Seeing Dr Nohr in May

Hello Ladies and gents! I made a decision a few years ago after having seen a friend have the op to look into it. I had a consultation with Dr Nohr in Medicine hat in Sept 2005 and I have been booked for RNY on May 7th 2007, it was a long wait! I am hoping that with Dr Nohrs help that I can lose about 120lbs. My biggest fear is blood clots, I don't know why but it is! I am basically very healthy and fairly active ( I race dirtbikes) and hope to be fit and racing again by august 07 if possible. I am planning on taking a month off work, would this be a sufficient amount of time. Opinions would be welcomed! Thanks X

Hello Samantha. I had surgery with Nohr in Jan/06 and am down 120 to date, with 14 more to go. Congrats on your surgery date...it is a long wait, but well worth it. When you are in the hospital, you will get shots in your tummy 3 times a day that help with blood clots as well, anytime you are in bed, you will have blow up pants on to help with clots. When you leave the hospital, its very important for you to walk. I don't mean a marathon, but you should walk 5minutes every hour. It took us 3 days to get home from Med Hat, as we stopped every hour. I had a stricture at 6 weeks, which set me back a little, but I went back to work after 8 weeks off work. I was too darn tired to go before that. I really couldnt' do a regular day or wal****il week 8. Took a lot out of me, but once again, well worth it. If you want to email me direct you can at [email protected] Lisa Jan 30/06 Dr Nohr Open RNY

Hey Samantha Congradulations on your finally getting your date, does seem like a long wait. I am currently waiting to get in for a consultation with Dr. Mitchell, I have about 100 lbs to lose but I have choosen lap band, I was just wondering why you have choosen RNY? Thanks Cindy

Hi Cindy I choose the RNY because it is permanent. The long term success rate is really good. 16yrs ago I had a stomach stapling done. I lost 125lbs and after 6 yrs of it being off it started coming back and it wasn't that I was eating alot because I couldn't. With the RNY the bowel that is bypassed is the one where your food sits and your weight gain happens. The Dr. who did the RNY on me said he wont even and hasn't done the stomach stapling in years and to me I could be wrong but the band and stapling is the same process for food passing. I would reseach it a little more and also ask your dr. and be careful. Surgery is a band aide yes it works but it isn't the end. It is a life change that is well worth it. Lori

Thanks for the replies! Lisa, thank you for your emails, I am sure we will send many, many more!! I picked Dr Nohr because I know 3 other ladies who have had the open RNY with him. They were all sucessful and are now leading healthier and happier lives. I would like if possible to have the surgery done by lap. I discussed this with Dr Nohr in my consult in Sept 05, he had not started doing them then and I don't know what the situation is now? I am going to call his office next week and ask some more questions!! It was weird, when I got my date for surgery it was a very, very quick phonecall to my office to give me the date and to ask my current weight and I was told to tell them a phone number that I would be at at 4pm on the sunday. That was it!!! What more do you think I need to ask? Lisa, I saw a post that said you bought some books on the surgery, what were those books please? Thanks in advance to all of you! It is very uplifting to read your sucess stories, you are all doing so well!!! Samantha x

Hi I just had RNY Sept 27/06 it has taken me a good 6 to 7 weeks to recup. and I'm 40yrs old. I was extremely fearful of death. My dr made no bones about it that it could happen. I too was fearful of blood clots but if your active and do your exercises they teach at the hospital for post op you'll be fine. I'm doing really well. My only complaint is the gas and your bowel movements are very different. I've lost 40lbs since surgery and inches. I was in a size 24 and now my size 20's are too big. Good Luck Lori

Books - A doctors guide to Weight Loss Surgery and Dummies book on WLS. I just recently bought 2 books by Dr Oz - the one "You, on a Diet" is really, really good and talks so much about your body and its relationship with food. There is a small chapter at the back on WLS and points on some pages about "if you had surgery, your body does....". I also bought 2 other books, one and autobiography of a lady who had wls and another on recipes. Not really worth buying either of these. I bought all of mine from Amazon.ca. Just search Weight loss surgery and gastric bypass. You will get different results. I had open with Nohr in Jan/06 and would not change a thing. He is doing some RNY Lap, most of them open...just remember that if you have a panni done after, he recuts the same incision as the open procedure and then some, so don't worry about the scar. If I had to choose again, I would choose the open procedure. He can also look at your gallbladder and other things while in there