have you looked into a therapist? I see one every week and it's very valuable. Best wishes!

I did hire a lawyer because not only did he try to kill me, I endured this terrible burn that after 4 months of healing left me with a horrible scar on my abdomen. Once Umbach found I hired an atty, he sent me a letter stating he cannot see me as a patient. HA HA HA...like I would ever want to see him again. Despite paying him $12,500.00 Cash....and him almost killing me, he sent me a bill for $55,000.00 for his surgical center having to keep me until ambulance arrived while they had to reintubate me and put me on a ventilator. I hope no one ever has to experience a surgeon like Umbach. Guess that's what happens when you are in hurry to get patients out of the IT and move on to other task. All about money!

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You have had a horrible experience. I cannot imagine what you have gone through. Your recovery both mental and physical will be extra hard. Take care of yourself, be kind to yourself. You certainly do not owe this man $55,000 for nearly killing you. I hope you have a really good lawyer who is ethical, and will handle this correctly. That being said, I would caution you about too much posting, even though this is a private site. Your words, though innocent here, can be twisted and turned in a courtroom, plus since you have named him he can say you are slandering his name. Therese are just words of caution, since someone here also had surgery by hIm, and people talk. This is a horrible surgeon, obviously. Good luck!

Ohhh that's a good point @ - be careful dear, and try to get some protein in there. Mac n cheese is a great comfort food, unfortunately, it isn't a great health food.

I wonder if part of the picture is missing here. Even if you're not getting enough Protein your calorie intake based on what you said is about 500, and that's a high estimate assuming the mac and cheese had a lot of calories. You should still be losing. Yes your body will slow down once you're in starvation mode but your weight should not be standing still on that little food.

Are you sure you're tracking EVERYTHING? Little bites here and there add up. Are you drinking calories?

Edited October 20, 20169 yr by ella37

@ShelterDog64 My surgery is Nov 1st. 12 more days EEK! How about you, when is yours? I wish you the best.

Mine was June 21st As of today, I'm down 60 lbs and over halfway to my goal weight! Yours is coming up soon, how exciting...you'll love losing so quickly!

How awful. I am so sorry you had to experience such awful care.

As to why you are no longer losing weight it would be very helpful to know what you are doing. You may be hungry every three hours because you need more protein? Or, if you are eating carbs and sugar you may be craving more. You may not be eating enough or you may be eating too much. Without more information or is hard to know.

Are you tracking your food?

What is your protein target?

Are you reaching your protein target every day?

Are you drinking at least 64 oz of fluid every day?

Are you avoiding added sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup), starches and fried foods?

Are you practicing mindful eating?

Are you taking your vitamins and supplements as directed?

Are you exercising?

Do you have a NUT?

Your questions are excellent. I am eating pretty much the same foods I ate before but much lesser quantity. I don't drink protein shakes anymore. Today for example, I ate a half of English muffin, a half macaroni and cheese smallfrozrn dinner and a pickle. I'm not doing very good but I think it's because when I was doing good, I stopped losing weight. I am not on any exercise program as I have a knee that is needing surgery. I have diabetes on insulin and am taking prednisone for PMR. I weigh about 170..at 5ft 3inches. I know insulin and prednisone is bad.

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My goodness. I'm so sorry you went through such a traumatizing ordeal. I hope you have a reputable, ethical attorney who can pursue the malpractice case. I think persevering with it is worthwhile, primarily for your own benefit, but also for future patients. Other patients might have had an excellent experience with this surgeon, but there could also be patients who've been unacceptably harmed but not wanted to invest the energy and everything else into pursuing legal action. My husband is a physician, and there's a surgeon at his hospital who'd made several critical mistakes with patients but still had a flippant attitude about it until he was sued for malpractice.

At your weight you're going to lose at a slower pace than someone heavier. I started out at a lower BMI and lost very slowly, with several stalls along the way. I eventually made it to my goal. Prednisone can be frustratingly problematic for many people. I gained weight while taking it, and also felt aggressive and far more emotionally sensitive, which effected my decision-making. Concentrate on what you do have the ability to change, which is your food choices. Meal planning might be helpful, so that you're making decisions in advance rather than in the moment.

If what you've listed above is how you typically eat now, it's problematic for a few reasons. You're consuming far too few calories, which can actually stall out your weight loss because your body goes into a self-preservation mode. It's also primarily carbs and insufficient in protein and vital nutrients. Frozen dinners tend to be packed with sodium, which also is a weight loss saboteur. They're fine every blue moon if you're in a pinch, but shouldn't be a staple. You don't need to eliminate all carbs from your diet, but you do want to reduce them, and more importantly you want to choose ones that offer more nutritional value. My dietician advised me to minimize the amount of "white foods" I eat - bread, rice, pasta, mayo, sugar. Have them very sparingly, rather than as the focal point of a meal. One exception is plain Greek yogurt from one of the brands that is high in protein and low in carbs. My favorite is Whole Food's brand - it has 23 grams of protein, 7 carbs, and a lovely, creamy taste. Fage is another good option. I'll have yogurt with a small serving of a fruit that is lower in carbs and higher in fiber, like raspberries, or blend it into a smoothie. My daily lunch when it's hot is to have a smoothie with yogurt, frozen fruit, and frozen kale (freezing it helps with the texture). The fruit masks the taste of the kale. The carbs are vitamin-rich, and are balanced with protein. You can also get carbs in through vegetables. I like crispbread, particularly Trader Joe's brand, because it can be used as a substitute for bread for making an open-face sandwich, and is low in carbs and has some fiber.

Tracking your food through a free site like MyFitnessPal would help you to see how many calories, carbs, and protein you're getting in. I'd aim to increase your protein, and reduce your carbs to around 50-70 per day. See how you feel, and how it impacts your weight loss. If you're still not happy, you could try reducing your carbs more, and follow something like Atkins 40, which tends to be more sustainable than the really low-carb diets.

As for exercising, have you ever tried Pilates? I was prescribed Pilates-based physical therapy after a serious car accident a few years ago, and it was fantastic. My mom has also been hugely benefitted from PT over the years for back and hip problems.

Best wishes to you!

I have researched malpractice claims of physicians online. Better safe than sorry. Just do homework everyone. Peace.

3rd degree burn from what, and did u have any other issues going on,,,U do realize he is a high profile doctor and his name is out there

@@cheryl417

Why did you pay $12,500 to lose 40-50 lbs? Any Dr in the US willing to do surgery on someone at that weight is a red flag anyway. I thought Dr Umbach was better than that.