Glossary

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• Abdominoplasty:  Operation in which excess abdominal skin is removed and the underlying muscles are tightened.
• AGB:  Adjustable Gastric Band
• Ambulate: To walk.
• Apron: Excess skin in the stomach area that hangs down towards the groin area.
• Angel: Someone who befriends a surgery patient and gives them extra attention while they are in the hospital and reports back to any mailing list they are on about how they are doing
• Apnea:  A condition in which a person momentarily stops breathing during sleep. Measured by times per hour to determine severity.  Also called sleep apnea.
• ASBS: American Society of Bariatric Surgeons; a due-paying professional organization of people interested in bariatric surgery. Its members are surgeons and one lawyer. It is NOT a certifying organization. Any interested doctor can belong. Members are determined only by who pays their dues.
• Atelectasis Incomplete expansion of the lung. This is very common after abdominal surgery and is one of the most common sources of fever in the immediate postoperative period.

• Batwings:  Excess skin that hangs under the arms.
• Bariatrics: Dealing with obesity.
• Bariatric Surgeon: also known as Obesity Surgery Specialist. A doctor who performs bariatric surgery.
• Binder: A girdle for the stomach area that is used after open surgeries.
• BM: Bowel movement.
• BMI: Body mass index; a comparative number the measures the correlation between body weight and height.
• BP/DS: Biliopancreatic/Duodenal Switch.

• Calcium Citrate: How to read the label
• Cannibalization: The body begins feeding off of itself when it is not getting enough protein.
• CIB: Carnation Instant Breakfast. A staple in many post-op diets.
• C-pap (machine): A machine used to force oxygen into the air ways during sleep; used by those with sleep apnea. The higher the setting the more forceful the oxygen.
• Clear liquids: Anything that can be seen through and that can be sipped through a straw. Examples: water, gelatin, coffee, tea. Often the first step in a progressive diet for post-ops.
• Clot: Blood that has concentrated and clotted in one area.
• Co-morbidity: something that interferes with or jeopardizes the quality of life. Examples include but are not limited to diabetes, joint pain, and cardiovascular difficulties.
• Cottage Cheese test: A test used to determine if or by how much your pouch has stretched. Involves eating as much cottage cheese as you can before feeling full in a set amount of time. The volume of the cottage cheese relates the volume of the new stomach.
• Coumadin: A blood thinner used in the hospital for some patients.

• Distal: Refers to amount of intestine bypassed; normally more than 150-200 cm
• Dumping: Physiological reaction that the intestinal system of some bypass patients has when exposed to refined sugars (sometimes fat or lactose as well.) It may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, heart palpitations, dizziness, and other things.
• Deep Vein Thrombosis (Also called DVT) This is another name for blood clots that form in the deep veins of the legs and pelvis. People recovering from abdominal surgery are at increased risk for these clots, as are overweight individuals

• Flamer: Someone who does the flaming.
• Flames: Negative messages/words that are sent with the sole purpose of insulting.
• Flaming: Insulting someone in a very rude non-respectful way.
• Floaters: Bowel movements that float in the toilet.
• Foamies:  Ropey saliva that seems to happen to most in the first 6 months postop.  Non productive vomiting of mucus or saliva
• Fobi: Either the doctor or the surgery the doctor created which is a form of RNY with a differently shaped pouch.
• Full liquids: Anything that can not be seen through that can be sipped through a straw. Examples: milk, protein drinks, pudding. Often the 2nd step in a progressive diet for post-ops.

• Gas: Often used in reference to the pains felt soon after surgery but before the first BM.
• Gastric Bypass: An operation in which the stomach is made smaller and then the intestine is rerouted so that it is attached to the new smaller stomach.
• Gastric exclusion: Synonymous with gastric bypass.

• Glucose: The body's chief source of energy, a simple sugar that passes easily from the digestive tract into the bloodstream when you consume carbohydrates.

• Glycemic index: A scale for evaluating foods, based on the rate at which sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream after eating a specific food.

• Heavyweight: Someone who weighs more than 300 pounds or has a BMI greater than 50 who wants to have WLS; this is a rough estimate and the weight/BMI is not an exact cut-off.

• Hematoma - blood that collects under the skin or in an organ.

