Re: A new postie politician

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/17/2002 5:01:14 PM Eastern Standard Time, sng@...

writes:

> No. Gagner was quoted in the NYT article. --Steve

***********************

Ah, OK. Thanks for posting the article, I hadn't read it. Yes, it does

sound like either the DS or sleeve gastrectomy. I think Gagner did that one

on a member of one of my lists. It's a 2-part surgery, but I don't know the

details. I think a different way of doing the DS or something.

in NJ

[Guest guest]

He's a congressman, I think from NJ, though it may be NY. I remember seeing

him and thinking the same thing as you did.

I hope he comes to understand that after the " honeymoon " period, amid the

euphoria of a new life, it's all about changing attitudes about food and

work, work, work to keep it all off.

/john bryan

rny 12-2-99

A new postie politician

> I just heard on CNN that one of our biggie politicians recently had

> WLS. He's Jerry Nadler, and I can't even remember if he's a Senator

> or Congressman, or even what State he represents (someone here must

> know), but I do remember seeing him on the news and thinking that

> thsi man was a heart attack waiting to happen. I guess his doctors

> told him the same thing. Good for him!

>

> in NJ

>

>

> Homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

>

> Unsubscribe: mailto:Graduate-OSSG-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

He's a congressman, I think from NJ, though it may be NY. I remember seeing

him and thinking the same thing as you did.

I hope he comes to understand that after the " honeymoon " period, amid the

euphoria of a new life, it's all about changing attitudes about food and

work, work, work to keep it all off.

/john bryan

rny 12-2-99

A new postie politician

> I just heard on CNN that one of our biggie politicians recently had

> WLS. He's Jerry Nadler, and I can't even remember if he's a Senator

> or Congressman, or even what State he represents (someone here must

> know), but I do remember seeing him on the news and thinking that

> thsi man was a heart attack waiting to happen. I guess his doctors

> told him the same thing. Good for him!

>

> in NJ

>

>

> Homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

>

> Unsubscribe: mailto:Graduate-OSSG-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

He's a congressman from NY, and the way that Gagner described the

surgery, we surmise that it was a duodenal switch (DS). The

honeymoon period for the DS is about 50 years (80% of the stomach is

gone--left the body entirely,and the intestinal re-route is similar

to the distal RNY except that the first 5-6 cm of the duodenum and

the lower part of the stomach and pylorus are preserved and

functional). Rebound gain after weight loss stops is said to be

maybe 15 (+/- 5) pounds, but that's it.

--Steve

At 11:18 AM -0800 11/17/02, wrote:

>He's a congressman, I think from NJ, though it may be NY. I remember seeing

>him and thinking the same thing as you did.

>

>I hope he comes to understand that after the " honeymoon " period, amid the

>euphoria of a new life, it's all about changing attitudes about food and

>work, work, work to keep it all off.

[Guest guest]

> He's a congressman from NY, and the way that Gagner described the

> surgery, we surmise that it was a duodenal switch (DS). > >

****************************

Steve, Gagner told you he did his surgery???

in NJ

[Guest guest]

No. Gagner was quoted in the NYT article. --Steve

At 9:35 PM +0000 11/17/02, watnext2001 wrote:

>Steve, Gagner told you he did his surgery???

>

> in NJ

------------------------------------------------------------------------

November 16, 2002

Manhattan Congressman Sheds Pounds by Surgery

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ

ASHINGTON, Nov. 15 - If the usual rigors of serving in Congress were

not enough, Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Manhattan Democrat,

struggled for years with the personal torment of being so overweight

that he could not make it up even a single flight of stairs to the

second floor of the Capitol to vote on the House floor. He used the

elevator instead.

" I can't tell you how many people - complete strangers - have come up

to me and said, `Congressman, you're doing a great job, and I want

you to continue to be my congressman, so you have to lose weight,' "

he said in an interview. " Imagine how that makes you feel. "

Now, after decades of health-threatening obesity and futile dieting,

Mr. Nadler has taken a more aggressive course: During the

Congressional recess in early August, he underwent stomach-reduction

surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, following in the steps

of a small but rising number of overweight people, most recently (and

famously) Al Roker, the weatherman for NBC's " Today " program.

