Body Mass Index BMI

I wanted to calculate my BMI to see where I am at.
Currently my BMI is at 28. Still considered "overweight" but not Obese.

I left the hospital at 375 which means my BMI 15 months ago was 66.4.

58%

Article from TIMES.com

Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007

Gastric Bypass Lowers Risk of Death
By Sora Song

Whether one regards bariatric surgery — last-resort weight-loss operations such as gastric bypass and stomach stapling — as an essential treatment for obesity or as a failure of the fat person's will, the fact is, it works. Studies have shown that after surgery, patients often lose 50% or more of their excess weight — and keep it off — and symptoms of obesity-related conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea are improved or eliminated altogether. Now, two new studies in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) show another long-term benefit: a lower risk of death.
The larger of the two studies — the largest of its kind — led by researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine, looked specifically at gastric bypass surgery, also known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, which accounts for 80% of all bariatric surgeries in the U.S. The operation involves creating a small walnut-size pouch at the top of the stomach, which is then stapled off and connected to the small intestine lower down than usual; the result is that patients can eat only an ounce of food at a time, and the food bypasses most of the stomach and the top part of the intestine, limiting the number of calories the body absorbs.
In the Utah study, researchers compiled data on 15,850 severely obese people, half of whom had undergone gastric bypass surgery between 1984 and 2002, and half who were from the general population and had had no surgical intervention for obesity. Overall, researchers found, the surgery patients were 40% less likely to die from any cause during a mean 7 years of follow-up, compared with the obese controls. What's more, the mortality rate attributable to obesity-related disease was 52% lower on the whole in the surgery group: after gastric bypass, patients were 92% less likely to die from diabetes, 59% less likely to die from coronary artery disease, and 60% less likely to be killed by cancer.
Results like these have got some doctors intrigued enough to start thinking about bariatric surgery as a treatment for conditions other than obesity —especially diabetes. A growing body of research suggests that the surgery may reverse the disease, a potential solution that could help some 20 million American diabetics. Though the current NEJM study did not specifically study the impact of bariatric surgery on diabetes, it did reveal a 92% reduced risk of death from the disease in surgery patients —findings that support what has been emerging in other experiments. "In more than 80% of patients who are severely obese and have diabetes and then have gastric bypass surgery, the diabetes is cured," says Ted Adams, professor of cardiovascular genetics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and lead author of the new study. "The interesting thing is that the resolution of diabetes happens within a few weeks following surgery, long before patients have lost their weight." Like some other researchers in the field, Adams believes that the surgery triggers other biological mechanisms, separate from weight loss — perhaps an interruption of a crucial biochemical pathway or a change in the release of certain hormones in the stomach or small intestine — that may have powerful effects on diabetes.
"The gastric-bypass patient is really providing a source of intriguing research related to all kinds of disease treatment as well as weight gain and weight loss," says Adams.
The second study, led by researchers at Gothenburg University in Sweden, involved 4,047 obese volunteers, 2,010 who underwent some form of bariatric surgery and 2,037 who received conventional obesity treatment, including lifestyle intervention, behavior modification or no treatment at all. Ten years after surgery, researchers report, the bariatric surgery patients had lost more weight and had a 24% lower risk of death than the comparison group. Though the overall number of subjects in this study is much smaller than the first, the results confirm general benefits of bariatric surgery, and gastric bypass in particular: after 10 years, bypass patients had maintained a 25% weight loss, compared to a 16% loss in patients who had stomach stapling, and 14% in those who underwent a banding procedure.
In both studies, surgery patients had an overall lowered risk of death, but an interesting finding in the Utah study shows that these patients were 58% more likely to die from other causes, such as suicide and accidents. The authors speculate that as people lose weight and become more active, they also become more prone to accidents, which may up their risk of death. Surgery patients may also have pre-existing psychological problems — a history of abuse, perhaps — that can't be resolved by losing weight. "There have been some studies reporting that following bariatric surgery, some individuals may be more prone to chemical dependency, such as increased alcohol use," says Adams. "There's some speculation that certain addictive behaviors that are in place before the surgery — with food, for example — are transferred to alcohol or another addictive behavior."
"Hopefully this research will stimulate additional evaluation of what the optimal approach is for evaluating candidates for this surgery," says Adams. "I think we should never lose track of the importance of individual evaluation of benefits and risks."
Last year, an estimated 177,600 patients underwent bariatric surgery, a figure that's likely to grow as Americans get fatter and fatter. Though modern surgery techniques have become more sophisticated, less invasive and safer than in the past, the bariatric procedure still carries all the risks of any other operation. Patients have a .5% to 1% chance of death. The risk of gallstones goes up. Sometimes a second surgery is necessary. And all patients must be careful to make up for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The surgery isn't for everyone; current guidelines recommend it as a last resort, only for the morbidly obese who have a BMI of 40 and higher, or for the obese with a BMI of 35 and higher plus a serious weight-related illness like diabetes or hypertension.

