My StomaPhyx plan and experience

MY PLAN
I was approved for the Stomaphyx surgery by my surgeon and my insurance company a few weeks ago.  During that time, I met with a nutritionist who runs a practice out fo my surgeon's clinic. We put together a meal plan for four weeks of liquid diet, which I modified somewhat after I read the manufacturer's literture (makers of StomaPhyx, EsoPhyx) to delete the blender chili she suggested as I am not suppossed to have tomoatoes.

In prepartion for this eating plan, I purchased liquid vitamins called Peter Gillham's Natural Vitality Organic Life Minerals, NSI's Magnesium Citrate with Potassium lemon flavor, B12 sublingual, Syntrax Nectar Whey lemon flavor from Vitacost (good prices). I also purchase Profect bullets - ready-made protein drinks 2.7 oz each that can be frozen and eaten, high in protein low in carbs, fats, cals. I already have Optimum Nutrition Gold 100% Whey on hand chocolate flavor. I also buy naturl peanut butter and some canned cream soups and vanilla soy milk.

My nutritionist wants me to get 100g of protein a day while on the liquid diet. This is to make sure that I do not loose muscle. I am also concerned about losing hair and my face sagging so I look fro ways to keep my sodium and fat levels up. Plus, the nutritionist is concerned about me getting constipated so I get the Magnesium Citrate which has a ntural laxative effect.

A sample of my plan of eating is:

B: Syntrax Nectar Whey Protein lemon flavor, mixed with 3 tsp Magnesium Citrte lemon flavor and 2 tbs of the liquid vitamins (fruit flavor) mixed with 8oz spring water. Take sublingual B12.
L: ON Gold Standard 100% Whey choclate flavor blended with ice cubs, 2 tbs Smucker's natural peanut butter creamy, 8oz vanilla soy (also can use chocolate soy), 2 packets Splenda, 1 tsp 100% pure baking cocoa.
D: 1/2 can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup, condensed, undiluted
Metabolic: Profect protein bullet/drink

I track my food on fitday.com and it shows that this meal provides 838 calories, 34.9 g fat, 38.9 g carbs, 98.6 g protein. I will send this to my nutritionist to see if it I am eating correctly.

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MY EXPERIENCE

Day of Surgery...
I have been fasting since 9:30pm last night as I am having my surgery today at 3:45pm. We have to arrive at the hospital at 2pm. I will work in the morning and then leave at 1pm for SMC.

I tried Meridia for a week or so and had hoped to lose weight before my surgery... no luck there. I did not find that Meridia controlled my appetite save for a few hours when I took it. I could have used 2 capsules/day but the doc said only use 1.

Everyone at SMC is very nice, esp. the nurses. My surgery is delayed because the doc is running late. I officially arrive in the OR at 4:45pm.

I arrive in the Recovery Room at 6pm and am in a lot more pain that I had expected. I recall being wheeled on the gurney into the room saying "ow, it hurts," and farting. My stomach hurts and I am full of gas. I keep farting and burping and it surely must be unpleasant for the nurse. My throat is full of mucus and I am coughing. My throat hurts, like someone jammed their fingers down it. I am told that the instrument for the StomaPhyx is about 4x the size of the one used for the endoscopy. No wonder my throat hurts. The nurse gives me Dilutan. I am very dizzy and do not know if this is from the Dilatin or something else.

My pain simmers down. I described it as an 8 initially and now a 3 to 4. I am really dizzy. And I am extremely thirsty. The nurse feeds me a few ice chips. Gradually, I take wter and later hot tea. It is 9pm before I leave. I am so dizzy on the hour-long car ride that I think I will hurl. I get home without incident and go to bed.

Post Op Day 1...
THis is my first day post surgery. I am having stomach pain and also coughing up mucus which is thick and brown. I seem to have fluid in my ears as I hear and feel a crackling noise when I blow my nose. I called the doc for antibiotics and he gave me Levaquin, which I need to crush. I am taking Tylenol with Codeine for pain and it seems to work good enough. It makes me sleepy and I took a long nap today. My throat continues to hurt.

Stay tuned for a day by day report on my experience with this new surgery.

 Thank you! Thank you!

I have a consult on Friday for the Stomaphyx, so your experience(s) is greatly appreciated?

What made you look into this surgery?
What did the doc say you can hope the results to be?

Your words are greatly appreciated.

Lea

I looked into the surgery because I had regained 15lbs and have not been able to take it off. I had my gastric bypass surgery in 2003 and lost 85lbs. In Spring 2006, I lost another 15lbs. This may not sound significant, but it was... my BMI moved from obese to overweight, and my hanging belly was much smaller so that I was physicially more comfortable and attractive and clothes fit properly (I have a problem with this apron belly and camel toe that makes it hard to get pants that fit). I felt very very good about myself.

One night I was looking for my surgeon's online support group. I went to his web site for the info and read about this new StomaPhyx procedure. I emailed him right away. At our consultation, we discussed both the LAP Band and the StomaPhyx. Although my weight loss would be greater with the LAP Band, I was told that insurance would not cover it because my BMI was too low. Since I do not have $16k to drop on the procedure, I decided against it. With the StomaPhyx procedure, my surgeon said that I could easily take off the 15lbs and that I could take off 30lbs, which would bring me down to 170lbs. I would be over joyed with that.

