In This Issue

Post-Op Follow-

Up

Post-Op Events

Patient Care

Conference

Pregnancy after

surgery—

Cathy’s story

Tips from Rene’

Support Group

Calendar

Lisa Blackwell

Employee

Spotlight

Center for Bariatrics Newsletter July 2014

The Post-Op Wellness Plan Most patients are focused on the preparation before surgery. They make sure

they attend all their appointments and are highly motivated to learn. However,

successful Post-Op patients will tell you the real work happens after surgery.

Do you know the Post-Op Wellness Plan? The Plan is designed to give you the

best possible opportunity for success after surgery. If you have failed to

embrace the Post-Op Plan then this month is an opportunity to start over!

Post-Op Wellness Schedule:

2 Weeks ….…………Your Surgeon

4-6 Weeks.................Dr. Kirk

3 Months...................Dr. Kirk & Dietitian

6 Months...................Dr. Kirk & Dietitian

9 Months...................Dr. Kirk & Dietitian

12 months.................Dr. Kirk & Dietitian

Yearly Follow-Up…..Dr. Kirk & Dietitian

Monthly……………. Support Group Attendance

3-6 months………... Post-Op Exercise Consultation

Post-Op Activities: Patient Care Conference, Bariatric Graduation, Bariatric Race Events, Bariatric education resources and additional consults as needed.

New Bariatric

Workbooks!

The program has developed new

workbooks for patients to stay

organized. The binder gives phone

numbers and biographies of all the

Becky Parkinson — Muskogee Support Group

Monthly Support Groups

We now have 8 Support Groups throughout northeast Oklahoma and

southeast Kansas. The purpose of Support Group is for you to interact

with other patients who are preparing for surgery or are working through

the post-op journey. The best way to learn is to speak with others who

have gone through the surgery. Click here to see all of the support group

dates and locations.

Patient Care Conference - August 9

The Patient Care Conference is designed to educate and motivate you

on your bariatric journey to become healthy, strong and nutritionally

correct. The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center is offering you

all of its resources to equip you with the knowledge and support you

need. The conference is designed for pre-op patients, post-op patient

less than one year from surgery and post-op patient greater than one

year from surgery. We have designed the conference with these 3

different paths in mind.

Speakers:

Dr. JoeBob Kirk

Dr. Brandon Varnell

Dr. Jeff Swetnam

Dr. Jenny Wood

Rene’ Norman, RD/LD

Suzanne Gauldin, RD/LD

Mo Smith, CPT

David Steward, CPT

Click here to register for the Patient Care Conference

Bariatric Race Events:

These exercise events are designed to get you out of your comfort zone

and to begin participating in activities that promote a healthy lifestyle.

Many patients thought these races were impossible before surgery and

they found through hard work and training they were able to accomplish

their goals. The 3 races in 2014 were the St. Patrick’s Day 5K, Warrior

Dash and the Race for the Cure on Sept. 27

Post-Op Exercise Consultations:

Additional consultations are needed because your body is

changing. As you lose weight your muscle strength and

tone can be effected.. It is important that you focus on

strength and cardiovascular exercise after surgery. It will

be important to visit with our Exercise Specialists to

determine a plan that works for you.

Call 918-376-8410 to set-up a Post-Op Exercise

Consultation with David Steward, CPT or Mo Smith, CPT.

Sign-Up now to attend the

Race for the Cure!!

The Race for the Cure on Sept. 27 is a 5K or

1-mile fun walk that is perfect for beginners,

families and friends. This is the perfect event

to bring your children and grandchildren!

Click here to register. Select “Join an

Existing Team” and select “Bailey Bariatrics”

Pregnancy After Metabolic Surgery

Some of life’s greatest moments and accomplishments can’t be measured. The arrival of Cathy Dodson’s son, James Matthew Dodson (Mattie), is one of those moments. “I delivered my miracle baby on April 25, 2014,” she says. That day may not have been possible, Cathy says, if it weren’t for a decision she made in 2012. “I had been working on getting healthy for a couple of years, but I could not get the extra weight off,” Cathy explains. “On December 3, 2012 I had a sleeve gastrectomy performed by Dr. Brandon Varnell. My life has completely changed since then.”

