Gastric Bypass and then working in the EMS field

[JPINFV]

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic589.htm

Essentially Dumping Syndrome occurs when too much underdigested food reaches the intestine. It is especially problematic when dealing with sugar rich foods and alcohol. The syndrome itself isn't life threatening, but the person definably not going to feel too hot. In general, it self-resolves in about an hour. The link does a better description of the signs/symptoms than I can.

[ccmedoc]

Probably very close to what you are imagining.. :shock:

When someone loses some of their stomach, or makes it smaller, and too much food is ingested, some of the undigested food is "dumped" into the small intestine.

This is also called rapid gastric emptying, and when the undigested food is dumped in rapidly, it causes cramps, nausea, vomiting, belching, sweating, diarrhea, etc. You get the picture? :?

Although it does not only affect gastric patients, as it is often a problem with PUD also. It is often called, as I said, rapid gastric emptying or dumping syndrome.

This is a simple explanation, but will do for now. Look at some of the gastric bypass sites, and I am sure it will be mentioned somewhere..enjoy :wink:

[paramedicmike]

I know four people who've had it. You'd never know it to look at two of them. I don't think they've lost a pound between them. The other two, however, woah! Nellie! Between the two of them I think they've lost 500+ pounds.

They were out between six and eight weeks a piece if I remember correctly. One of the two for whom it worked does have problems with dumping pretty regularly. Unfortunately for him it doesn't always come up at the most convenient times. I'll let your imagination run with that.

I'll echo what others have said. Get counseling. Do your research. Talk to the docs. Don't jump on one thing because you think it's going to be the easiest way to do it. No matter your course it's going to be difficult.

Best of luck to you!!

-be safe

[Eydawn]

Oh my gosh, it really was what I thought it was... :shock:

It's a last resort for people in dire health straits... at least, that's what I've learned about it. But it can be the shock tactic some need to get their lives back in order...

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Asysin2leads]

The one person I knew who had gastric bypass was morbidly obese, and did really need it, but also, he ended up in a coma for a few weeks after the sutures popped and his abdominal cavity filled up with gastric contents. Sepsis, peritoneal inflammation, he had it all.

So, I would highly recommend trying a diet and exercise regimen before going the gastric bypass route. You can start by stop eating fast food, and I don't mean the Subway/Jared diet, I mean staying at least fifty feet away from any franchised eatery. This includes Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, Denny's, Sonic. Carl's Jr, Popeye's, and Pizza Hut. Especially Pizza Hut. Just try visualize that a plaque occluded artery looks remarkably like a stuffed crust pizza, and its not all coincidence.

Depending on your height, weight, general level of physical activity, and what you ordered, what you got at Burger King today might very well have exceeded your needed caloric intake for the day. In other words, if you didn't eat anything else all day, you still ate too much. Pack your lunch. Tuna is your friend. So are carrot sticks. And pickles.

[Dustdevil]

So, I would highly recommend trying a diet and exercise regimen before going the gastric bypass route. You can start by stop eating fast food, and I don't mean the Subway/Jared diet, I mean staying at least fifty feet away from any franchised eatery. This includes Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, Denny's, Sonic. Carl's Jr, Popeye's, and Pizza Hut. Especially Pizza Hut.

So you're recommending a different kind of "bypass", eh?

[VentMedic]

I would try everything possible to lose weight or change your eating habits before considering the surgery. Besides complications from just the surgery itself, you will have to consider adhesions and other complications if you decide to have children later. We've had several babies in our NICU who were born prematurely due to the mothers (who had gastric bypass) developing Small Bowel Obstruction during pregnancy and required surgery. In a couple of cases, the baby was too premature to save and did not survive the effects of surgery on the mother. Your nutritional intake may also be difficult to maintain for pregnancy.

The surgery itself is not a total guarantee that you won't gain some weight back later. You have to change your eating lifestyle totally to avoid the complications mentioned in previous posts. Many people also adjust to eating smaller portions but eat food dense in calories. I had a co-worker who lost almost 100 pounds after gastric bypass but then gained 50 back eating ice cream and buttery anything.

[firedoc5]

The only person I knew of personally had it done at first did great with it. But he didn't follow the program and within nine months he was just as big if not bigger. He did eventually die of morbid obesity, which he was initially trying to avoid.

[mrsbull]

I realize this is an older topic. I however have had the gastric bypass. I actually had it 2 weeks after the last post in this topic.

I feel that I am educated enough on this topic now to make a contribution.

There are a lot of things to consider the surgery.

#1 do your M/O risks out weigh your surgical risks. In my case yes they did. I decided to have to so I could be healthier. I have had knee surgeries (3 to be exact) so I COULD be able to excercise I still had a difficult time doing so.

#2 what is your "goal" is it reasonable? Well I am 35 lbs from my goal at this time. I have since lost 90 lbs. I am healthier. I feel better I am physically able to walk further and I have more energy and I smile more. I have not done that in years. However I have now a med id bracelet because of it. It is embarrassing but it saves me from a procedure that could kill me. ie no blind intubation.

#3 expect problems. I did and do have them. I have been hospitalized 3 times. 1 from dehydration due to not being physically able to get fluids in and keep them in. That subsequently led to blood work (the hospitalization) and my pancreatic enzymes were elevated. Thus leading to a Choly not a month post op from the by pass.

I have to make damn sure I take my vitamins or I will/can loose my hair. If I do not get enough protein I will loose muscle mass and my hair as well. I have to do this daily FOREVER. I have to eat several meals daily. Plenty of water. I cannot have sugar. I have had it on occasion but I fear dumping. I do get ill from foods it is always a hit and miss. I can no longer have lactose or I am hurting. I need to buy stock in immodium because that is a daily problem.

I do on occasion eat more than I should and I pay for it. It is not intentional but it happens. My eyes are bigger than my stomach still. Well even so more now post op. hell everything is bigger. I still catch myself serving myself the "old" portions.

That said, being an emt-b. I was NOT told that bypass pts should not have sugar. This is on my bracelet as well. The reason for this IS the dumping. I was told that the sugar cannot digest like before because of the change of anatomy. The stomach is smaller and has less "juices" to assist in digestion and absorption

I was explained "dumping" is your body is not able to chemically digest all of the things it could before. ie fats,sugars,and proteins. Dumping comes from your body getting too much of these things and it will attack itself thinking sugars and fats are intruders. Thus the rest of your cells running to fight off the intruder making you get "rid" of whatever is causing you to dump.

Some ppl have dumping episodes starting off as pallor,diaphretic, nausea, chills, then vomiting, diarrhea, and general crappy feeling that can last for hours. Essentially your body will produce signs of shock. However it is a digestion thing and it will pass. I have been told to think of it as the flu feeling and add in being drunk but add the trots into it and that is dumping.

As far as going back to work. Well If i worked for a svc here locally I would be back to work now but not 2 months ago. The stage eating blows. But it is for a reason.

The hardest part is the pureed stage. If I HAD to eat out at that time it would have been soups or mashed potatoes. NOT from KFC tho that is begging for a dumping episode. I also could not lift more than 5 lbs for 6 weeks. I can lift what I want to now. However if you life and pop your staples or herniate an opening. Well then that is your fault. Be SURE this is what YOU want to do. It is hell recovery is TERRIBLE. However it will prolong your life and you in the end will be happier. I know my hubby is I can do tons more activities now. OK fingers are getting sore time to end this post.

[bmedic]

I have some good things to say about having the surgery. I work with a woman that had it about 3 years ago and she can do all of the same things I can do and I am only 180 lbs. She likes it and would say it is a good thing to have.