Comments for Obesity Surgery WP Blog

Comment on WHAT TO DO WITH BAD COUGH? by Lelia Vinnie

Lelia Vinnie — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 03:47:21 +0000

Try asking your surgeon; they can tell you what to take.
I was told to take only s/f meds, only with Tylenol (acetaminophen). No
ibuprofen nor aspirin, as they could damage the pouch, especially in you that
are a newbie.
Congrats in your weight loss.
I have done decaff tea; no problem with that.
Get well and keep your good work.
Love,
Helen
blaaas3 HI EVERYONE, SURE THIS HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, BUT I HAVE HAD A
HORRIBLE COLD AND COUGH FOR 5 DAYS NOW AND CAN’T SLEEP. IS THERE ANY
COUGH MEDICINES THAT I CAN TAKE…LIKE ROBATUSSIN DM. I HAD MY SURGERY
45 DAYS AGO, AND I AM DOING GREAT, OTHER THEN THIS COLD AND COUGH.
ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS ABOUT CITRICEL. IF I AM GOING REGULAR AND

NOT HAVING A PROBLEM DO I HAVE TO TAKE THE CITRICEL? OH SORRY ONE MORE
QUESTION… I HAVE BEEN DRINKING LOTS OF GREEN TEA, DECAFFINATED, HAS
ANY ONE DRANK CAFFINATED TEA? I HAVE SOME AND JUST WONDERING IF EVERY
ONCE IN A WHILE I HAVE A CUP? I HAVE 34 POUNDS OFF AS OF SUNDAY, AND
FEELING WONDERFUL. I HAVEN’T HAD ANY PROBLEMS SO FAR, JUST ONE DAY I
HAD PAINS IN STOMACH, BUT SURE IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD TO MUCH GATORADE.
HEHEHEHE, I JUST WENT FOR A WALK AND WITHIN 2 HOURS I WAS FINE.
ANYWAYS IF SOME ONE COULD ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FOR ME I WOULD
APPRECIATE IT. THANKS BILL
[Moderator’s note #1: Please turn off your CAPS LOCK key. There’s no need to
shout. Note #2: Your best source of information about what you should and
shouldn’t do post-op is your surgeon — not a bunch of well-meaning amateurs who
know nothing about your medical history!]

Comment on WHAT TO DO WITH BAD COUGH? by Eugenio Nickole

Eugenio Nickole — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:32:34 +0000

BILL wrote:
“I’ve had a horrible cold and cough and can’t sleep.”
Liquid meds that do NOT contain sugar are very good.
I used Nyquil capsules, Dayquil capsules w/o difficulty.
For sleeping, liquid Benadryl
Check w/ your pharmacist re: minimal amts of sugar in meds.
also, pharmacist can tell you which meds can be crushed OK,
if you are still on the “crush all meds” restrictions.
Haze, RN
RNY 6/04

Comment on Labs by Neva Marjory

Neva Marjory — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:34:19 +0000

Can someone please help me with these lab results?
GGT 12
IRON 82
IRON BINDING CAPACITY - 274
SATURATION - 30
HEPATIC FUNCTION PANEL:
PROTEIN - 6.9
ALBUMIN - 4.0
GLOBULIN - 2.9
BILIRUBIN - TOTAL - 0.5
BILIRUBIN, DIRECT - 0.1
BILIRUBIN, INDIRECT - 0.4
ALAKINE PHOSPHRATE - 82
AST - 20
ALT - 30

RENAL FUNCTION PANEL
GLUCOSE - 83
UREA NITROGEN (BUN) - 19
CREATININE - 0.8
SODIUM - 139
POTASSIUM - 4.5
CHLORIDE - 104
CARBON DIXOIDE - 25
CALCIUM - 9.3
PHOSPHATE (AS PHOSPHORUS)- 3.9
ALBUMIN - 4.0
THANKS FOR ANY HELP ANYONE CAN GIVE ME.
DONNA
[Moderator’s note: Your doctor is the person best placed to interpret these
results for you!]

