My Journey

[Guest guest]

*Standing up and Clapping*

Thank you !

I needed to read that ! Thank you for sharing your personal story with us !

in Fl

>

>Reply-To: MiniGastricBypass (AT) egroups (DOT) com

>To: MiniGastricBypass (AT) egroups (DOT) com

>Subject: My Journey

>Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 12:22:22 -0000

>

>I haven't been following this list for awhile due to its volume, but

>I have always been available to pre-ops who write me directly to be a

>contact and support. In light of T.'s recent antics, I feel

>compelled to post my story. Others from the post op list will be

>doing the same. I too, am an attorney, and I would like for each of

>you to remember that our job is to make chicken salad out of chicken

>shit! is clearly a wonderful chef. That doesn't mean you want

>to swallow everything she cooks up! Words are our career, and she

>who uses them best, often wins in many circles. has offered

>lots of people on this list and the post-op list a lot of compassion

>and explanation. She is very bright and she believes what she is

>saying. Unfortunately, that doesn't make it true. She also has gone

>off half cocked repeatedly on a whole host of subjects. She LOVES the

>argument, love the fight....

>

>You know 's story... if you are REALLY interested, you should go

>back through the archive and read ALL of her posts. That will give

>you a better insight into the personality of the writer. She feels

>passionately about lots of things.

>

>My story is this. I heard about Dr. R when he first started

>performing this surgery. He had performed about 80 surgeries. That

>wasn't enough for me. I wasn't willing to have the surgery because I

>was concerned about complications. I was most concerned about a leak,

>to be honest. I came across him while searching all the options on

>the internet. I was on the OSSG list. People were having open

>surgeries and lap rnys and there were often deaths. I have 3 young

>sons and at that point was not willing to take this ultimate step

>because I felt the risks were too great. Dr. R's surgery interested

>me, but I wanted to talk to him after he had done more. In January

>1999, I started in earnest looking into a surgical option again. By

>this time Dr. R had done MANY more surgeries although I don't

>remember HOW many.

>

>I called and attended a clinic on January 23,I think. I went about

>75% sure I wanted to do this, but came away COMPLETELY convinced this

>was the option for me and he was the surgeon for me. I don't know

>WHAT heard. What I heard was, this has risks, no one had died

>at that time, but that was a REAL risk, even though slim, don't get

>pregnant---some had, but Dr. R was NOT recommending it, leaks were

>dangerous and unavoidable, the intestine " changed sizes " so it was

>not possible to ALWAYS bypass 6 feet, different people probably had

>different sized intestines too...Nothing about that first meeting was

>that this was a miracle. In fact, everyone, especially Dr. R kept

>saying it was a tool! The major points that assisted me in MY

>DECISION was that Dr. R was experienced as a trauma surgeon...I

>figured he was used to running into burning buildings and coming out

>with a LIVE patient, he had performed a LOT of these surgeries and

>had a LOT of happy campers, I was healthy, except for my weight, he

>was working at a hospital where they were USED to putting morbidly

>overweight people to sleep, and I LIKED him and trusted him with my

>life. Does he have a winning personality. Well YES, he does... was I

>taken in by it to the point I would let him operate on me because of

>it. NO WAY!!! It was just a nice bonus. ly, he can be a little

>curt too. He's allowed, I wasn't looking for a best friend, just a

>great surgeon. (BTW, lawyers ARE trained to be objective and to

>listen to the facts not just the fluff. As a trial lawyer, I can't

>imagine would not be an EXPERT at this no matter HOW badly she

>wanted this surgery.)

>

>The next few months were spent in an unsuccessful attempt to get

>insurance to cover this surgery. In April, the morning after

>died, after spending much of the previous days praying for her

>recovery, I went to a second clinic. My heart and that of ALL the

>people on the list AND Dr. R and his staff were broken. It was a HUGE

>reality check. People DID die from this surgery. Even though Dr. R

>had been up with and her loved ones most of the night before,

>he was still willing to talk to me about it and to everyone there.