Following surgery, Cathy began exercising as she started to lose weight. “I took up running,” she adds, “first a minute at a time then gradually building up to where I could run five miles at a time.” She set her sights on a half marathon for her 40

th birthday in 2013. However, an injury forced her to take a break

from running. After a few weeks of rest, Cathy started to resume her training. “I could tell something was different. A couple of weeks later, I took a pregnancy test, completely expecting it to be negative, but to my surprise it was positive!”

The pregnancy, Cathy says, was something she and her husband had always wanted. “We have been married 13 and a half years,” she says. “I had always wanted to be a mom, but I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and was never able to conceive. My husband was not in favor of adoption and I was not in favor of fertility treatments, so I knew if it was going to happen, it was going to have to happen naturally.”

Cathy wanted to make sure she had the best nutrition for her and her baby throughout the pregnancy. “As with all pregnancies, nutrition starts before conception,” explains Rene Norman, RD/LD, dietitian for The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center. “This is especially important for women that have had bariatric surgery.” Rene advises patients, who would like to pursue pregnancy after bariatric surgery, to talk to their dietitian and health care provider before trying to get pregnant. “It’s recommended to wait at least 18 months before conceiving. During the rapid weight loss phase, it is difficult to optimize your nutrition while you are getting used to a new stomach pouch.”

Taking a comprehensive daily multi-vitamin is not only important after surgery, but before surgery as well “to improve your nutrition status to help correct deficiencies and have better healing after surgery,” Rene shares. Additionally, at least three months prior to pregnancy and throughout the pregnancy, it is important to take pre-natal vitamins. “With conception, taking a supplement with folic acid before conception considerably decreases the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect like spina bifida. Folic acid is found in enriched grains, beans and fruits and vegetables. These are foods that are limited in the food choices in the few months after surgery. Other nutrients for special consideration during pregnancy include B12, vitamin D, iron and calcium. Calorie needs increase by the second trimester.” Rene recommends working with a dietitian throughout pregnancy to develop a nutrition plan to support both mom and baby’s health. “My pregnancy, which was a complete miracle, was absolutely wonderful,” Cathy recalls. “I did not have morning sickness and only gained 22 pounds the whole pregnancy. I know I would not have this amazing gift had I not had the courage to have my sleeve surgery and change my health for the better.” To those considering bariatric surgery, Cathy offers this advice. “Don't hesitate if you are considering this surgery,” she says. “Go to the seminar and start the process. Your miracles are waiting for you!”

Reducing Reflux

The weight lost after bariatric surgery often decreases symptoms of

gastroesophageal reflux, also called heartburn. But why wait until after surgery to

improve reflux symptoms? The healthier eating habits we ask you to work on before

surgery can reduce reflux symptoms now. Chew your food to applesauce

consistency. Eat smaller meals. Stop chewing gum and drinking out of straws to

prevent getting air into your stomach. Stop using tobacco. Choose lower fat foods.

Fat takes longer to digest which means food stays in your stomach longer. High fat

foods include using lots of oil in cooking, whole milk, regular fat cheese, chocolate

candy, cream soups, deep fried foods and the fatty meats used in fast food

hamburgers. Avoid foods that can irritate the esophagus. Irritants include caffeine,

carbonated beverages and acidic foods like citrus or tomato juice. Peppermint or

spearmint relaxes the opening between the stomach and esophagus, which allows

stomach contents to be pushed up into the esophagus. Invest the time to have

healthier eating habits. The payoff is feeling better now.

Don’t diet…downsize!

Eating after isn’t about dieting. It’s about learning

the eating behaviors that help you achieve

successful outcomes. As you enter the program,

you hear a lot about chewing to applesauce

consistency. This helps you slow down your

eating to allow your brain to appropriately

recognize fullness, thereby eating less. It can be

frustrating at first. Another way to train yourself

to eat smaller portions is downsizing plates and

eating utensils. A smaller amount of food on a

smaller plate looks more abundant and

satisfying.

Also, it’s hard to heap a lot of food on a salad

fork and teaspoon. Limit your eating to a small

plate of food and wait at least 20 minutes before

deciding to have seconds. Several of our

patients have gone to dollar stores to find toddler

plates and eating utensils to help them with

smaller portions. Chewing and downsizing.

These are two ways to train your brain to be

satisfied with smaller portions.

