Crosspost: Yahoooooooooo I'm Switched!!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi all: finally ready to get back online in a limited capacity. I

had my open DS 11/13, and that part of the surgery went very well.

My revision was from an old stomach stapling in the late 70's.

However, I had a huge ventral hernia along old incision line, and

that was a major problem(we anticipated it might be). I got to the

recovery room, and ended up going back to surgery because the

incision failed, and had to be redone. I can't say enough good

things about my surgeon, Dr. Oakley. God gave his hands skill to do

what had to be done, and I am here to tell about it because of it.

Needless to say, having 2 surgeries has made my recovery a lot

slower than if only one! Right now the lower 6 inches of my

incision is open and being packed twice daily--but that is a small

price to pay for what is happening in my body. I have lost 24# since

surgery. I cannot believe how different my reaction to foods is

now. I used to be a sweet-a-holic and now I really don't enjoy

really sweet things. My daughter had a piece of almond roca last

nite, and I asked her for a taste: it tasted almost burned and

nothing like the " ambrosia " I used to think it was.

For Bruce, who is researching, I am a nurse, and I was very

comfortable putting myself into Dr. Oakley's hands, and he is a lot

closer to Montana than California. He has done surgery in the Boise

area for some 18 years, but only recently started doing bariatric

surgery. I think I was his first revision but the results speak for

themselves. He is highly regarded by the medical community here, and

especially by the nurses who work with him! So much for my plug for

DR. O. Also there are surgeons in Portland and Washington who are

very experienced with the DS. Once I found out about it, that was

the only way I wanted to go.

Despite the rough recovery, I'd do this again in a flash. I

feel like I have gotten a new lease on life.

Diane in Idaho

DS 11/13/01

PreOP Wt. 330

Current Wt. 306