At Goal
Celebrating Anniversaries
by Terry Simpson, MD, FACS
Ever forget an anniversary? Wasn’t pretty, was it? Anniversaries of important events are important to remember, and sometimes they help us recommit ourselves—whether it be to a loved one or to a weight loss goal.Those who think the hard work of a committed relationship ends with the ring often discover that the only “ring? they get is suffering. Similarly, patients who view weight loss surgery as a magic solution to excess weight do not achieve the same results as those who understand that weight loss surgery is a tool that demands work.
If you’ve reached an important weight loss anniversary, enjoy it! Send your surgeon a note of thanks and an update, or make an appointment if you are still in the same area. Your surgeon wants to see you on your anniversaries. Many of us track our patients and our results, and sometimes we have information that might help you lose a few more pounds or do better.
Patients who make it to goal have this in common: the battle against excess weight doesn’t end with surgery, and it doesn’t end when you make it to goal. Enjoy the moment, but you can’t start expecting the operation to make the choices for you or absolve you from making proper choices.
This year is ObesityHelp’s tenth, and I am proud to have been associated with this great organization since the early days. Many patients who enrolled in the website 10 years ago have had their surgery and begun living new, happier lives. Starting in the third year, we began our study of patients who made it to goal and stayed there, and we have followed their progress since then. The group includes patients from different practices throughout the country who had RNY, DS or adjustable bands (a new procedure in 2001).
This year is also the fifth anniversary for OH Magazine. Just yesterday, one of my patients celebrated the sixth anniversary of her duodenal switch surgery, and she was one of the first post-op patients I gave a copy of the magazine to. She has done well, but she does what all other successful patients do: keep in touch with the surgeon; keep up with their labs; eat quality, not quantity; exercise… and consider this anniversary to be one of the most important in their lives.
Terry Simpson, MD, FACS is a weight loss surgeon in Phoenix and has authored several books. For more information visit www.drsimpson.net.
Click here for the PDF version of this article from its appearance in OH Magazine
Click here for the PDF version of this article from its appearance in OH Magazine
Most Active
Recent Topics
Interesting Medical Journal Study - WLS & Interpersonal Relationships
Batwingsman · 4 replies · 1315 views
Batwingsman · 4 replies · 1315 views