Take the Reins After Your Laparoscopic Surgery
May 9, 2013Take the Reins After Your Laparoscopic Surgery
by Jason Hilford
Sometimes you just need a little help. This holds true for obesity as much as it does for any medical or psychological issue. If you've exhausted everything within your own power to lose weight, you might consider a bariatric procedure such as laparoscopic surgery to take it off once and for all.
Laparoscopic procedures include variations of gastrectomy, gastric bypass surgery and gastric banding systems. They require a smaller incision and often present a lower risk of complications than many other bariatric procedures.
If you do enlist the help of a medical professional, you'll still need to play an active part in maintaining your new weight - and your long-term well-being. Exercise and a healthy diet may be the foundations of a weight maintenance regimen, but you can do a lot more to keep yourself fit and healthy - and in ways you might not have expected. Don't think of these post-surgical suggestions as chores. Think of them as opportunities to take control over your weight and your life: to help yourself.
Lean On Me
First, remember that you're not alone. Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States. For proof, take a look at this animated map depicting the growing obesity rate since 1985.
The website of Dr. Andrew Averbach, a weight loss doctor in Maryland, suggests reaching out to other people who have had bariatric surgery. The empathy and camaraderie you'll experience in this context will be profound. The opportunity to have others in your situation confide in you may be even more liberating. By not only seeking, but providing, support, you'll create the type of self-empowerment that's vital to the positive physical and mental change you've effected.
Organ Salvation
Massive weight loss gives your bodily functions a much-needed break. Obesity can be especially taxing to the liver. While this vital organ is known for its ability to regenerate, you may be able to take steps to help it heal. A recent study suggests that vitamin E supplements may curb some of the symptoms of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) - a common complication of obesity that inflicts inflammation, fat accumulation and overall stress upon the liver. The University of Maryland Medical Center provides a list of herbs and supplements that may also promote liver health. Consult your doctor before taking any supplement.
Fertile Endeavors
Healthy living can have different meanings for different people. Keeping your mind and body happy and healthy after your surgery can prove valuable in maintaining your weight. Perhaps that's why a University of Utah study suggests that people who have a plot in a community garden are less likely to be obese.
The research is preliminary and suggests no specific reasons for the phenomenon. However, what we can gather is that gardening is an active outdoor pursuit that can connect you to the environment and give you joy - if you're into that kind of thing, that is. Finding a passion - ideally, a healthy one - can only help keep you feeling strong and in control as you turn over a new leaf.
Jason Hilford is a copywriter for Etna Interactive, a San Luis Obispo, CA, medical marketing agency. He is also a freelance journalist and editor and has taught journalism courses at the university level.