In Weigh Over my Head: October 2012

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Still no movement :(

No surprise to me. My body can't lose weight anymore unless I am under 800 calories per day which I CAN'T do without the revision. I am basically starving just to maintain. On a lighter note, today I went to the pumpkin patch and was able to walk around and stand for well over two hours with no problem. LOVe that I can live my life. I STILL owe that to the VSG.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Ggggrrrr...

I have been restricting myself to around 800 calories per day (STARVING) and this morning the scale said I am UP two pounds. I am on my period so I will wait a few days before I throw it through the window.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

EEEKKK! :)

So I decided to try and eat under 1200 calories per day to see if I can do it. I have low expectations. :) I have no choice if I want the scale to go down. One of the "side effects" for me from the VSG. I have other side effects too... walking, having no physical restrictions I can't handle, more activity in my family life and a great respect and gratefulness for life in general. I'll take those side effects any day. :)

Pics of the day... My 3 year old and I at our local high school football game. My oldest daugher was playing with the high school band that night (her middle school was invited to play with them and go ont he field.:) and I had a ball taking part and enjoying myself with my family.

Last weekend we enjoyed our first fire of the season after putting up Halloween decorations. I was actually putting things up instead of telling my family what to do while sitting on the couch. :)

* I have to say... I am still at least 100 pounds overweight but my life is sooo different. As much as I am disappointed in the weird things that happened to my body after the VSG and sad that I need a revision in order to continue losing, I am sooooo happy I had it done. Soooo happy. I have my moments of being down, but how can I complain when my wish of being able to walk around has been fulfilled. I am working everyday on trying to focus on that fact and realize everything else is icing on the cake... Man, I cry just thinking about it... At the end of the day the pic above are the reasons I did it and are STILL the reasons why I'm glad I did.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Dee's Tips and Trivia

Last Week’s Questions –

~ What is the Uncola?

7-Up

~ Which of these electric appliances consumes the most electricity per hour of use? TV, Dishwasher, Toaster

Toaster

~ There are five pairs of U.S. Presidents who share the same last name. What are they?

Adams, Harrison, Johnson, Roosevelt, Bush

Tips –

~ Make your own cooking spray without the additives. One part olive oil to five parts water and shake before each use.

~ Use ketchup packets as icepacks. They are the perfect size for kid’s bumps and bruises.

~ For puffy cupcakes fill liners ¾ full cook at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

Trivia –

~ George Washington’s face was badly scarred from smallpox.

~ http stands for hypertext transfer protocol.

~ The first stethoscope, invented in 1816, was made from a roll of paper.

This date in history (September 28^th)

~ 1542 – San Diego was discovered by Portuguese navigator Juan Cabrillo. Hence, Cabrillo Beach.

~ 1924 – The 1^st around-the-world flight was completed by two U.S. army planes in 175 days.

~ 1955 – The World Series was televised in color for the 1^st time.

~ 1968 – Hey Jude hit #1 and stayed there for 9 weeks.

~ 2009 – iTunes music store reached 2 billion downloads.

Questions –

~ What is an entrepot?

~ What is a geep?

~ What is the most recorded song in history with over 2,500 cover versions?

Quote –

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

- Dee

My Weight Loss Surgery - NOT THE BAND OR BYPASS!

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) - Also known as Sleeve Gastrectomy, Vertical Gastrectomy

The Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure (also called Sleeve Gastrectomy, Vertical Gastrectomy, Greater Curvature Gastrectomy, Parietal Gastrectomy, Gastric Reduction, Logitudinal Gastrectomy and even Vertical Gastroplasty) is performed by approximately 20 surgeons worldwide. This forum is titled “VSG forum” to include the two most common terms for the procedure (vertical and sleeve). The earliest forms of this procedure were conceived of by Dr. Jamieson in Australia (Long Vertical Gastroplasty, Obesity Surgery 1993)- and by Dr. Johnston in England in 1996 (Magenstrasse and Mill operation- Obesity Surgery 2003). Dr Gagner in New York, refined the operation to include gastrectomy(removal of stomach) and offered it to high risk patients in 2001. Several surgeons worldwide have adopted the procedure and have offered it to low BMI and low risk patients as an alternative to laparoscopic banding of the stomach.

It generates weight loss by restricting the amount of food (and therefore calories) that can be eaten by removing 85% or more of the stomach without bypassing the intestines or causing any gastrointestinal malabsorption. It is a purely restrictive operation. It is currently indicated as an alternative to the Lap-Band® procedure for low weight individuals and as a safe option for higher weight individuals.

Anatomy

This procedure generates weight loss solely through gastric restriction (reduced stomach volume). The stomach is restricted by stapling and dividing it vertically and removing more than 85% of it. This part of the procedure is not reversible. The stomach that remains is shaped like a very slim banana and measures from 1-5 ounces (30-150cc), depending on the surgeon performing the procedure. The nerves to the stomach and the outlet valve (pylorus) remain intact with the idea of preserving the functions of the stomach while drastically reducing the volume. By comparison, in a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the stomach is divided, not removed, and the pylorus is excluded. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass stomach can be reconnected (reversed) if necessary. Note that there is no intestinal bypass with this procedure, only stomach reduction. The lack of an intestinal bypass avoids potentially costly, long term complications such as marginal ulcers, vitamin deficiencies and intestinal obstructions.

Comparison to prior Gastroplasties (stomach stapling of the 70-80s)

The Vertical Gastrectomy is a significant improvement over prior gastroplasty procedures for a number of reasons:

1) Rather than creating a pouch with silastic rings or polypropylene mesh, the VG actually resects or removes the majority of the stomach. The portion of the stomach which is removed is responsible for secreting Ghrelin, which is a hormone that is responsible for appetite and hunger. By removing this portion of the stomach rather than leaving it in-place, the level of Ghrelin is reduced to near zero, actually causing loss of or a reduction in appetite (Obesity Surgery, 15, 1024-1029, 2005). Currently, it is not known if Ghrelin levels increase again after one to two years. Patients do report that some hunger and cravings do slowly return. An excellent study by Dr. Himpens in Belgium(Obesity Surgery 2006) demonstrated that the cravings in a VSG patient 3 years after surgery are much less than in LapBand patients and this probably accounts for the superior weight loss.

2) The removed section of the stomach is actually the portion that “stretches” the most. The long vertical tube shaped stomach that remains is the portion least likely to expand over time and it creates significant resistance to volumes of food. Remember, resistance is greatest the smaller the diameter and the longer the channel. Not only is appetite reduced, but very small amounts of food generate early and lasting satiety(fullness).

3) Finally, by not having silastic rings or mesh wrapped around the stomach, the problems which are associated with these items are eliminated (infection, obstruction, erosion, and the need for synthetic materials). An additional discussion based on choice of procedures is below.

Alternative to a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

The Vertical Gastrectomy is a reasonable alternative to a Roux en Y Gastric Bypass for a number of reasons

Because there is no intestinal bypass, the risk of malabsorptive complications such as vitamin deficiency and protein deficiency is minimal.

There is no risk of marginal ulcer which occurs in over 2% of Roux en Y Gastric Bypass patients.

The pylorus is preserved so dumping syndrome does not occur or is minimal.

There is no intestinal obstruction since there is no intestinal bypass.

It is relatively easy to modify to an alternative procedure should weight loss be inadequate or weight regain occur.

The limited two year and 6 year weight loss data available to date is superior to current Banding and comparable to Gastric Bypass weight loss data(see Lee, Jossart, Cirangle Surgical Endoscopy 2007).

Let's Shrink!