>As a patient AND a lawyer, I watched how he handled himself. My

>PERSONAL belief was that she was not a good candidate for surgery,

>although her sister and others have not thought this was a fair

>statement. had had a stroke and I felt that her body had

>used up all the fight it had and simply didn't have the resources to

>mount another all out fight once she had a leak. BUT... when Dr. R

>did later write about her death, he said it was a complication of a

>leak. He didn't try to pass it off as happing for some other reason,

>although I will always feel there WERE other reasons. I scheduled my

>surgery THAT day. I did it as a tribute to 's bravery and her

>will to live. I did it because nothing had changed for me and because

>I knew that died TRYING to live, instead of waiting to die. I

>was going to try to live too. I told my husband moments before my

>surgery that unless Dr. R showed up with a blood alcohol reading he

>was NOT to sue him no matter what happend. You see, I actually READ

>the manual, the patient letter I wrote, and the release I signed. I

>was fully aware of the step I was taking.

>

>My surgery was May 3, 2000. I think of it as my new birthday. My

>surgery was uneventful, very easy. I expected a good result, I got a

>great result. The adjustment was more difficult. I lose weight

>slowly. I got sick from eating different foods, often in the

>beginning. The adjustment was/is huge! I hate taking vitamins. I

>take them anyway. It's hard to exercise. It's part of the deal. I

>do it anyway. This isn't magic. BUT...I would do it again in a

>minute right this minute knowing ALL I know now and in spite of

>everything has offered to suggest it is a " bad " surgery. I

>would do it EVERY YEAR to be able to live the life I had now and my

>weight is just where MOST of you start!

>

>My life before was getting more and more limited. I weighed 367.5 lbs

>the day of surgery. I am married (happily) and have 3 sons. The

>youngest is 7 years old. I did not have a death wish. I had a life

>wish...I have lost 64 lbs. MANY people at my weight have lost a lot

>more than I have in less time. My greatest fear is that I will stop

>losing before I am a normal weight. Because I have already paid for

>the surgery once, it will be an expensive issue to go through it

>again, but some how, I will do it again. I am not trying to be a

>barbie. I would LOVE to be a barbie, but I am too old (43) to have

>those kind of expectations. I had this surgery to SAVE MY LIFE!!! I

>hope I look great too when I am finished, but much more than that, I

>hope I watch my sons graduate from college, marry, hold my grand

>children (all girls with various versions of for a name....).

>I hope I grow old with my husband, I hope I enjoy and use the life

>that GOD has given me and my second chance to live. I can walk 2

>miles now without stopping. When I had this surgery, I could not walk

>1/4 of a mile without being totally out of breath and having my feet

>and legs quiver and hurt. I can sit in chairs that were impossible

>before. I can do more things with my family and have a lot more

>stamina. I have a LONG way to go, but I have also COME a long way.

>I look forward to the future.

>

>I feel very badly for . I feel badly that she has lost such a

>small amount of weight, I feel badly that she is so angry and needs

>to hurt so many people, I feel badly that she is in such pain. What

>I don't do is believe her information. is a zealot. She goes

>off about everything, always has. Her buddy Walter was the skum of

>the earth before and now he is her best friend. ODD!!!! He isn't

>saying anything different than before, but sure is.

>

>When the rubber hits the pavement, NO ONE can talk you into or out of

>this surgery. If you decide NOT have the surgery, it doesn't mean

>you won't come back to it later. If you decide to have another

>surgery, it doesn't mean it is the right or wrong decision either.

>I can't help but wonder if can find an RNY surgeon with a

>record as clean as Dr.R's. Will she blame him when her intestines are

>adhered to the back of her stomach with scar tissue down the line, or

>she needs a revision and can't get one. There are LOTS of issues to

>consider. It you find a doctor who promises you results (or a lawyer

>for that matter) run like the wind.... There are no promises. You

>have to make the decision for yourself. Make certain you do your own

>research, ask every question you have, get the answers you need to

>make the decision that is best for you. Talk to lots of patients

>including the ones who had problems. Be informed.