Cost was a huge deciding factor why I got the StomaPhyx. My insurance is covering it and my out of pocket expenses should be $3k max, hopefully less. I will post the info when I know it accurately. I think it is around $10,000 for the surgeon's fee if your insurance doesn't cover it. Given that cost and probably weight loss as compared to the LAP Band cost and probably weight loss, I would rather pay for the LAP Band out of pocket because the results are more significant and the cost is in the same ball park.

I am excited to see your post, and I pray for a smooth recovery for you. I would love to hear back from you. I am researching the procedure in my area. I am formerly from West Windsor, and now live in South Jersey. When you are feeling better, please share with me your surgeon and hospital info. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks so much,
Stephanie

My surgeon was Vishal Mehta of Mehta Bariatric Center in New Brunswick. The hospitl wss Somerset Medical Center.

Good luck!

Post Op Day 2...
I am disappointed that I haven't seen a drop in my weight since having the surgery. I have had very little to eat since Tuesday and have only lost .5lbs. I continue to have mild pain in my stomach and chest and back, and I have a headache.

In the plus column, the mucus and coughing are gone, as is the fluid in my ears. I will continue to take the Levaquin, although crushing it and eating it, even when mixing it with liquids to mask the taste, is unbearable. I have never tasted something so awful in my life.

I am very stressed and perhaps this is making me hold onto the weight. I will go for a 30-min walk today to see if that helps both my mood and weight loss.

here is my food plan for today.
 
B: Syntrax nectar whey protein drink with magnesium citrate and liquid vitamins.
L: Profect bullet protein drink
D: ON whey protein drink with soy milk and natural pbutter and 1 tsp 100% cocoa and 2 packets Splenda
Metabolic: Profect bullet protein drink
 
this provides 654 cals, 22.3g fat, 26.8g carb, 92.2g protein.

Post Op Day 3...

i guess that the slow-paced 50min walk i took yesterday helped because i am down 4lbs overnight.

i had headaches yesterday when i ate dinner... perhaps i put too much in my pouch at once. will slow it down today. the nutritionist reccommended 2 oz at a time until my protein drink was finished, not to take longer than 2hrs to consume.

i had moderate pain on and off again throught the night in my stomach/chest. this likely would have been abated by taking my pain med but i was too worn out to go downstairs and get it. it has been a difficult past two days as we had a family tragedy.

i am having back pain but this may be from the back disease i have rather than the StomaPhyx. i feel tired and will rest shortly.

this morning i also am a little hungry, so i ate some of my Syntrex nectar whey lemon off the end of a spoon. it reminds me of sal****er taffy and is quite pleasant when you have the urge to chew. if you try this, be sure to take only a 1/2 tsp at a time and chew it well so it disolves in your mouth before entering your pouch.

i have found the Protek bullets to be quite unpalatable so today I will mix half a serving in with my Syntrex. Since they are all citrus flavors it should blend together tastefully enough.

here is my food plan for today.

B: Syntrax nectar whey protein drink with Profect protein bullet nd magnesium citrate
and liquid vitamins blended together with ice nd Spring water.
L: Syntrax nectar whey protein drink with Profect protein bullet nd magnesium citrate
and liquid vitamins blended together with ice and Spring water.
D: 1/2 c campbell's bean with bacon soup, pureed
Metabolic: ON whey protein drink with Spring water

this provides 608 cals, 5.5g fat, 32gcarb, 107g protein.

i will take my dog for a half hour walk later today.
 

Post Op Day 4

I lost 1.5lbs since yesterday, bringing my total weight loss to 5.5lbs in 4 days. I am slowly creeping to a BMI of 29, which will put me back in the overweight category vs obese. This is my first goal from this StomaPhyx surgery and I will be happy when I reach it.

Today I have a headache. This may be from the stress and sadness I have been under due to a family tragedy rather than the StomaPhyx. I don't know. I noticed last night that I had head hunger. This is my typical response to depression. I ate two sugar free popsicles. In the past, before my Gastric Bypass, it would have been an eating binge that went on for hours. I am so grateful for this surgery.

I continue to burp a lot. The literature that I received at my surgeon's office provided by the StomaPhyx manufacturer said not to burp?!?! How is one not to burp? I wonder why I have so much gas?

I am pretty satisfied with the liquid diet... the soup yesterday was delicious and a nice change from the protein drinks. I get a little hungry, its not like the total lack of appetite tha tI experienced after my gastric bypass, but I find that I am easily satisfied with a small liquid meal. My surgeon said that the Stomaphyx would be similar to my gatric bypass 3 mos out.

Here is my meal plan for today. I commit my food every day on FitDay.com and to my OA sponsor.

B: ON 100% whey protein powder blended with 4oz soy milk and ice.
L: Syntrax nectar whey protein drink with Profect protein bullet and magnesium citrate and liquid vitamins blended together with ice and Spring water.
D: 1/2 c seafood bisque with 1/4c soy milk, 2 frozen popsicles
Metabolic: herbal tea with evap milk and Splenda, Jello with protein powder added

this provides 626 cals, 12g fat, 31.2gcarb, 98g protein.

With all the controversy over Stomaphyx I'm really glad you are posting this.  It will be interesting to see long term.

I have asked ObesityHelp.com to create a forum just for the StomaPhyx procedure. However, I have not heard back from them. Perhaps if enough people request it then the admins will create one. I would certainly like to hear form others who have had the procedure.