Mr. Nadler peaked at 338 pounds before the surgery, whereas Mr. Roker

peaked at 320 pounds. But Mr. Roker is 5 feet, 8 inches tall, while

Mr. Nadler is 5-foot-4. Mr. Nadler was so obese that he long ago gave

up riding the subway in New York to avoid the tiring climb up and

down the steps.

Mr. Nadler, an influential New York politician who became known

nationally for his staunch defense of President Clinton, said he took

this radical step after realizing that his life depended on it. " I

want to live to see my grandchildren grow up, " he said. " How many

grossly overweight 80-year-olds do you know? "

The results have been striking: Mr. Nadler, who is 55, has shed 61

pounds - and taken in his suits three times. He even surprised

himself the other day when he walked the 40 blocks or so from his

district office in Lower Manhattan to Penn Station. In the past, he

avoided walking even a few blocks.

Since the operation, Mr. Nadler said, he has had to change his eating

habits drastically because he feels terribly uncomfortable if he eats

too much. In the past, he would typically consume a salad, a bowl of

onion soup, a 14-ounce rib-eye steak with french fries, vegetables,

bread and butter and a dessert - all washed down with diet Coke. He

also snacked constantly - on Oreo cookies, Fig Newtons, frankfurters

and even tuna salad and chicken salad sandwiches.

" I'd be constantly noshing in the cloakroom, " he said.

These days, Mr. Nadler will order a four-ounce steak sandwich,

discard the Kaiser roll and eat only three quarters of the meat. (He

will have vegetables only if he has room - and he skips dessert and

has nothing to drink.) He has also stopped snacking. " Snacks are

out, " he said. " What I do now is munch on ice cubes. "

Mr. Nadler, who has served in the House for nearly 10 years, is also

trying to be more active and less sedentary. His usual breakfast, a

tuna fish or chicken salad sandwich with tomatoes and mayonnaise, is

now entirely out of the question.

People have already started to notice the difference in the

congressman, who has frequently been the butt of cruel humor, even

among those who respect his formidable intellect and sharp political

instincts. (In 1998, for example, when Alfonse M. D'Amato was a

senator from New York, he referred to Mr. Nadler as " Jerry Waddler "

in a private meeting of politicians, a remark that later became

public.)

Mr. Nadler said that while he has publicly shrugged off such

incidents he was, in fact, wounded by them. " You try to ignore it, "

he said. " But, of course, it's hurtful. I've learned to laugh it off.

But it's hurtful. "

Mr. Nadler decided to talk to a reporter about his operation because,

his aides said, he believed it would be only a matter of time before

people started asking questions.

" I thought it should be publicized, " he said. " But I wanted it done

responsibly. I didn't want it ending up in The National Enquirer. "

The surgery that Mr. Nadler underwent is becoming increasingly

popular, at a time when diet, exercise and weight-loss drugs have

failed to counter the rising tide of obesity in America. From 1999 to

2000, 64.5 percent of American adults were overweight, according to a

recent study published by The Journal of the American Medical

Association, with 35.2 percent qualifying as obese or morbidly obese.

As a result, medical experts now regard obesity as one of the worst

public health problems in the nation. It greatly increases the risk

of illnesses that are among the leading causes of death, including

diabetes, heart disease, respiratory problems and some forms of

cancer.

There are many theories for the weight gain in the United States -

from a lack of exercise to the proliferation of fast food. But

whatever the cause, medical experts agree that for most obese

patients, there is little long-lasting success in dieting, exercise

or weight-loss drugs.

Mr. Nadler - who is partial to a genetics theory since his identical

twin brother is also obese - said he had tried every conceivable way

to lose weight. Routine exercise. Liquid diets. Weight Watchers. A

month-long stay at the Duke University weight loss center in Durham,

N.C. And even fen-phen, the popular diet pill combination linked to

problems with heart valves. But nothing seemed to work.