>

>I am available to answer any questions emailed directly to me

>whenever, and I am always willing to be a contact. Good luck on the

>journey, it's a wild and wonderful ride!!!!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I haven't been following this list for awhile due to its volume, but

I have always been available to pre-ops who write me directly to be a

contact and support. In light of T.'s recent antics, I feel

compelled to post my story. Others from the post op list will be

doing the same. I too, am an attorney, and I would like for each of

you to remember that our job is to make chicken salad out of chicken

shit! is clearly a wonderful chef. That doesn't mean you want

to swallow everything she cooks up! Words are our career, and she

who uses them best, often wins in many circles. has offered

lots of people on this list and the post-op list a lot of compassion

and explanation. She is very bright and she believes what she is

saying. Unfortunately, that doesn't make it true. She also has gone

off half cocked repeatedly on a whole host of subjects. She LOVES the

argument, love the fight....

You know 's story... if you are REALLY interested, you should go

back through the archive and read ALL of her posts. That will give

you a better insight into the personality of the writer. She feels

passionately about lots of things.

My story is this. I heard about Dr. R when he first started

performing this surgery. He had performed about 80 surgeries. That

wasn't enough for me. I wasn't willing to have the surgery because I

was concerned about complications. I was most concerned about a leak,

to be honest. I came across him while searching all the options on

the internet. I was on the OSSG list. People were having open

surgeries and lap rnys and there were often deaths. I have 3 young

sons and at that point was not willing to take this ultimate step

because I felt the risks were too great. Dr. R's surgery interested

me, but I wanted to talk to him after he had done more. In January

1999, I started in earnest looking into a surgical option again. By

this time Dr. R had done MANY more surgeries although I don't

remember HOW many.

I called and attended a clinic on January 23,I think. I went about

75% sure I wanted to do this, but came away COMPLETELY convinced this

was the option for me and he was the surgeon for me. I don't know

WHAT heard. What I heard was, this has risks, no one had died

at that time, but that was a REAL risk, even though slim, don't get

pregnant---some had, but Dr. R was NOT recommending it, leaks were

dangerous and unavoidable, the intestine " changed sizes " so it was

not possible to ALWAYS bypass 6 feet, different people probably had

different sized intestines too...Nothing about that first meeting was

that this was a miracle. In fact, everyone, especially Dr. R kept

saying it was a tool! The major points that assisted me in MY

DECISION was that Dr. R was experienced as a trauma surgeon...I

figured he was used to running into burning buildings and coming out

with a LIVE patient, he had performed a LOT of these surgeries and

had a LOT of happy campers, I was healthy, except for my weight, he

was working at a hospital where they were USED to putting morbidly

overweight people to sleep, and I LIKED him and trusted him with my

life. Does he have a winning personality. Well YES, he does... was I

taken in by it to the point I would let him operate on me because of

it. NO WAY!!! It was just a nice bonus. ly, he can be a little

curt too. He's allowed, I wasn't looking for a best friend, just a

great surgeon. (BTW, lawyers ARE trained to be objective and to

listen to the facts not just the fluff. As a trial lawyer, I can't

imagine would not be an EXPERT at this no matter HOW badly she

wanted this surgery.)

The next few months were spent in an unsuccessful attempt to get

insurance to cover this surgery. In April, the morning after

died, after spending much of the previous days praying for her

recovery, I went to a second clinic. My heart and that of ALL the

people on the list AND Dr. R and his staff were broken. It was a HUGE

reality check. People DID die from this surgery. Even though Dr. R

had been up with and her loved ones most of the night before,

he was still willing to talk to me about it and to everyone there.

As a patient AND a lawyer, I watched how he handled himself. My

PERSONAL belief was that she was not a good candidate for surgery,

although her sister and others have not thought this was a fair

statement. had had a stroke and I felt that her body had

used up all the fight it had and simply didn't have the resources to

mount another all out fight once she had a leak. BUT... when Dr. R

did later write about her death, he said it was a complication of a

leak. He didn't try to pass it off as happing for some other reason,

although I will always feel there WERE other reasons. I scheduled my

surgery THAT day. I did it as a tribute to 's bravery and her

will to live. I did it because nothing had changed for me and because

I knew that died TRYING to live, instead of waiting to die. I

was going to try to live too. I told my husband moments before my

surgery that unless Dr. R showed up with a blood alcohol reading he

was NOT to sue him no matter what happend. You see, I actually READ

the manual, the patient letter I wrote, and the release I signed. I

was fully aware of the step I was taking.

