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Dr. Fitzer with Virginia Bariatric Surgery Center



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Has anyone been/is a patient of Dr. Matthew Fitzer?

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Yes, my sister and I both were/are! My sister had her surgery almost 2 years ago. She looks and feels AMAZING! She went from 220 down to 130. I just had my surgery June 12th, so I’m still new at this. I’ve lost about 30 pounds, feel great, and have no issues at all!

Dr. Fitzer is wonderful! His staff are wonderful! Surgery AND recovery was a breeze! Pain meds, sleep, walk. Repeat.

You've chosen a wonderful doctor. And you’re in good hands.😉🤸‍♂️

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Awesome! How long were you in the hospital?

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I stayed for 2 nights.

When I woke up, from surgery it felt like I got karate kicked in the stomach. Like the wind is knocked out of you. They immediately give you dilaudid, and you’re fine! Roz, a very funny and awesome lady came in and said, “ congratulations! you did it! This is the beginning of life long change!”

I don’t think I’ll ever forget her and those words because she made feel like I hit a jackpot.

Bring a warm blanket that you can fold up in an overnight bag. I came and left in the same clothes, and didn’t bring much except my cell. They give you a medicine cup of Water the size of a small shot glass. And you have to sip, sip, sip. I used my cell as an alarm every 5 or 15 minutes to sip water. The pain meds will make you sleep, and if you have kids or need sleep, take advantage of this! I told the nurses to let me sleep and sleep through the night but I WALKED and walked every time I woke up.

I’ve had 2 c-sections and an appendectomy. This was a piece of cake! Best investment I EVER made!

You will do great!

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6 minutes ago, TFL21 said:

I stayed for 2 nights.

When I woke up, from surgery it felt like I got karate kicked in the stomach. Like the wind is knocked out of you. They immediately give you dilaudid, and you’re fine! Roz, a very funny and awesome lady came in and said, “ congratulations! you did it! This is the beginning of life long change!”

I don’t think I’ll ever forget her and those words because she made feel like I hit a jackpot.

Bring a warm blanket that you can fold up in an overnight bag. I came and left in the same clothes, and didn’t bring much except my cell. They give you a medicine cup of Water the size of a small shot glass. And you have to sip, sip, sip. I used my cell as an alarm every 5 or 15 minutes to sip Water. The pain meds will make you sleep, and if you have kids or need sleep, take advantage of this! I told the nurses to let me sleep and sleep through the night but I WALKED and walked every time I woke up.

I’ve had 2 c-sections and an appendectomy. This was a piece of cake! Best investment I EVER made!

You will do great!

Thank you very much for sharing that with me. You answered ALL my questions!!!

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I have another question. Did you have to wash with antiseptic soap?

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No, they didn’t say anything about antiseptic soap. They only said not to put soap or lotion on your incisions after surgery. Just let the Water roll off. I healed very quickly with no issues!

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On 7/25/2019 at 10:30 PM, TFL21 said:

No, they didn’t say anything about antiseptic soap. They only said not to put soap or lotion on your incisions after surgery. Just let the Water roll off. I healed very quickly with no issues!

Sorry for all the questions but I have 1 more. If you work, how long did you take off?

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I’m a stay at home mom. Since you’re surgery is on a Tuesday, I’d take the rest of the week off and go back on Monday. Binge watch!!!

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14 hours ago, TFL21 said:

I’m a stay at home mom. Since you’re surgery is on a Tuesday, I’d take the rest of the week off and go back on Monday. Binge watch!!!

Ok thanks!!

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Fitzer is fantastic. I had my gastric bypass with him almost exactly a year ago. I would recommend taking at least 2 weeks off from work, including telework. It's not that you can't manage things like e-mail and phone calls, but you will want to focus on your post-op routines during that time, and that includes drinking frequently, as well as eating different types and quantities of foods as you progress through the green sheet.

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Dr. Fitzer's office also runs a very good support group that meets at Reston Hospital the first Monday of every month:

6:00 p.m. Pavilion 2, 2nd floor, Classroom A

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    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 2 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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