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Fall 2005 - pdf
Concerns about Hair Loss after Surgery
Hair loss, or telogen effluvium, is seen frequently 3-6 months after bariatric surgery. Some of you may note diffuse shedding of normal hair, lasting as long as 6-12 months. It can
be terribly distressing to you at a time when you are experiencing a favorable and dramatic
loss in weight.
Why does it happen? The most common causes for hair loss are:
- Physical stress (surgery, illness, anemia, rapid weight loss)
- Poor protein intake
- Emotional stress
- Thyroid abnormalities
- Hormonal changes
The stress of weight loss disrupts the normal growth cycle of individual hairs, resulting in
large numbers of growing hair simultaneously entering the dying (telogen) phase. Although
there is no exact time frame on how long hair loss will last, it usually reverses itself without
intervention. Make sure you are eating an appropriate amount of protein (> 60 gram per
day). In addition, certain hair products (ie, Nioxin) have been shown to be beneficial and
can be purchased at any Cost Cutters, Beauty Brand Store, etc.
Finally, if hair loss is extreme, supplementation with zinc may be recommended. However, since high levels of zinc can inhibit the absorption of other important micronutrients, you should discuss this with your doctor before beginning nutritional supplementation (recommendation: additional zinc 45 mg/d + Vitamin B-complex with 100-200% of RDA.) Once hair loss improves, discontinue additional zinc supplementation. And, remember, your hair will eventually grow back!
--Shannon Bishop, RD |
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Exercise for Life
As the saying goes, “Use it or lose it”. Exercise
has so many benefits for the post bariatric surgery
patient. Exercise not only gives you a better
body shape and increased energy, but it also has
many health benefits that allow you to live a
longer, more active life.
Regular exercise:
- Increases your body’s metabolic rate, meaning
that you burn more calories, even after you
have stopped exercising.
- Increases your body’s percent of lean muscle
vs. percent of body fat.
- Since muscle is metabolically more active,
the more muscle you have the more calories
you will burn, even while you are resting!
- Lowers your cholesterol levels.
- Lowers your risk of many common chronic
diseases.
- Increases your energy and vitality.
- Improves your quality of sleep.
- Reduces stress and tension.
- Elevates your mood and increases your mental
performance.
If you are dreading long, sweaty hours in the gym,
there is good news. Numerous studies have shown
that non-vigorous exercise such as moderately
brisk walking can confer health benefits similar to
those gained from more vigorous activities such as
running. The only caveat is that the benefits of
exercise last only as long as you make it a regular
part of your life.
The benefits of a short-term exercise program
are themselves short-term. In other words, exercise
needs to become a lifelong habit after
bariatric surgery, just like eating healthy. That is
why it is important to select activities that you
enjoy and can commit to long-term. You have
made the decision to undergo this life altering
procedure, so keep up the momentum and get out
your walking shoes!
--Allison Van Fleet, RN, MS
Post-Bariatric Surgery: Meet Mitch
Why did you decide to have bariatric surgery?
I distinctly remember the events that led to my decision to have Roux-En-Y Surgery. It was July 3, 2003 and I had taken the day off to have a basic checkup with my primary care doctor and get an eye exam. One of the first things my primary care doctor did was take my blood pressure. She told me my blood pressure was 160/110 and that I needed to immediately go on high blood pressure medications. Two hours later, I was getting my eyes examined for a new pair of glasses, and after a full dilation and health check of my eyes, my doctor told me my left eye was showing some early signs of the affects of high blood pressure and if not treated, it could lead to blindness. At this point, I was very scared and knew that I needed to
do something about my weight. I called my primary care doctor and she put me in touch with Dr. Brown’s office.
Tell us about your surgery and early progress.
My surgery came about 5 months later, Dec 1, 2003. I fasted for 4 days before the surgery and tried to prepare myself for the new way of life. The surgery seemed to go great, but I developed some leaks that required a 2nd surgery 4 days later. It was a tough time, and I questioned why I had done surgery, since before that I was a fairly healthy 461 lb person. Thank God for my wife who really was my support and sounding board through the recovery process. Dr. Brown and his team were also incredibly supportive during my recovery—I can’t thank them enough.
In late January I started to feel good enough to go back to work. I worked hard to stick to my eating plan (get in the protein first!) and sure enough, as the time went by I started feeling better and better. The weight was flying off—I was down about 70-80 lbs in the first 2 months or so. In April, I felt good enough to hire a physical trainer and started working out. This was a great feeling. Imagine that I was once the guy that wouldn’t even walk to the restaurant that was literally 400 feet from my apartment. Now I’m working out and walking on the treadmill!
 Now, almost 2 years after surgery, how has your life changed?
Now it’s about 20 months post surgery and I feel great. I’m down a total of about 235 lbs! I went from size 60-62 pants and 5X-6X shirts to a size 40 pant and L/XL shirts. My food intake is SO much healthier than it once was. I drink lots of water, green tea, eat tons of fruit and veggies, and really work to balance out the diet. I still work out 3-6 days per week, depending on my schedule. I try to think of creative ways to get in workouts when I know that I don’t have time. I’ve started to walk back and forth to my office, which is 10 miles round trip. I also started to sing in a rock band again.
Describe one of your finest moments since having bariatric surgery?
