Gastric bypass surgery: Las Crucen exercises, diets right to keep the weight off
By S. Derrickson Moore
LAS CRUCES - Russell Clark is less than half the man he used to be, and he and his friends and family couldn't be happier about it.
On June 7, 2006, Clark weighed 445 pounds. This month, he weighed in at 195 pounds.
Clark isn't sure what his total weight loss is.
"I fasted for two weeks before I had gastric bypass surgery, so I'm not sure now much I weighed before that," Clark said.
He estimates his all-time high was about 470, which puts his loss to date at something between 250 and 275 pounds.
During gastric bypass surgery, a small stomach pouch is created and a "bypass" for food is constructed which allows food to skip parts of the small intestine, so the body can't absorb as many nutrients and calories.
There are risks and problems associated with the procedure, which range from dizziness, nausea, diarrhea and digestive difficulties, to problems associated with malnutrition, such as anemia.
Clark said he has had no problems.
"The hardest thing was deciding to have the bypass. I took about a year to make the decision. Since then, things have gone well and it's changed my life. I'm doing fantastic. All my blood work is really good. My cholesterol is 119. My blood pressure is good and my BMI is fantastic, my doctor says. And my sleep apnea is gone. I started to notice that the more I was loosing, the more I was getting restful sleep."
Clark said his weight escalated after an accident.
"In the late 1990s, I fell off a roof and I had a broken hip, a broken leg and broken ribs. I've always been pretty active. But after the accident, I couldn't walk. I felt so confined. I had trouble just getting dressed. I was pretty much bedridden and I only left the house for doctor's appointments."
Clark, 40, said his parents are both diabetic and he was concerned that he would soon add that to his problems.
Dr. David Syn, a bariatric surgeon, performed the bypass in Lubbock, Texas.
After surgery, Clark said, "Right away, it was like a weight was lifted off my chest."
He changed his diet.
"I eat small portions of food five to six times a day: only 100 grams of protein at a time, fruits and vegetables, protein supplement shakes. I eat real, solid food, not just cottage cheese and Jell-O."
He said he worked with his friend Corie Lane, who runs Pure Energy Juice Bar inside Tom Young's, to learn more about nutrition.
"He really has been working hard. And he's been a really inspiration to others. He reaches out to others who have had a bypass and he's really been a help to them, encouraging them to do the right things," Lane said.
Clark also helps as a volunteer with water exercise classes for the handicapped at Tom Young's Fitness Center.
In August, 2006, Clark said, "I decided to join a gym. I started working out in the pool for four to six hours a day and I've worked up to six to eight hours a day. I added trampoline and weights and card. I made it my job to get into shape. I'm still in constant pain, but things are getting easier."
He has been careful with his exercise regimen, starting gradually with low-impact exercise after consultation with his doctors. Clark, who has been on Medicaid for his life-threatening disabilities since his accident, also faces hip replacement surgery when he gets to his goal weight of 175 pounds.
"I worked as a tile setter in California before my accident," said Clark, who was also a ceramics artist. "I'd like to get back to that, but right now I'm working on my health. I treat that as my full-time job."
Dr. Joseph Ewing, Clark's Las Cruces physician, is a family practitioner who said he has witnessed several gastric bypass success stories.
"Russell's success is really quite striking. He has worked very hard exercising. Most people, because of having to work, wouldn't be able to exercise that much," Ewing said.
"I've worked with many who have had gastric bypass surgery and they all have seemed to do well: People who have lost hope of being at a normal weight and have lost their self image completely really seem to get that back. They typically lose 100 pounds or more. I have had ladies unable to get pregnant because they were so fat their ovaries wouldn't work properly and after the bypass they became pregnant. I had another lady who had the bypass surgery, lost weight, went back to school and trained for a much higher paying job, which she got. And she's now married and has two kids."
Ewing said great progress has been made in refining surgical techniques over the past 20 years.
"There used to be some horrible side effects, but now it's done at a level where preserving the nutritional aspects of intestinal function has generally been very good. This has been a minor to a major miracle for many," Ewing said.
Fitness center friends who have watched his transformation over the past year call Clark "the incredible shrinking man."
Others struggling to loose weight or get fit see him as an inspiration.
"I've seen him do a lot of work and what he has done is just great," said Angie Carroll of Las Cruces.
"He's awesome and he looks fantastic. I'm so proud of him and he inspires me to work harder," said Kathy Richardson of Las Cruces.
The transformation has affected every area of Clark's life.
"I'm coming out of my shell. When I was overweight, I was embarrassed to leave the house. I've become more outgoing. I'm open to starting conversations instead of just hiding away," Clark said.
He stressed that the dramatic results he has achieved required a serious commitment.
"Surgery is just a step in the right direction. The rest is up to the individual in finding out what foods to eat and working hard," Clark said.
There are different types of gastric bypass surgery available. For information about risks and benefits , and who is a good candidate for the procedure, consult with your primary care physician, do an online search with keywords "gastric bypass" or visit a site like www.webmd.com/diet/gastric-bypass-operations.
S. Derrickson Moore can be reached at dmoore@lcsun-news.com
Are you considering gastric bypass surgery?
Gastric bypass operations combine the creation of a small stomach pouch to restrict food intake and construction of bypasses of the duodenum and other segments of the small intestine to cause malabsorption (decreased ability to absorb nutrients from food).
Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. You will feel full more quickly, which reduces the amount of food you eat and thus the calories consumed. Bypassing part of the intestine also results in fewer calories being absorbed. This leads to weight loss.
¥ Although guidelines vary, surgery is generally considered when your body mass index is 40 or higher or you have a life-threatening or disabling condition related to your weight.
¥ Your doctor may only consider doing gastric bypass surgery if you have not been able to lose weight with other treatments.
¥ The following conditions may also be required or are at least considered:
* You have been obese for at least 5 years.
* You do not have an ongoing problem with alcohol.
* You do not have untreated depression or another major psychiatric disorder.
* You are between 18 and 65 years of age.
¥ All surgeries have risk, and it is important for you and your health professional to discuss your treatment options to decide what is best for your situation.