Comment on AP Story: As obesity surgery soars, patients weigh which metho.. by Harriet Thea

Harriet Thea — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:10:29 +0000

Exactly! People forget to consider the mortality risk of NOT having the
surgery.

Comment on five weeks out by lesa20

lesa20 — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:32:19 +0000

I am 42 years old and just had my surgery five weeks ago. I don’t
know yet if I would suggest the surgery for anyone else. I am still
leaking in my wounds. I had 75 staples.You must have been really opened up
to have 75 staples?? I assume you were open RNY? I had the same procedure but
my scar is 4 1/2 inches and I didn’t have any staples. Keep a close eye on them
if they’re still leaking.
I have lost 40 pounds in the five weeks. I am having problems with
meats. I love to eat popcorn and is going down better than anything
else. I have just started not to be full as I was in the beginning.
I am worry I will go back to my old habit. Can that happen?I can’t believe
you’re allowed to eat popcorn at 5 weeks out! I was on liquids for 3 and
soft/pureed for one or two more. At 5 weeks I was just starting regular food and
my
meals were to be protein only. Are you getting in your protein either in food
or shakes? popcorn may go down easily but will take up room in your pouch where

protein should be. Our pouches are so small we have to eat protein first and
if there’s any room left we can have veggies or fruits-in that order. Carbs
and snacky foods have to wait until much later. Use this time when your pouch is
small and protein is all you can fit it to develop new habits, make sure you
follow your surgeons guidelines for eating. At 5 weeks out I was permitted 1/4
cup of food per meal. Old habits have to be broken now so it will be easier
later when you can eat more.

Comment on AP Story: As obesity surgery soars, patients weigh which metho.. by gilbert_900

gilbert_900 — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 21:10:17 +0000

For me there was a bigger fear of an early death by NOT having the surgery.
For me, the surgery SAVED my life.
Janet

Comment on AP Story: As obesity surgery soars, patients weigh which method is b by Jimmie Bowman

Jimmie Bowman — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 15:07:33 +0000

Hi Barbara–
Since I’m the person who forwarded that article in the first place, I’ll
respond.
Sorry to hear it shook to the extent of moving you back to square one. But
if that leads you to think this thing through more thoroughly, then it might
not be such a bad thing. Any kind of major surgery has risks, and wls when
done by a surgeon experienced in the technique isn’t radically worse than
other kinds of surgical procedures. But the risks shouldn’t be taken unless
there’s an even greater prospect of benefit. And that was definitely the
case for me.
I had an open RNY almost 7-1/2 years ago and I had no complications peri- or
post-operatively. Until, that is, February 2004 when I was hospitalized
after I lost consciousness due to blood loss from an otherwise asymptomatic
gastric ulcer which developed near the anastomosis. Turns out that “late”
complications like mine aren’t *all* that unusual!

I was in my early 40s when I had surgery, and I only went ahead with it when
I realized I was no longer sure I’d live to see 50. Well, I’m 50 now and
despite all, I’m still happy with the decision I made back in 1998.
So, think carefully. If you’re in good health now, maybe you can afford to
put it off. If you’re not sure, don’t do it.
Good luck deciding how to proceed!
Steve
RNY 8/31/98
Dr Reinhold (Hospital of St Raphael, New Haven, Conn.)
Avoiding the fate of Eglon, King of Moab (Judges 3:12-25)

Comment on AP Story: As obesity surgery soars, patients weigh which method is b by Lynwood Buckner

Lynwood Buckner — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 11:32:55 +0000

What bothers me the most is the death part. I am sure none of you wanted to
die and had obsesive thoughts about death prior to the surgery. I have a
top surgon who has done thousands of these surgeries and is the founder of
this program. However, the thoughs of death haunt me. I most definately am
mentally preparing for the surgery ,as I know that I have to make long term
changes and committments. I am prepared to do that. However, I just cannot
seem to shake these fears of death related to the surgery not b/c of not
doing what they tell me to do because I am committing to doing EVERYTHING
they tell me to.
Thank you for the website and thanks to everyone supportive comments, it is
good to know that I am not the only freak who has these thoughts. I would
way rather be focusing on my plan and mental growth throughout this time
than fear of dying.
Barbara