• Heparin: A blood thinner or family of blood thinners that is given to some patients to prevent clotting.
• History: Refers to medical history.
• Honeymoon: The period of time right after surgery in which the weight falls off relatively easy without much care. Usually lasts between 12 and 18 months. Then people have to work at weight loss. However for some people it is a far shorter time.
• Hyperglycemia: High blood sugar.
• Hypertension: High blood pressure.
• Hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar.
• Hypotension: Low blood pressure.

• Ileum: the lower end of the small intestine.

• Incentive Spirometry After surgery, you will be given a small plastic device with a flexible hose attached to it (kind of like a snorkel). The nurses will teach you how to suck air in through the device to exercise your lungs. This will help you to avoid atelectasis and pneumonia following surgery. You should take you incentive spirometer home with you, so that you can continue your breathing exercises at home.

• Infant: A new post-op in the early stages of recovery and learning to deal with all the changes.
• Intubated: To have an n-g or breathing tube in.

• Jackson-Pratt drain tube: a tube that is inserted near the belly button and is used to drain waste out of the stomach. It is a clear tube that has what looks like a clear bulb on the end of it which collects the waste.
• Jp  tube: Jackson-Pratt drain tube.

• Lap: Short for laparoscopic; this is a surgery that is performed with several small incisions that are only a few inches long and into which tools and cameras are inserted allowing the surgeon to work.

• Laparoscopic: describes a minimally invasive surgical method in which specially trained surgeons use slender instruments and advanced camera systems to perform delicate surgeries inside the abdominal cavity.

• LapBand: an inflatable ring installed around a patient's stomach; functions to limit the intake of food into the stomach and to control the release of food into the small intestine.

• LapBand Surgery: also known as Adjustable LapBand Surgery, Laparoscopic Gastric Banding, Gastric Banding, and Adjustable Gastric Banding. A bariatric surgery in which surgeons install an inflatable ring around the upper portion of the stomach.
• LBL:  Lower body lift
• Leak test: Checks to make sure the pouch will not leak into the bloodstream resulting in septic shock.
• Lightweight: Someone who weighs less than 300 pounds or has a BMI less than 50 but wishes to have WLS; this is a rough estimate and the weight/BMI is not an exact cut-off.
• Lipectomy- Surgical excision of subcutaneous fatty tissue.
• Lurker: Someone who reads posts but does not send any postings: a silent member.

• Malabsorption: physical process utilized in bariatric surgeries; causes dramatic weight loss by limiting the amount of calories taken in by digestive system.
• Medial: Refers to amount of intestine bypassed; middle amount located between distal and proximal.
• MGB: Mini-gastric bypass; actually a version of the loop bypass which no longer performed.
• Michelle explains Marginal Ulcers.
• Micro-pouch: Also called mini-pouch. A procedure in which the pouch side may be as small as 1 or 2 cc to 15 cc. Think the size of a grape.
• Mini-pouch: Also called micro-pouch. A procedure in which the pouch side may be as small as 1 or 2 cc to 15 cc. Think the size of a grape.
• MO: Morbid obesity; someone who according to the NIH has a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or a BMI of 35 with severe co-morbidities.
• Morbid Obesity - Someone who according to the NIH has a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or a BMI of 35 with severe co-morbidities.
• Mortality: Death rate. The mortality of WLS is 0.17% or less than 1/5 of 1%. Comparable to a c-section.

• NDM: Non fat dry milk. Used for extra protein and often added to beverages, soups, casseroles.
• NG-Tube: Nasal-gastro tube; runs through the nose, down the throat and into the stomach.
• Newbie: Someone who is new to the list or to the process of surgery.
• NIDDK: A part of the NIH that studies diabetes and kidneys; obesity and morbid obesity is a subgroup of this part.
• NIH: National Institute of Health; a government agency that compiles and researches health problems.
• Normal Weight:  Someone with a BMI of less than 25 and greater than 20 in most circumstances.  However, a normal weight for a morbidly obese person may be slightly higher due to increased bone mass and weight.  A better definition of normal weight is someone whose body fat percentage is in the normal range.
• Normie:  Someone who has never had weight problems.  Your average person!