One recent interaction is helping me keep motivated. My rock band was playing a gig at the Hyatt DTC last month. One of my band mate’s friends came up to me in one of the breaks and asked me if I was a cyclist?! I asked why, and she said that my legs look extremely fit and strong—like a cyclist. Can you imagine… just 20 months after my bariatric surgery, I’m being accused of being fit and a cyclist! It doesn’t get much better than that!
Comments from Dr. Brown.
Mitch has been an inspiration to all of us. Not only has he worked hard at accomplishing his weight loss, but he’s been pivotal in our support group by sharing and caring about other patients. Mitch has been instrumental in organizing an on-line chat room that continues to be going strong at CBSI. Mitch did have some complications early on, but came through well. Clearly, his decision to have weight loss surgery was the right choice, for Mitch is NOW a healthy 225 lb person who is enjoying life and all it has to offer! Congratulations, Mitch—
keep it up! |
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Research Topic: Obesity Threatens to Cut U.S. Life Expectancy
A group of researchers from the National Institutes on Aging (NIA), a component of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), anticipate that life expectancy for the average American could decline by
as much as five years over the next few decades due to the obesity epidemic. If so, this would be the
first sustained drop in life expectancy in the modern era. However, the report in the March 17th,
2005 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine does suggest that the drop in life expectancy
could be avoided if more efforts are taken to combat the disease.
Historically, life expectancy forecasts rely on mortality trends. However, today’s prediction is based
upon an analysis of BMI and other factors that affect the health and well being of those who have
been overweight since childhood. Researchers say that unless steps are taken to curb excessive
weight gain, younger Americans will likely face a greater risk of mortality throughout life than previous
generations.
The government and the private sector are helping to increase education and implement appropriate
medical treatments that contribute to the optimism of the research community. For example, in
March 2004, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) launched a public awareness campaign,
entitled Healthy Lifestyles and Disease Prevention. The purpose of this initiative is to encourage
American families to take small, manageable steps within their current lifestyle to ensure effective,
long-term weight control. You can view their interactive website at www.smallstep.gov.
Considering these data, you should feel confident that you made the right decision for your health by
having gastric bypass surgery. Congratulations on your choice. Know that we are here to support you!
--Anna Cardinell, FNP
Are You Taking Your Calcium?
As most of you have noticed, we are creatures of habit at Colorado Bariatric Surgery Institute (CBSI). At all of your follow-up visits we repeatedly ask you about your water intake, exercise, and whether you are taking your prenatal vitamins. There is good reason why these questions are so important to ask.
One of the key questions we ask is whether you are taking your calcium supplement, and if so, are you spreading it out throughout the day. One of the main reasons calcium supplementation is so important for you after bariatric surgery is that you are at increased risk to develop osteoporosis.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis occurs when the inside of the bones become weak because of a loss of calcium. This is called losing bone mass. Bone weakness makes your bones more likely to break. Throughout your life, your bones go though bone building cycles, in which old bone is broken down and new bone is formed. Calcium is the vital ingredient for new bone formation. When you have bariatric surgery your calcium absorption from your diet decreases, and your body will start taking the calcium from your bones in order to maintain the levels it needs elsewhere in your body. This puts you at risk for osteoporosis. That is
why you need to get your 1,500 mg of calcium daily. We recommend that your calcium supplementation be distributed throughout the day (your body cannot absorb more than 500 mg at a time) to promote optimal absorption. Some helpful hints: Calcium supplements must not be taken within 2 hours of taking an iron supplement or multivitamin so that it is optimally absorbed, and the best time to take calcium for maximum absorption is at bedtime.
What are the signs/symptoms of osteoporosis?
You may not know that you have osteoporosis until you have serious signs such as broken bones or a loss in height over time. It is because of this “silent disease” that it so important to:
- Get regular check ups
- Eat a healthy diet
- Get regular weight bearing exercise like walking or jogging
- Have a bone density test if you have a strong family history
- And, take your calcium supplement daily
Bottom line…the key to avoiding osteoporosis is prevention. |
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Seminar Series:
Tools for an Optimal Outcome after Surgery
October 19th, 2005
Gary Snider, MD
“Options for Plastic Surgery after Gastric Bypass”
Dramatic weight loss after bariatric surgery can result in
areas of excess skin that are troubling. Plastic surgeon, Dr.
Snider, will describe some of the more common procedures
he performs and the results you can expect.
November 16th, 2005
Shannon Bishop, RD, and Allison Van Fleet, RN, MS
“Holiday Health: Food and Physical Well-Being”
The Holidays can be stressful—especially when managing a
new lifestyle! Shannon and Allison will share with you ways
(diet and exercise) to survive AND enjoy the ‘season’ while
continuing to achieve your weight loss goals.
December 21st, 2005
Tai Chi Instructor
“Let’s Get Movin’”
Tai Chi is best thought of as a moving form of yoga and
meditation combined. Although many moves are derived
from the martial arts, they are performed with grace.
The health benefits are amazing…
These seminars are free of charge and are offered as part of CBSI’s long-term bariatric surgery program. They are held at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Colorado Room North at 6:00 p.m.
Please note: Immediately following the seminars (7:00 p.m.), our CBSI Support Group meets in the same room. Support group is a great way to interact with others who are experiencing similar issues. It can be very meaningful and rewarding, so please join us! |
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