Obesity Surgery WP Blog

Has anyone else developed a non-functioning gallbladder due in part
to a rapid weight loss? I am 1 year postop and was having terrible
pain. An ultrasound showed no gallstones but some “sludge”. The
doctor ordered a CCK HIDA scan, and it showed an ejection fraction of
11% (normal is 35%), which means that my gallbladder doesn’t contract
the way it should. The problem is I don’t know whether to have my
gallbladder out or not. I have heard different things on this. Since
I don’t have gallstones, maybe removing the gallbladder won’t help. I
also have been approved for a TT and the 2 surgeries can’t be done at
the same time. So I would be facing 2 more surgeries.
Any experience anyone has had with this would be appreciated!
Natalie
lap RNY 10/25/01

I am now a month away from my big day–Dec 4th–I have waited soooo long for
this to come. Being that I am single and will only have my kids (ages 16, 14,
10) to help me when I get discharged anyone have some suggestions on what I
should do prior to surgery so that everything is ready when I get home. Things
to purchase –broth, protein powders etc.
Thanks-
Traci in Marshfield

In a message dated 11/1/02 3:35:34 PM, heartbreake123@… writes:
<< Sometimes doctors give us a shorter channel(75-80) but if it is for
weight loss it has been found to not help…(statistically..)
It doesn’t help with weight loss, but it does help with long term success of
not regaining weight because of the greater malabsorbtion.
Vicki
open RNY (distal) 6/28/01
down to 134# and loving life!

Thanks everybody for the responses about spices and spicy food post
op!
Here’s my next question…. what should I expect as a recovery time
to return to work? My job is esentially sedentary ( I am an air
traffic controller ) there are stairs for the tower, but I can stay
in the radar room for a while if stairs will be too much. There is
no heavy lifting.. the heaviest thing I lift is a pair of
binoculars. And we get 20 min breaks every 1-2hours.
I realize everybody’s recovery time will be different, I am kinda
lookng for a ballpark here.
Also, I read somewhere once (and haven’t seen it since) that after
WLS you cannot chew gum any longer because it gives you gas. Is this
true? It sounds bizarre, but I can understand that you might not
want to because of all the extra “juice” you swallow while chewing
gum. I am a trident bubblegum addict at work (there I admitted it…
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Hello,
I not only broke the plateau…but I have finally broke the 100 pounds
loss. As of yesterday morning I have now lost 101 pounds. I teetered so
close for a month…didn’t think I would ever be able to say it…but now
the moment is here.
It feels sooo good. I know that the numbers aren’t supposed to matter..
but it is one that makes me feel really optimistic about my future losses.
Lori

I have had an initial consult visit with Dr. DeWitt in Birmingham,
AL. They are filing insurance for me and then I can set a surgery
date. His earliest surgery date as of 10/29 (if you were ins
approved) is Jan 3, 2003. I have a trip planned to Hawaii on Feb 10,
2003. I don’t have another visit with the Dr. until I’m insurance
approved. I have another trip in early March for work. I had hoped
to get everything ready and set so I could have this surgery before
these trips, but I’m not sure how it will fall out.
Just so I don’t get my hopes up too high that this surgery will
happen before my Hawaii trip, can anyone tell me what your Dr’s have
said about travel after surgery? How long before they feel
comfortable with you travelling? How far away they will let you
travel? I know these are questions my Dr needs to answer and trust
me he will be asked. I just wanted to see what other’s experience
was first.
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Hello,
Due to my size 434# and BMI of 70, my surgeon offered me 2 choices. Open
RNY or Lap RNY in 2 stages. I, of course chose the Lap RNY. It was 5 1/2hrs
for first stage procedure…..due to heavy scarring and enlarged liver. But I
was up & walking same night and have had very little trouble or pain.
Basically my stomach is a long skinny tube right now. The 2 nd stage will be
the intestinal bypass and forming the actual POUCH. Here is my question:
Has anyone else had this same procedure? I know I can hold more food &
liquids than the complete RNY. I am not pushing my limit on the food or water
consumption. What will the 2nd stage be like for me? Is it like doing it all
over again…the food phases etc?
I had lost 14# when I had drain removed 8 days post op. But I wonder if I
will lose slower than if a complete RNY was performed?
Paula post-op 10/17/02
Lap RNY stage one
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Good morning to all: As of the 27th of this month, I am now 8 months out from
my RNY surgery. Based on the rate I had been losing weight and my working out at
the gym 3-4 nights a week, I was hoping to lose 100 lbs. by Nov. 27th, when I
will be in Vegas, on a much needed vacation. I’m very happy and excited to say
I have reached that goal 4 weeks early! I’ve been doing the happy dance since I
stepped on the scale yesterday morning!! I’m now in the Century Club. My big
reward to myself is a day at the Bellagio Spa when I’m in Vegas; massage,
facial, body wrap - the whole works! It’s so exciting to be able to go buy
regular size clothes, sit in an airplane seat and not need a seatbelt extender,
to know you can sit on a delicate chair at someone’s house and you’re not going
to make it creak or break…all the things that skinny people take for granted.
Besides the extra weight I had been carrying around for so long, I have severe
arthritis in my spine and knees and never walk up and down stairs; have even
gone so far as walking further down the street to step up the wheelchair ramp,
rather than step up a curb. Last week I was at a resort with a workshop group
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Ok everyone I usually post to my Dr.’s group but this time I think I
need to be hit in the head and shaken by more people. I read
everthing and have seen how you all seem to be able to help set some
straight and I need that. I know I am being dumb about this but my
stupid brain won’t stop. This coming Tuesday I will be 5 weeks
postop. I have been on regular foods for about a week now. I went
back to work this past Monday and I am feeling great except a little
more tired but that is to be expected. Going back to work was great
for my self esteem that’s for sure. I am a secretary in a High
School. When I walked in the lobby of the school I was hugged by one
of the students and told he was glad to have me back. All day and all
week really teachers and staff members and students have told me how
great I look and they are so proud of what I have done. I was one of
those WLS patients who told everyone what I was having done. They all
backed me 100%. I also went the week before going back to work and
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I hope that a Pre-Op giving advice isn’t too presumptous of me, but I have
severe Osteoarthritis in both knees, although it is much, much worse in the
right one—I have almost no cartiledge left at all there. I do have a prescrip
for Vioxx, but usually can’t afford my co-pay along with the other meds I have
to take (Previcid for GERD, and Prozac for depression). I have quite a bit of
pain when I have to walk, but I was lucky enough to find these great patches
called SalonPas. I get them at Rite Aid, and they come in different size
patches. I get the small ones, that come 40 to a box and cost about $4. 49 a
box.
I found it hard to believe that a box of patches I could buy over the counter
could offer any pain relief to me–to tell the truth, Vioxx didn’t help all that
much. But these patches really work for me. I put 2-3 of them on each knee
(depending on the degree of pain or stress on my joint that day) and they help
me completely.
I pass this info on because I hear so much on these lists about people with the
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