Obesity surgery

Like many of us, I had several reasons to have weight loss surgery.
As the time grows closer to the Jewish High Holly days one of my
reasons draws in the front of mind. As some of you may know one of
the reasons for my weight loss surgery was to be able to go to temple
again with my family. Mind you I am not religious, nor would you be
able to classify myself in any of the traditional groups of orthodox,
conservative, or reform. I call myself a reactionary. Both of my
parents are Holocaust survivors. My mother spent the war years in a
concentration camp, and my father was in a concentration for a brief
period of time and then formed a resistance movement in his shtetl
(town) in Poland called Bukaczowce which is now part of the Ukraine.

Last year my goal was to be able to walk to temple when the High
Holly days arrived. It would be a wonderful way to share my gift of
weight loss surgery with my parents. Within two weeks after surgery
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OK< I know this is really gross, but I had my JP drain removed
yesterday. I am still really getting alot of drainage from this site.
I have to change clothes several times a day because it seeps through
my bandage. It is a lot of seepage. It is really gross. I hate it.
Any ideas? I have seriously considered buying thick kotex and
bandaging them to my site. I think I would rather still have the
bulb, so that it has some place to collect. Please let me know your
experience. So long for now, Rhonda

Can anyone suggest a good iron supplement. I take Centurm Chewable
multi-vitamins, liquid calcium and liquid b-complex, but am lacking in the iron
department and would hate to become anemic or something.

Thanks,
Jen in Naperville
3/3/03
259/155/150

Do all patients have a catheter during surgery? If so, when is it
put in and when is it removed?

Catherine

PS I was reading a posting on it and I have never had a catheter.

I was readmitted to the hospital on Sunday after being released on
Friday from my gastric bypass surgery. I woke up Sunday morning with
blood all over my bed. It had come from the site where the drain tube
enters my body. I was in excruciating pain, mainly in my left
shoulder. My husband called the surgeon on call, and she said to come
to the hospital emergency room. I went to the hospital, and they did
a cat scan. It showed a hemotoma at the intersection of my new pouch
and my old stomach. The surgeon said it needed to be removed. I
thought "GREAT!!! another surgery." They removed the blood clot
laproscopically(SP?), just as they had done my bypass and removal of
my gallbladder. They were even able to use the same entrance areas. I
woke up still in alot of pain, and slept most of the evening.
Everything went well, and after staying in the hospital most of the
day Monday, I was released to come home. I feel much better. I am in
a lot less pain than I was before they removed the blood clot. I had
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The next meeting of the Queens Metro Surgical Weight Loss Group is to
be held on Monday September 13, 2004 at 7:15pm. At this meeting our
exercise instructor Gina LoMonaca will be speaking about our exercise
class and exercise for the post op patient. If anyone would like to
bring a high protein snacks and recipe please do so (or e-mail me the
recipe so I can share it with the non local members).

C.A.P.
163-59 17TH Avenue
Whitestone, NY 11357
Walk down the ramp

Ample street parking and easy access from Manhattan via express bus
or the Queens transit line.

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Everyone in my family says when I get home from hospital I’ll need
alot of rest etc-I know I have to take it a little easy but I don’t
expect to need people taking care of me or will be bedridden. Can
you drive-I’m having the lap not open unless there is a prob. Also
my sister in law eho had this a year ago says I should be seeing a
ton of specialists endo, cartiologist, gastro, pulmonary(I am seeing)
etc-doesn’t this depend on what your primary and surgeon thinks-I am
like 10 yaers younger than her and she had a host of health problems
which I don’t-doesn’t that enter into the equasion as well???

I went thru meeting with pschologist and dietician and surgeon and
all is a go-the surgical coordinator than gave me a surgery date mid
October which actually was a little soooner than I expected but I
was very glad. She gave me a whole bunch of instruction, some of the
infor was in the booklets I got from them but she made me aware.
She said that I need a pre-op clearance from my primary care
physician which I will change to a Dr that is affiliated with the
surgeon’s hospital-but she said it should be done 2 weks prior to
have a fresh rule out of pregnancy-I realize they are being cautious-
Is this typical-She also said I would need to call the hospital the
day before surgery to make sure all is a go-I thought she mentioned
the insurance as well-wouldn’t be able to know that sooner-I have
oxford freedom HMO and from what I understand they are one of the
good ones for approval-I certainly meet all the requirements-oxford
says they approve case by case-wouldn’t I know about approval before
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Our Four Mile Hike

On Sunday August 29th at 8:30 am we had our usual walk. The weather
was hot and humid or NY summertime yuck. I was hoping that we would
not have any walkers so I could go back to bed. If you think I enjoy
waking up early on a Sunday morning get real! Each Sunday I hope
that nobody shows up, but I have been wrong every Sunday. We have
walked through the heat of the summer and through a few rain storms.
I am telling you guys now, I am not walking when we have snow or ice
storms.

This week’s walkers included Carol (she still does not believe she
is losing weight—but down many sizes), Sophie who just got back from
her vacation in Las Vegas, Steve, who probably never went home on
Saturday night and is working on his six pack, Benson and Fern (guys
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Can someone please remind me why we aren’t supposed to drink coffee? Is it just
because of the caffeine or is it some other reason. And if so, why is caffeine
more harmful to GP patients.

I suppose I could call my doctor, but this is much easier.

Thanks!
Jen in Naperville
260/155/150