My surgery was May 3, 2000. I think of it as my new birthday. My

surgery was uneventful, very easy. I expected a good result, I got a

great result. The adjustment was more difficult. I lose weight

slowly. I got sick from eating different foods, often in the

beginning. The adjustment was/is huge! I hate taking vitamins. I

take them anyway. It's hard to exercise. It's part of the deal. I

do it anyway. This isn't magic. BUT...I would do it again in a

minute right this minute knowing ALL I know now and in spite of

everything has offered to suggest it is a " bad " surgery. I

would do it EVERY YEAR to be able to live the life I had now and my

weight is just where MOST of you start!

My life before was getting more and more limited. I weighed 367.5 lbs

the day of surgery. I am married (happily) and have 3 sons. The

youngest is 7 years old. I did not have a death wish. I had a life

wish...I have lost 64 lbs. MANY people at my weight have lost a lot

more than I have in less time. My greatest fear is that I will stop

losing before I am a normal weight. Because I have already paid for

the surgery once, it will be an expensive issue to go through it

again, but some how, I will do it again. I am not trying to be a

barbie. I would LOVE to be a barbie, but I am too old (43) to have

those kind of expectations. I had this surgery to SAVE MY LIFE!!! I

hope I look great too when I am finished, but much more than that, I

hope I watch my sons graduate from college, marry, hold my grand

children (all girls with various versions of for a name....).

I hope I grow old with my husband, I hope I enjoy and use the life

that GOD has given me and my second chance to live. I can walk 2

miles now without stopping. When I had this surgery, I could not walk

1/4 of a mile without being totally out of breath and having my feet

and legs quiver and hurt. I can sit in chairs that were impossible

before. I can do more things with my family and have a lot more

stamina. I have a LONG way to go, but I have also COME a long way.

I look forward to the future.

I feel very badly for . I feel badly that she has lost such a

small amount of weight, I feel badly that she is so angry and needs

to hurt so many people, I feel badly that she is in such pain. What

I don't do is believe her information. is a zealot. She goes

off about everything, always has. Her buddy Walter was the skum of

the earth before and now he is her best friend. ODD!!!! He isn't

saying anything different than before, but sure is.

When the rubber hits the pavement, NO ONE can talk you into or out of

this surgery. If you decide NOT have the surgery, it doesn't mean

you won't come back to it later. If you decide to have another

surgery, it doesn't mean it is the right or wrong decision either.

I can't help but wonder if can find an RNY surgeon with a

record as clean as Dr.R's. Will she blame him when her intestines are

adhered to the back of her stomach with scar tissue down the line, or

she needs a revision and can't get one. There are LOTS of issues to

consider. It you find a doctor who promises you results (or a lawyer

for that matter) run like the wind.... There are no promises. You

have to make the decision for yourself. Make certain you do your own

research, ask every question you have, get the answers you need to

make the decision that is best for you. Talk to lots of patients

including the ones who had problems. Be informed.

I am available to answer any questions emailed directly to me

whenever, and I am always willing to be a contact. Good luck on the

journey, it's a wild and wonderful ride!!!!

[Guest guest]

Bravo -- Kaplan

My Journey

> >Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 12:22:22 -0000

> >

> >I haven't been following this list for awhile due to its volume, but

> >I have always been available to pre-ops who write me directly to be a

> >contact and support. In light of T.'s recent antics, I feel

> >compelled to post my story. Others from the post op list will be

> >doing the same. I too, am an attorney, and I would like for each of

> >you to remember that our job is to make chicken salad out of chicken

> >shit! is clearly a wonderful chef. That doesn't mean you want

> >to swallow everything she cooks up! Words are our career, and she

> >who uses them best, often wins in many circles. has offered

> >lots of people on this list and the post-op list a lot of compassion

> >and explanation. She is very bright and she believes what she is

> >saying. Unfortunately, that doesn't make it true. She also has gone

> >off half cocked repeatedly on a whole host of subjects. She LOVES the

> >argument, love the fight....