The surgery is not a quick or easy cure. It is as painful and as

risky as any major abdominal operation. It forces people to make big

changes in the way they eat, makes them extremely ill or terribly

uncomfortable if they eat too much and puts them at risk for

nutritional deficiencies.

But it is highly effective. No drug or diet has led to the large and

lasting weight loss that the surgery has helped most patients

achieve, according to medical experts. In many cases, people lose 100

pounds.

It is expensive, typically costing more than $20,000, although it is

often covered by insurance.

" It's not a risk I took lightly, " Mr. Nadler said of the stomach

surgery, citing statistics showing that 1 out of 200 people die as a

result of the procedure. " But on the other hand, I've been struggling

with weight all my life. It's frustrating. "

In the United States, the number of bariatric operations, as the

surgical procedure is known among medical experts, tripled to 60,000

annually in 2002, from 20,000 in 1995, according to statistics from

the American Society of Bariatric Surgery.

By the time Mr. Nadler decided to have the procedure done, his health

had already deteriorated considerably. " He was already very sick when

we saw him, " said Dr. Michel Gagner, his surgeon. " He had multiple

diseases from his obesity. "

Dr. Gagner said the procedure Mr. Nadler underwent is a variation of

a more common stomach operation performed in the United States.

The more common procedure involves stapling shut most of the stomach

and creating a small, one-ounce pouch severely restricting how much

food a patient can eat. Then the upper portion of the small intestine

is bypassed to reduce the calories the body absorbs.

The operation Mr. Nadler had simply narrows the stomach into a

" sleeve " that can take as much as three ounces of food. The sleeve is

then connected to the lower half of the small intestine, for the

reduction of calories the body absorbs.

Dr. Gagner said that the procedure offers " super obese " patients a

better chance of taking off large amounts of weight and keeping it

off.

In the end, Mr. Nadler said, what convinced him to undergo surgery

was some gentle prodding from his wife, Joyce L. , who pulled

information about the operation off the Internet, as well as the

advice of a friend who had had the surgery.

Now, he's hoping to reach his ideal weight, about 160 pounds. " I was

extremely, morbidly obese, " he said, referring to himself before the

surgery. " Now I'm only morbidly obese. I'm getting there. "

[Guest guest]

50 years? I can only applaud. I wonder why this list is home to so many DS

patients struggling to take/keep it off if it's that magical.

Re: A new postie politician

> He's a congressman from NY, and the way that Gagner described the

> surgery, we surmise that it was a duodenal switch (DS). The

> honeymoon period for the DS is about 50 years (80% of the stomach is

> gone--left the body entirely,and the intestinal re-route is similar

> to the distal RNY except that the first 5-6 cm of the duodenum and

> the lower part of the stomach and pylorus are preserved and

> functional). Rebound gain after weight loss stops is said to be

> maybe 15 (+/- 5) pounds, but that's it.

>

> --Steve

>

> At 11:18 AM -0800 11/17/02, wrote:

> >He's a congressman, I think from NJ, though it may be NY. I remember

seeing

> >him and thinking the same thing as you did.

> >

> >I hope he comes to understand that after the " honeymoon " period, amid the

> >euphoria of a new life, it's all about changing attitudes about food and

> >work, work, work to keep it all off.

>

[Guest guest]

I don't know about the others. I like to hang out here for the

exhilarating company. ()

--Steve

At 6:30 PM -0800 11/17/02, wrote:

>50 years? I can only applaud. I wonder why this list is home to so many DS

>patients struggling to take/keep it off if it's that magical.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/17/02 7:13:13 PM Central Standard Time, sng@...

writes:

<< Hope this was not too much information to bore you all, >>

-----------------------------

Not boring at all, Steve. I was fascinated. I'm 60, it's taken me 14 mos to

lose 94 lbs (lost 20 pre-op so 114 down from top weight) and seem to be

really stuck here. Do u know anything at all about revision from RNY to DS?

I'm wondering if I might do better with that..............