• Obesity: Someone with a BMI between 30 and 35.
• Old-timer: Someone who has been on the list for a long-time comparatively.
• Open: Surgery that is performed by a single long incision down the center of the body; normally the incision runs from breastbone to approximately belly button
• Open Surgery Surgery done through a large incision in the abdominal wall, using traditional surgical instruments. In heavy patients, these large incisions are at risk of infection and hernia formation
• OSSG: Used to be called WLSSG but was transformed to Obesity Surgical Support Group
• Overweight: Someone with a BMI between 26 and 30.

• PCA: Patient Controlled Analgesics. A patient operated pain pump that is run through an IV that and is controlled by pressing a button which dispenses medication. The medication is limited based on how much will be dispensed within any given time.
• PCP: Primary care physician; normally family doctor
• Plateau: Normal phase in which the body holds on to weight, the scale doesn't budge downward (and may actually move up a pound or so), in order to readjust. Most people lose inches during this phase. May hit at any time and last for a varying period of time. Some people have reported plateaus of a month when they are a few weeks out of surgery. They do pass.
• Ports: The small incisions that are made during a lap
• Post-op: Someone who has had surgery
• Pouch: The new smaller stomach that is formed during wls
• Pre-op: Someone who has not had surgery but wants it; sometimes used to refer to those who have been to their consultation and are waiting for insurance approval and surgery date
• Proximal: Refers to amount of intestine bypassed; normally 100 cm or less
• Pureeds: Food that has the consistency of baby food with no hard pieces. Can be made by adding food and a liquid and running it through a blender. Often the third step in a progressive diet for post-ops.

• Restrictive Procedure A weight-loss procedure which works primarily by decreasing the functional size of the stomach. This decreases the amount of food which can be eaten at one time. Examples include gastric banding and vertical-banded gastroplasty (VBG). The Lap-Band is the newest purely restrictive procedure.

• Revision: Generally to change an old surgery, or failed surgery to a new version. 
• Roux-En-Y Divided Gastric Bypass: DGB. Stomach is surgically dived into two sections, reducing the size of the functioning section from about two quarts to about two ounces. A small opening is left at the bottom of the newly formed stomach enabling food to pass. This pouch will effectively reduce your stomach's capacity to hold food so you will feel full after eating a small amount.
• RGB: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.
• RNY: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.
• RNY/DS: Roux-en-Y/ duodenal switch

• Sleep Apnea: a condition in which a person momentarily stops breathing during sleep. Measured by times per hour to determine severity.  Also called apnea.
• Success: Losing 60-80% of excess weight during the first 12 to 18 months and then maintaining that loss.

• Tongs: A method in order to care for your personal hygiene when your movements are limited. Named after the instrument used in implementation.
• Transected: stomach is completely separated from the new stomach
• TT: Tummy tuck; operation in which the apron is removed.
• Type 2: Refers to type 2 diabetes; otherwise, known as adult-onset diabetes.

• VBG: Vertical Banded Gastroplasty
• Veggie Carb Rules: click here
• Veteran: Someone who has been there, done that in regards to the surgery and can offer anecdotal evidence.

• WLS: Weight loss surgery.
• WLS Facts of Life:  Click here
• WLSSG: Weight Loss Surgical Support Group.
• Wooden Spoon: A method in order to care for your personal hygiene when your movements are limited. Named after the instrument used in implementation.

• BTDT: Been there, done that.
• DD: Dear daughter.
• DH: Dear (or damn) husband. Depends on the tone of the rest of the post which it is.
• DS: Dear son.
• DW: Dear (or damn) wife. Depends on the tone of the rest of the post which it is.
• Netiquette: Internet etiquette. The proper way of conversing online.
• LOL:  Laughing out loud.
• IMHO: In my humble opinion.
• IMO: In my opinion.
• JMHO: Just my humble opinion.
• JMO: Just my opinion.
• ROFL:  Rolling on the floor laughing.
• ROFLMAO:  Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off.
• YMMV: Your mileage may vary.
• J or :] or :} Signifies the writer is smiling (meant to imply lightheartedness).
• L or :[ or :{Signifies the writer is frowning (meant to imply sadness or distress).
• ;)  Signifies the writer is winking while smiling (meant to imply an inside joke).
• :0 Signifies the writer is astonished or aghast about something.