> >

> >You know 's story... if you are REALLY interested, you should go

> >back through the archive and read ALL of her posts. That will give

> >you a better insight into the personality of the writer. She feels

> >passionately about lots of things.

> >

> >My story is this. I heard about Dr. R when he first started

> >performing this surgery. He had performed about 80 surgeries. That

> >wasn't enough for me. I wasn't willing to have the surgery because I

> >was concerned about complications. I was most concerned about a leak,

> >to be honest. I came across him while searching all the options on

> >the internet. I was on the OSSG list. People were having open

> >surgeries and lap rnys and there were often deaths. I have 3 young

> >sons and at that point was not willing to take this ultimate step

> >because I felt the risks were too great. Dr. R's surgery interested

> >me, but I wanted to talk to him after he had done more. In January

> >1999, I started in earnest looking into a surgical option again. By

> >this time Dr. R had done MANY more surgeries although I don't

> >remember HOW many.

> >

> >I called and attended a clinic on January 23,I think. I went about

> >75% sure I wanted to do this, but came away COMPLETELY convinced this

> >was the option for me and he was the surgeon for me. I don't know

> >WHAT heard. What I heard was, this has risks, no one had died

> >at that time, but that was a REAL risk, even though slim, don't get

> >pregnant---some had, but Dr. R was NOT recommending it, leaks were

> >dangerous and unavoidable, the intestine " changed sizes " so it was

> >not possible to ALWAYS bypass 6 feet, different people probably had

> >different sized intestines too...Nothing about that first meeting was

> >that this was a miracle. In fact, everyone, especially Dr. R kept

> >saying it was a tool! The major points that assisted me in MY

> >DECISION was that Dr. R was experienced as a trauma surgeon...I

> >figured he was used to running into burning buildings and coming out

> >with a LIVE patient, he had performed a LOT of these surgeries and

> >had a LOT of happy campers, I was healthy, except for my weight, he

> >was working at a hospital where they were USED to putting morbidly

> >overweight people to sleep, and I LIKED him and trusted him with my

> >life. Does he have a winning personality. Well YES, he does... was I

> >taken in by it to the point I would let him operate on me because of

> >it. NO WAY!!! It was just a nice bonus. ly, he can be a little

> >curt too. He's allowed, I wasn't looking for a best friend, just a

> >great surgeon. (BTW, lawyers ARE trained to be objective and to

> >listen to the facts not just the fluff. As a trial lawyer, I can't

> >imagine would not be an EXPERT at this no matter HOW badly she

> >wanted this surgery.)

> >

> >The next few months were spent in an unsuccessful attempt to get

> >insurance to cover this surgery. In April, the morning after

> >died, after spending much of the previous days praying for her

> >recovery, I went to a second clinic. My heart and that of ALL the

> >people on the list AND Dr. R and his staff were broken. It was a HUGE

> >reality check. People DID die from this surgery. Even though Dr. R

> >had been up with and her loved ones most of the night before,

> >he was still willing to talk to me about it and to everyone there.

> >As a patient AND a lawyer, I watched how he handled himself. My

> >PERSONAL belief was that she was not a good candidate for surgery,

> >although her sister and others have not thought this was a fair

> >statement. had had a stroke and I felt that her body had

> >used up all the fight it had and simply didn't have the resources to

> >mount another all out fight once she had a leak. BUT... when Dr. R

> >did later write about her death, he said it was a complication of a

> >leak. He didn't try to pass it off as happing for some other reason,

> >although I will always feel there WERE other reasons. I scheduled my

> >surgery THAT day. I did it as a tribute to 's bravery and her

> >will to live. I did it because nothing had changed for me and because

> >I knew that died TRYING to live, instead of waiting to die. I

> >was going to try to live too. I told my husband moments before my

> >surgery that unless Dr. R showed up with a blood alcohol reading he

> >was NOT to sue him no matter what happend. You see, I actually READ

> >the manual, the patient letter I wrote, and the release I signed. I

> >was fully aware of the step I was taking.