Thanks,

Carol A

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/17/02 7:13:13 PM Central Standard Time, sng@...

writes:

<< Hope this was not too much information to bore you all, >>

-----------------------------

Not boring at all, Steve. I was fascinated. I'm 60, it's taken me 14 mos to

lose 94 lbs (lost 20 pre-op so 114 down from top weight) and seem to be

really stuck here. Do u know anything at all about revision from RNY to DS?

I'm wondering if I might do better with that..............

Thanks,

Carol A

[Guest guest]

The congressman will be on today shortly discussing surgery with Al. Fay

Bayuk

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/17/2002 6:31:38 PM Pacific Standard Time,

jwbry@... writes:

> I wonder why this list is home to so many DS

> patients struggling to take/keep it off if it's that magical.

>

Do you actually want a real response, or was this intended to be a display of

acerbic wit?

Kate

[Guest guest]

>>

> Not boring at all, Steve. I was fascinated. I'm 60, it's taken me

14 mos to lose 94 lbs (lost 20 pre-op so 114 down from top weight)

and seem to be really stuck here. Do u know anything at all about

revision from RNY to DS?

> I'm wondering if I might do better with that..............

>

> Thanks,

> Carol A

****************************

Carol, if you are considering a revision, any way you can get to NYC

to see Dr. Gagner & the Mt. Sinai group? Obviously, this is JMHO,

but they are the only ones I would trust with a revision of this

sort. And, I'll come visit you!

in NJ

[Guest guest]

>>

> Not boring at all, Steve. I was fascinated. I'm 60, it's taken me

14 mos to lose 94 lbs (lost 20 pre-op so 114 down from top weight)

and seem to be really stuck here. Do u know anything at all about

revision from RNY to DS?

> I'm wondering if I might do better with that..............

>

> Thanks,

> Carol A

****************************

Carol, if you are considering a revision, any way you can get to NYC

to see Dr. Gagner & the Mt. Sinai group? Obviously, this is JMHO,

but they are the only ones I would trust with a revision of this

sort. And, I'll come visit you!

in NJ

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/18/02 5:42:37 AM Central Standard Time, WATNEXT writes:

<< That's what I was thinking. ) >>

--------------------

Is he in your area? Got an address to write to him? Post it to the group. If

not, ask the list people who knows and have them post it. Letters from his

local constituents would probably carry the most weight, but we could ALL

write letters.

Carol A

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/18/02 6:24:15 AM Central Standard Time, watnext@...

writes:

<< Carol, if you are considering a revision, any way you can get to NYC

to see Dr. Gagner & the Mt. Sinai group? Obviously, this is JMHO,

but they are the only ones I would trust with a revision of this

sort. And, I'll come visit you! >>

-----------------------------

You're a sweetie! Before I make any decisions, I'm trying to get answers

from my orig surgeon as to what exactly they can see on UGI, and if stretched

stoma isn't one of the things, then I want to get scoped. My surgeon doesn't

return phone calls very well and his colleagues keep saying I should deal

with him since he did the surgery. I'm supposed to talk to the nurse today,

but who knows if she'll call either. It's frustrating. I feel like once I

paid my money for the surgery, all bets were off as far as follow up care is

concerned. I think they think I'm a hypochondriac bcuz I keep asking the same

q all the time: how come I can eat so much? I could have worked this hard

withOUT the surgery.

Carol A

[Guest guest]

No acerbic wit -- just my suspicion (and that's all it is since I've had

only RNY) that no surgery gives you a Get Out of Jail Free card -- it's as

much a tool for DS as it is for RNY, and there's no 50-year " honeymoon. "

So by all means, give me the real response,

/john

Re: A new postie politician

> In a message dated 11/17/2002 6:31:38 PM Pacific Standard Time,

> jwbry@... writes:

>

> > I wonder why this list is home to so many DS

> > patients struggling to take/keep it off if it's that magical.

> >

>

> Do you actually want a real response, or was this intended to be a display

of

> acerbic wit?

>

> Kate

>

>

>