The A to Z of Multi-Supplements

Taking a multi-supplement is something that is necessary to keep your nutrition

status in good shape. Reduced volume of food along with some malabsorption

make it improbable that you’ll be able to get all your nutrition through foods. How

do you know you are taking a complete multi-supplement complete?

A complete multi-supplement has the range of vitamins and minerals for which

the RDA, or Recommended Dietary Allowance, has been set. The RDA is set

when there is enough published research to support the need for that nutrient.

Your multi-supplement should have vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins

which include B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, B12 and folic acid. It

should also have the minerals calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, iron,

magnesium, molybdenum, selenium and zinc.

Some 50+ multi-supplements don’t have iron. Calcium is a mineral that often

needs further supplementation because the tablets can be like horse pills. Check

your multi-supplement for completeness. Keeping lab work tracked will help

identify if some of these nutrients need further supplementation or a prescription.

You can also bring your multi-supplement to your next dietitian appointment for

evaluation. Your dietitian will evaluation your medical status, medications and lab

data to make sure you are getting the best multi-supplement for your needs.

Eating Tip to Lower the Bad Cholesterol

Ever have a hard time remembering what is the bad type of cholesterol? One way

to remember the difference is HDL cholesterol is the Happy, Healthy cholesterol.

The bad cholesterol is LDL which is the Lousy, Lethal cholesterol. Lowering the

LDL, or bad cholesterol, can decrease your risk of heart disease. A recent study

published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that eating a daily

serving of legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils) can lower your LDL by 5%.

The reduction in LDL translates to a 5 to 6% drop in the risk of heart disease. One

serving is ¾ cup. Researchers found that Americans typically get less than a half

serving per day. Legumes are low glycemic index foods which means they break

down more slowly so you avoid a blood sugar spike. Legumes may take the place

of animal proteins that contain saturated fat which can increase your bad

cholesterol. Legumes can be added to salads or soups. You can also blend them

into a dip for your veggies and whole grain crackers.

Join us from July 1-31 for the 1000 minutes of exercise

challenge. Click here to find out more information

Randy is committed to a successful post-op experience. “Post op results are completely up to a person’s willingness to change old habits,” he shares. That willingness propels him through strenuous workouts every day and each dietary decision he makes. “I follow a strict diet regimented by Rene my dietician. You have to be sick and tired of that which has held you down by poor lifestyle choices.”

Randy’s mind is set on watching his children ages 11 and 15 graduate college one day, get married and established in life. “That’s why I did this – to live longer,” he says frankly. Without this dramatic shift in his health, he was on the same course as the men in his family who all suffered from heart disease. “Today my co-morbidities are gone.” Randy Thomas - Owasso Support Group Mentor

.

Which Support Group do

you attend?

◄ Jun 2014 ~ July 2014 ~ Aug 2014 ►

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2

3 Coffeyville Support Group 7:00pm

4

5

6

7

8

9 Bartlesville Support Group 6:00

10 Spiro Support Group 7:00pm

11

12

13

14 Bailey Medical Center Sup-port Group 6:00pm

15 Cushing Sup-port Group 7:00pm

16

17 Muskogee Support Group 6:30pm

18

19

20

21 Seminar at BMC 6:00pm Pryor Support Group 6:30pm

22

23

24 Miami Support Group 7:00pm

25

26

27

28 Seminar in Stillwater 6:00pm

29

30

31

Notes:

Contact Us Tracy Foster,

Program Director

10512 N 110th E Ave.

Owasso, OK 74055

918-376-8410

Website: BaileyBariatrics.com

Bailey Bariatric Facebook Page

We use Facebook as our primary communication tool. Please go to Facebook and like the Bailey Bariatrics Facebook page to keep up-to-date on program events and

support groups.

Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center

Lisa Blackwell

Lisa has been employed with Bailey Medical

Center since 2008 and as a Bariatric Financial

Counselor since 2010. She works closely

with patients to help determine the required

amount to pay the facility at the time of

service. Financial Counselors are responsible

for informing patients of their financial

obligations, securing payment, verifying

insurance and assisting patients with payment

arrangements. Lisa is married with 2 children

and enjoys spending time with her family,

shopping and being outdoors.

Employee Spotlight