> >

> >My surgery was May 3, 2000. I think of it as my new birthday. My

> >surgery was uneventful, very easy. I expected a good result, I got a

> >great result. The adjustment was more difficult. I lose weight

> >slowly. I got sick from eating different foods, often in the

> >beginning. The adjustment was/is huge! I hate taking vitamins. I

> >take them anyway. It's hard to exercise. It's part of the deal. I

> >do it anyway. This isn't magic. BUT...I would do it again in a

> >minute right this minute knowing ALL I know now and in spite of

> >everything has offered to suggest it is a " bad " surgery. I

> >would do it EVERY YEAR to be able to live the life I had now and my

> >weight is just where MOST of you start!

> >

> >My life before was getting more and more limited. I weighed 367.5 lbs

> >the day of surgery. I am married (happily) and have 3 sons. The

> >youngest is 7 years old. I did not have a death wish. I had a life

> >wish...I have lost 64 lbs. MANY people at my weight have lost a lot

> >more than I have in less time. My greatest fear is that I will stop

> >losing before I am a normal weight. Because I have already paid for

> >the surgery once, it will be an expensive issue to go through it

> >again, but some how, I will do it again. I am not trying to be a

> >barbie. I would LOVE to be a barbie, but I am too old (43) to have

> >those kind of expectations. I had this surgery to SAVE MY LIFE!!! I

> >hope I look great too when I am finished, but much more than that, I

> >hope I watch my sons graduate from college, marry, hold my grand

> >children (all girls with various versions of for a name....).

> >I hope I grow old with my husband, I hope I enjoy and use the life

> >that GOD has given me and my second chance to live. I can walk 2

> >miles now without stopping. When I had this surgery, I could not walk

> >1/4 of a mile without being totally out of breath and having my feet

> >and legs quiver and hurt. I can sit in chairs that were impossible

> >before. I can do more things with my family and have a lot more

> >stamina. I have a LONG way to go, but I have also COME a long way.

> >I look forward to the future.

> >

> >I feel very badly for . I feel badly that she has lost such a

> >small amount of weight, I feel badly that she is so angry and needs

> >to hurt so many people, I feel badly that she is in such pain. What

> >I don't do is believe her information. is a zealot. She goes

> >off about everything, always has. Her buddy Walter was the skum of

> >the earth before and now he is her best friend. ODD!!!! He isn't

> >saying anything different than before, but sure is.

> >

> >When the rubber hits the pavement, NO ONE can talk you into or out of

> >this surgery. If you decide NOT have the surgery, it doesn't mean

> >you won't come back to it later. If you decide to have another

> >surgery, it doesn't mean it is the right or wrong decision either.

> >I can't help but wonder if can find an RNY surgeon with a

> >record as clean as Dr.R's. Will she blame him when her intestines are

> >adhered to the back of her stomach with scar tissue down the line, or

> >she needs a revision and can't get one. There are LOTS of issues to

> >consider. It you find a doctor who promises you results (or a lawyer

> >for that matter) run like the wind.... There are no promises. You

> >have to make the decision for yourself. Make certain you do your own

> >research, ask every question you have, get the answers you need to

> >make the decision that is best for you. Talk to lots of patients

> >including the ones who had problems. Be informed.

> >

> >I am available to answer any questions emailed directly to me

> >whenever, and I am always willing to be a contact. Good luck on the

> >journey, it's a wild and wonderful ride!!!!

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. It made me cry :<(

I am about 90% there in decideing to have the MGB, but a few things just keep

bugging me that no one will answer.

1. Why don't other doctors do this for WEIGHT LOSS if it is such a great

surgery?

2. Why did Dr. R leave trama surgery to start doing this in the first

place??? Was he fat as a child or something??

I KNOW they may not mean anything to other people but to me these answer...

if I ever get them.. mean alot.

thanks

Cindy

[Guest guest]

,

That was awesome! Thank you for taking the time to share.

Terri K :^)