In Weigh Over my Head: February 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013

In h-e-l-l

Once again... :( Oh well, I have to keep telling myself why I am doing this... On another note, I had to go to the hospital the other day because I have such bad pain on my right side. I already had my gallbladder and appendix out so there is nothing left on that side. They referred me to my surgeon so he can take a look in there while he is fixing my sleeve. They think it is lesions on old scar tissue from a past surgery. Oh joy. Yep, only cranky posts from here on out...

Pic of the day...

My oldest son advanced a rank in Civil Air Patrol.

We were able to go up front and "pin" him.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Pre-op Liquid Diet starts tomorrow...

NOT looking forward to that but I have to do what I have to do. Not feeling nervous YET. Feeling more excited to finally have this fixed after almost 2 years. My surgery is on the 12th. My first sleeve was done on March 21st. The roller-coaster begins tomorrow!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Very sick (pics + Tips & Trivia by Dee)

and my surgery has been rescheduled to March 12th. Int he mean time, I am exhausted from all the parties... My youngest son turned 7, my middle daughter turned 4 and my oldest daughter got to have a party with her friends in the back yard for good grades. I am WORN OUT but grateful I am physically able to do these things for my kids.

Below: My 4 year old's Princess Party... We had over 40 little princess friends. :) We rented the Carousel and had a private party before the mall opened. :)

My little Princess is the on on the front horse wearing a gold Princess dress.

Oh how I wish I could share her pics up close...

Below... my oldest daughter's "hang out party" in the back yard with over 30 friends...

Below... My son's 7th birthday party at Pump it Up. They turned off the lights and made it a "glow-in-the-dark" party. There were over 30 friends!

Questions –

~ What was the Beatles 1^st US hit?

I Want to Hold your Hand

~ There are 2 billion people worldwide who have this disease and 2 million die from it every year. What is it?

Tuberculosis

~ Irish legend has it that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will become skilled in what?

Flattery, Eloquence, Persuasion

Tips –

~ To pick up cat hair, put on a wet rubber dishwashing glove and wipe your hand over surfaces.

~ A dab of foaming shaving cream can help remove many red-wine spills from carpets.

~ Speeding through chores – Time will fly if you listen to great music, and enlist your family’s help.

Trivia –

~ Ants stretch when they wake up.

~ 20% of China’s plants are used in medicine.

~ Montpelier, Vermont is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonalds.

This date in history (February 8^th)

~ 1926 – Walt Disney Studios is formed.

~ 1952 – Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne.

~ 1961 – Vince Neil was born.

~ 1965 – The Supremes released “Stop in the Name of Love.”

Questions –

~ On this date, Queen released their first hit single. What was the title? And it’s not We Are the Champions.

~ Which breed of dog has the best eyesight?

~ How many miles of lighted tubing are there in the signs on the strip in downtown Las Vegas.

Quote –

“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” Ronald Reagan

I hope all of you had a splendid weekend!

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).