- Name: Amalia S.
- Username: amasot
- Location: Athens, Greece
- Member Since: 12/14/2009
- BMI: 29.0
- Surgery Type: VSG (01/26/10)
- Surgeon: George Skrekas
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Surgeon TestimonialGeorge SkrekasDr. Skrekas is a fine surgeon specializing in Bariatric Surgery and especially in VSG or "The Sleeve".
My first impression was excellent. He struck me as extremely knowledgeable in his field and I knew almost immediately that if I ever decided to undergo WLS he would be the one that I would want to perform it on me. Although I know other fine surgeons that perform the same procedure in the Athens area, the fact that dr. Skrekas specializes in this type of surgery was the deciding factor for me.
His staff is friendly and well-mannered, however, they are reticent about giving information or advice. I disliked one of his surgical assistants who kept trying for a long time to find a vein for the anesthesia, resulting in great pain for me. When I suggested that he put me out or give me pain medicine before continuing, he threatened to stop the operation right then and there. The truth is, I have very deeply seated veins and I saw how hard the team was struggling to find one, but the pain I was feeling did not allow me to be too forgiving at the time.
The only trait I disliked about dr. Skrekas himself, is that he is quite strict in having patients follow his directions exactly. Not a major fault since his goal is to get the patient healed as well as possible but his manner could stand to become a little less abrupt.
Dr. Skrekas gave me explicit directions in writing to follow post-op and has a structured program of exams and visits I have to go through post-op and for a year thereafter.
He was very open about the risks of surgery pre-op, without being overly discouraging. I appreciated his candid manner and the opportunity he gave me to discuss my own concerns with him.
Overall, I would rate him an excellent choice for Bariatric Surgery.
In my opinion, although a good bedside manner is highly desirable in a surgeon, his surgical competence is what counts the most in the end. After all, your life may depend on the surgeon's skill!
Amalia S.'s JourneyClick Here To View
Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.I had been a yo-yo dieter. It seems I was always on one diet or the other since I was 16. I was rarely happy with myself and it seems that the few times I finally was, my other problem - MS - would raise its ugly head and send me back to where I had been before plus interest. This cycle made me nervous about having WLS. On the other hand, nothing ventured, nothing gained and the combo of MS + fat was painful and deadly. i decided to take control of the one thing I could - fat. I don't know how it will work out, but a girl can hope, can't she? |
Two Days to Surgery on January 23, 2010 11:44 pm
Two days until surgery and I'm getting nervous. It doesn't help that hubby keeps telling me to bail out and not go through with it. Thank goodness I have a wide strubborn streak in me and I'm not letting him influence me. This is the first time in a long time that I'm putting myself fist and I'm, determined to see it through to the end no matter what. I did write my will just in case!
Still, it hurts not to have any support at home, especially since I foresee that reaching my goal will be a steep upward climb and I'm in no physical shape to climb. I try to focus on the future, on the final result so I keep looking through all the Before and After pictures. I keep telling myself, if all those people could do it, why shouldn't I be able to achieve at least a fraction of what they did? I don't have much of a choice anyway. My alternative is to continue to be housebound while I get weaker and weaker and my body deteriorates from fat related complications.
I didn't ask to have MS. I was doing fine with my weight and shape before the last exacerbation that left me with quadraparesis, destroyed my sight so I could no longer drive and made me gain 30 kilos in 3 months from the medley of drugs my doctors kept perscribing, trying to control the onslaught of symptoms that hit me all at once. And then everyone left me to cope as well as I could but mostly alone. And quite frankly, I couldn't cope. I left my job of 12 years to find something I could do from my home... anyway, that's another story.
I don't know why all these thoughts are plaguing me right now. I should be happy that I'm finally doing something for my obesity and yes, I am. I'm looking forward to being lighter, moving more easily, not being afraid to fall and not be able to get up again, maybe even walking again. Despite my confessed love of food, staying on a simple and healthy diet doesn't scare me, it appeals to me.
I'm ready for this and whoever says nay can kiss my ***** !