spare 4-eyes

Back to being 2-eyes

Today I officially inserted contacts into my eyes. I am on a trial pair for now. I have to wear them for 4 hours today, 6 hours tomorrow, 8 hours on Monday. After Monday, I can keep them in as long as I want, unless irritation occurs. I also am unable to fall asleep if I have the contacts in my eyes.

Good question in the comments section regarding 4-eyes. Am I a candidate for the Lasik surgery. Well, currently I am not because I have a touch of laziness in my left eye. The eye doctor fixed my prescription to strengthen the left eye. I can check back with him in a year and hopefully the left eye will be corrected.

I did get a new pair of glasses for when my contacts are misbehaving. They are really neat. I will take a picture with me in them this evening.

Losing the 4-eyes

I have decided to give up my glasses. Tonight I am taking advantage of my vision insurance and getting contacts. I figured that my appearance has changed so much over the past year that wearing glasses seems to be hiding part of me still.
Not that I am excited to be getting contacts, but I am glad to be getting rid of glasses. My appointment is this evening. I will updated once I am done this evening.

Soda/Pop

It is no secret that you should not drink soda after having his surgery. In fact, it is one of the rules of the surgery. NO SODA/POP. Have I had any soda since surgery...... Yes. I won't lie.

What kind of soda do I drink? I have diet white soda. Such as Sprite, sierra mist, lemon/lime. Why am I drinking soda? I don't drink it everyday. I let the fizz out of it when before I drink it. The white soda settles my stomach so fast. I never am able to drink the entire can. I follow up with water immediately.

Recently a family member, who works for a local medical hospital, was speaking with the doctor she works for. The doctor informed her that one of the gastric patients died recently because she didn't take care of herself. One of the things that she was doing is drinking soda/pop. I agree, soda/pop is a bad thing to drink with this surgery. There are many other factors that go into "not taking care of yourself", including drinking Soda/Pop.

This is me on my soda/pop box today. Follow the rules.

Update

In two weeks, I will be 15 months post op. Seriously, when you think of 15 months, that is quite a bit of time, but it seems like just yesterday I had this surgery.

My weight has stablized. I am stuck in the 160's which is where I want to be and stay. I still am in a size 32 pant and size medium shirts (I also where Large shirts when I want to be lazy comfortable).

My appetite has increased. I have been watching. I just recently started to feel hunger pains again. That is kind of freaky since I haven't had hunger pains or feels like that in quite a long time. I am watching and being careful. Life has been kind of stressful lately but I am impressed that with this stress I have in my life now, I am not relying on food. That is a good feeling.

I have plans to do some blog posts on how I am doing physically and emotionally. I think there are quite a few changes that people aren't prepared for this far out post-op. Keep a watch out for that. I also will take photos on my 15 month anniversary so everyone can see how my body has changed from Day 1 to now.

441 days since surgery.

My grandmother (i love her to death) has put a picture of me on her refridgerator from the Christmas before I had surgery. She says that everyone will be able to see what a difference I have made with my weight loss and people will think twice about going in and eating all her good food. That's my Grandmother, you gotta love her.

I still can honestly say that I am really glad that I had this surgery. I would do it all over again if I had too!

Star Jones had gastric bypass

Two people have asked me my opinion on Star Jones finally admitting she had gastric bypass.

She saved her life. That is my opinion. As for keeping it to herself, why does she have to broadcast the fact she had it done? You could probably figure it out on your own that she had it done. I chose to let everyone know I had it because I was excited to be changing my life. She wanted to keep it to herself because everything else in her life was public. I completely understand that.

You go through so MANY emotions when you have this surgery, sometimes it is hard to put everything in perspective. People have to understand that if you live most of your life morbidly obese and within one year you are 100-200 pounds smaller, it's hard to get over the "fat person" imagine. Feeling ashamed goes with the territory. I wouldn't want people to know when I feel ashamed.

She also chose not to say anything becasue she didn't want people emmulating her and running out to get this surgery without making a well-informed decision. How can you not respect that? This surgery is not a quick fix and isn't for everyone.

I am happy for her. She looks damn good. Who cares how she had it done. At least she got herself back into a healthy lifestyle.