Comment on Indecision by Tammi Elanor

Tammi Elanor — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 02:21:02 +0000

Well, obviously I can’t tell you what to do, but I can share my own
experiences. I had my surgery almost 2.5 years ago, and am almost (next
month) 48. A large part of the reason I had my surgery was “prearthritis
changes” in both knees. I have a very strong family history of bad knees
on both sides, and carrying around more than 150 pounds extra with every
step sure didn’t help. They hurt, and that problem wasn’t going to go
away on its own.
I had open RNY, 100 cm. bypassed. I am now less than half the woman I
used to be, but having more than twice the fun. I can get down on the
floor with my son, age five (I started late!), and get back up, without
a forklift or screaming in pain. Within the last few weeks, I have
caught myself doing something I would NEVER have expected. If I’m
looking for something on a lower shelf, I squat. Yes, I said SQUAT, you
know, weight on feet, heels up next to butt, knees bent. I do steady
myself a bit when coming back up, but that’s more a balance issue than

anything else. I have slightly bad balance, but again, that’s familial,
and predates my surgery.
Are there potential issues with the surgery? Of course. It is a risk. So
is driving a car, but it’s one I chose to take, and am glad I did. I did
not have any other comorbidities YET, but family history indicated that
it was probably just a matter of time. I felt the risks were worth it,
if I could possibly avoid being practically bedridden like both my
grandmothers, if I could avoid the hypertension and cholesterol problems.
For me though, the miracle has been the dramatic improvement in my
quality of life. I feel like, for the first time I can remember, maybe
ever, I’m an active participant in my own life, rather than just a
passive observer. I can do things with my son, and he runs out of energy
before I do. And he’s a normal, healthy, thin little boy! I can walk
into just about any store and find clothes. The exceptions are my old
reliables, like Lane Bryant and The Avenue, which don’t carry sizes
small enough for me. I have started wearing sexy clothes that I never
did before. Horizontal stripes. Bright colors. Form fitting, not dresses
by Omar the Tentmaker. I can tell if I gain a few pounds, because my
pants no longer have elastic in them, and my jeans are SNUG.
So I have to pay more attention to what I eat, and take more pills than
I used to. I think it’s worth it, at least for me.

–
Eleanor Oster
eleanor@… (personal address)
www.smallboxes.com/gastricbypass.htm
San Jose, CA
Open RNY (100 cm bypassed) 07/15/2003
David P. Fisher, M.D., Kaiser Richmond (CA)
~5′9″ tall
05/09/2003 319 Orientation
07/15/2003 ~290 Surgery
Current 157±2 Goal until plastics?

Comment on Need a support. Pre-op anxiety. by Clemente Powers

Clemente Powers — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 23:14:32 +0000

I found alot of comfort on the Obesity help website reading profiles of the
before and after people. It was very informative, motivating and I learned all I
needed to know about what would take place and everything I needed to prepare
for. The chat room is and message board is also great.
[Moderator’s note: No disrespect to our buddies at obesityhelp.com, but mutual
support is what OSSG is here for, too — and we were at it before they were!]
Nona Miller reports for any surgery, whether it is gastric bypass, gall bladder removal or
reconstructive. I found that not reacting was hard, so I took my mind off by
planning things to do after my surgery. Getting my house really clean,
preparing meals ahead for my family, crafts, reading, anything I could think of
to get my mind in another direction.
NOna
tcav836 I am 47 years old and my BMI is 45. I am hoping to complete all my pre-

op appointments to have a Lap. RNY by March 1. I have sleep apnea and
fortunately no other co-morbidities. Although I am sure I want this
surgery, every time I read a post-op story, especially someone with a
complication, I get very nervous and anxiuos. My surgery is not for
at least another 3 months and I am a nervous wreck thinking about it
every waking minute. Anyone go through this who can give me a few
pointers to make the wait easier.