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Am I Paranoid or What? on January 16, 2010 1:30 pm
Maybe I'm just paranoid. Still from the moment my surgery date became finalized, I feel as if the entire universe is out to get me! Yesterday we received a nice tax bill for 8,000 Euros! That's twice the amount of what the Sleeve will cost me (my share). They calculated some back pay I received from disability concerning the previous year into last year's income and now they taxed me as if I'm rich!! DH is too upset to go figure things out, so I called BIL who has a cooler head for help. He will take things to an accountant and we hope for the best. With all this, however, the subject of my WLS came up, with BIL trying to convince me to put it off and DH sitting on the fence about it. I flat out REFUSED to postpone my WLS. I'm afraid that if I give in, there will always be something and I will never do it. At any rate, I have been preparing for months for this!
Then, another subject came up. We have been hosting my brother since my mother died last October, in a small studio owned by MIL. Suddenly, MIL wants to kick DB out and use the studio for storage space. Since the studio is on the top floor of our building, I am counting heavily on DB to help me after the op. I can't do this without him, DH is just not so committed to my WLS. (Neither is DB but he said he will support me no matter what I decide).
I got so upset over the callousness of my in-laws that I couldn't stop crying all evening. Just what I need on the eve of major surgery!
It's quiet now, DB offered to pay for storage space and stay in the studio. I have no idea what will happen with the taxes but you know something? I don't care! I will NOT give up my sleeve!
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My new RE-Birthday! on January 15, 2010 5:50 am
JANUARY 26 2010!
This is the day I become re-born. Yep, you guessed it, it's the date of my WLS, which in my case, is the Gastric Sleeve. I selected the Sleeve because it seemed the least scary of all the available options, at least for me. I hear it has good results and I am hoping for the best.
My surgeon wants to keep me in-hospital a few more days than usual for observation, which is fine by me since I do have the MS to deal with anyway and I have no idea what the WLS will do to that! (Nothing I hope).
At any rate I'm now trying to get psychologically ready for the big day and it's not that easy. You see, I live with 2 men nowadays - my husband and my brother who moved in with us 2 months ago when my poor mom passed away suddenly. My brother is dead set against my having any kind of surgery for two very understandable reasons: 1. He just lost his mother and doesn't want to lose his sister too. 2. An old girlfriend of his had gastric bypass done a few years ago, things went terribly wrong from the doctor's fault had to do SEVEN surgeries afterwards and then disappeared from sight. We are not sure if she is still alive or not.
My husband is supportive and backs whatever decision I make, however, every time I express a fear regarding the upcoming surgery, his response is a flat "don't do it then!" I tell you that is not very helpful at all!!! All I want is a hug and him to tell me that everything is going to be all right. 
I feel that 100% of the responsibility for whatever happens in regard to the WLS from now on rests on my shoulders and I'm not sure I can bear the weight if things go wrong.
But let's stay positive. Thousands of people have had WLS and they are doing fine, losing weight and getting healthier, why would I be the exception? I trust my surgeon, he is the #1 in this op in Greece and I see that he is concerned about me. Things will be fine and pretty soon I will be recounting here now my RE-BIRTHDAY went!
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Some Pre-Op Thoughts on January 8, 2010 3:43 am
I am just starting this journey to places I have never been before, places I never believed I would ever go and I have been in a pensive mood.
This blog will not be just a calendar of events and progress or failure. I have a Meandering Mind (the title of my other blog, non-WL related) and in consequence perhaps, I also have a Meandering Stomach! You see, I LIKE life! I feel strange writing that, since I spend so much time complaining, but it's true. I enjoy experiencing the best that this world has to offer, both tangible and intangible. In regards to the very tangible subject of FOOD, I consider myself a gourmet and an expert! I don't eat large quantities of any specific food, that's never been my problem. On the other hand, I can be a pig in a buffet. I have to try everything! I enjoy tasting new and exotic recipes and I once had a dream of taking a gourmet trip around the world. I consider taste to be a serious sense, almost as important as sight for discovering the world around us, and no WLS will make me change my mind about that!
Still, enjoying different tastes doesn't mean I have to eat myself into super obesity like I have. One bite of food delivers the same delightful experience as an entire plate. It's the guilt complex about "wasting food" instilled in us by our folks that makes us clean up that plate.
Conclusion: Restrict, restrict, restrict portions!
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