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Surgeon Testimonial

Namir Katkhouda, M.D.
The staff and Dr. Katkhouda were extremely helpful and considerate, but due to the popularity of the procedure in 2002-2003 and Dr. K's schedule my wait would be over 1 year!!

By 2004 I had completed a second round of cardiovascular tests, psych evals, etc. and I was ready for surgery. I had my RNY on July 20th, 2004.

Although I did well the first year on my own, USC had little to no follow-up or support. Their support meetings at the time consisted of group meetings at 12 noon (during work hours), once a month in the back conference room of the staff cafeteria. Very inhospitable for a food addict who had a job and couldn't afford to drive the hour plus each way to the meetings. I went to one meeting, was completely discouraged, and never went back. There was no pre-education requirement at USC, so in retrospect I would make sure that any program I went into had adequate pre and post-operative support. It would have made all the difference.
Latest Surgery Support Comments

  • Comment by piperkc on 7/29/05 9:35 pm
    “The Greatest healing therapy is friendship and Love.” ~ Hubert Humphrey "Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, any one can start from now and make a brand new ending "There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow." ~ O. S. Marden "Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil." ~ James Allen "I asked God to give me happiness. God said, "No. I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you." ~ Author Unknown "Goals give you more than a reason to get up in the morning; they are an incentive to keep you going all day. Goals tend to tap the deeper resources and draw the best out of life. "Put yourself in a state of mind where you say to yourself, 'Here is an opportunity for me to celebrate like never before, my own power, my own ability to get myself to do whatever is necessary." ~ Anthony Robbins " ~ Harvey Mackay "Life is a challenge, but if you don't stand and risk you will never know if you were able to win or lose. Challenges are not a thing of winning or losing; they are a way of learning from them to become a better person every day! ~ Alexsander Rodriguez, P.R "Don't ask for it to be easy, ask for it to be worth it." Dan Kuschell "The most important question to ask is not 'What am I getting?' The most important question to ask on the job is 'What am I becoming?'"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however." - Richard Bach "In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins; not through strength, but through persistence." ~ Jackson Brown "I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning." ~ J.B. Priestly "Each of us has an inner dream that we can unfold if we will just have the courage to admit what it is. And the faith to trust our own admission. The admitting is often very difficult." ~ Julia Cameron "The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong. That block of granite is often nothing more than a decision." ~ Thomas Carlyle "Being yourself is not remaining what you were, or being satisfied with what you are. It is the point of departure." ~ Sydney Harris "Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinion of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth." ~ Katherine Mansfield "Too often we are scared. Scared of what we might not be able to do. Scared of what people might think if we tried. We let fears stand in the way of our hopes. We say no when we want to say yes. We sit quietly when we want to scream. And we shout with the others, when we should keep our mouths shut. Why? After all, we do only go around once. There's really no time to be afraid. JUST DO IT." ~ Nike advertising campaign "I am convinced that attitude is the key to success or failure in almost any of life's endeavors. Your attitude - your perspective, your outlook, how you feel about yourself, how you feel about other people - determines your priorities, your actions, your values. Your attitude determines how you interact with other people and how you interact with yourself." ~ Carolyn Warner "Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives." ~ Author Unknown "It's never too late to be what you might have been." ~ George Eliot "For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it." ~ Author Unknown "Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to the end, requires some of the same courage which a soldier needs." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson A wish changes NOTHING; A decision, changes EVERYTHING "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will,they soon become inevitable." Christopher Reeves "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:2-3 Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it. "If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much." ~ Jim Rohn May you always have an Angel by your side. Watching out for you in all the things you do. Reminding you to keep believing in brighter days. Have a speedy recovery Angela in Corpus Christi 291lbs BMI 45.60 -234lbs Dr Michael Grace Open RNY Life began May 16, 2002 I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Surely..I will heal you." 2 Kings 20:5
Click here for the surgery support page
Hi OH People, my name is Amy G.  (a.k.a, Amz)   I used to come to OH diligently when I was post-op and have gotten far away from where I was when I left.  It's time to get back to the me, I was meant to be!!  At my best I lost 110 pounds...at my worst I'm at my current weight, but that's okay.  This too shall pass, and I'll get to the point where I am comfortable with my new NEW body again!!
The worst thing I could have possibly done for myself was leave the support groups behind!!  My family loves me, but they don't always support the changes that need to be made.  My friends support me, but they don't always understand my particular struggles, and here I'm accepted no matter what!!  That's the kind of unconditional support I need and EVERYONE who comes here deserves!! 
    
Amz's Blog
Amz's Blog


"Women Food and God" - author Geneen Roth
on September 1, 2010 7:43 pm
Although I haven't completely abandoned all my other weight loss efforts, I've recently been going in a different direction with my introspection (psychologically and perhaps spiritually as well).  I've mentioned this book before, but I decided to explore it more thoroughly and even pruchased a few more of her titles.

The most recent and perhaps the most life altering, has been, "Breaking Free From Emotional Eating".  If you havne't read it or heard of it, I highly suggest you read it before going under the knife!  I found it so intriguing that I wrote out an outline of the entire book...bullet points that I think are intriguing and worth keeping nearby when I take notes on the second read.  This particular book explores the dynamics of emotional eating and gives deliberate and construcive steps to be aware of why and how you eat.  It's been miind blowing for me!!

My weight had recently spiralled up to 224 and I am currently back down to 210...in only 3 weeks!!  Why?  Because I took the time to ask myself a key question, "Am I Hungry"?

There is so much more to be learned from this process, but I do bellieve I am on the way to a healther weight.  Not because I found some magic bullet, but because I am taking the time to look at what I'm doing to myself and why I'm doing it.
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Zumba schedule
on July 12, 2010 9:41 am
So, I've now done all the DVD's except for the Cardio Party & Live DVD's  -- I'm working my way up to those.

The Kit includes the following DVD's:
The Basics DVD is about an hour long.
The 20 minute workout is great for beginners -- gets your heart rate up in a short amount of time.
The Ab Workout is 20 minutes long and well worth the effort as I have mentioned before.
The Tone & Tighten video is about 45 minutes long.
The Cardio Party is about an 45 minutes long and the one I'm going to try by August.
The Zumba Live video is hard core!!  Ultimately where I'd like to be by the end of summer/September!

Current schedule:
Monday - Tone & Tighten
Tuesday - 20 Minute Workout & Ab Workout
Wednesday - Tone & Tighten
Thursday - 20 Minute Workout & Ab Workout
Friday - Tone & Tighten
Saturday/Sunday - 20 Minute Workout or 1/2 of the Cardio Party or Ab Workout with one day of rest!

Sounds like a lot, but since I'm not walking I think it's good to try and keep myself moving as much as possible.

We'l see how I do!! 
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Zumba Abs workout
on July 6, 2010 7:51 pm
After several weeks of feeling depressed about my current situation(s) I got back on the horse last night.  I haven't been walking much.  I kind of gave up because of the need to continuously wear an ankle brace due to the discomfort I was feeling afterwards.  I may need to give up walking all together, or just revisit it once I lose some substantial weight.

So,  I decided to do the 20 min. Ab workout after watching the infomercial for the 'umpteenth' time!  I'm so very glad I did!!  It is surprisingly easy, as far as the steps go.  I was surprised you could get so much done in such a small amount of time!!  My whole core is REALLY sore today and it's encouraging that something this cool and sexy could do so much for body and mind!!  I plan on trying the Cardio Party CD soon, but am tryng to pace myself simply because I have burned out so quick on other programs.  I'll do a program, do it until I hurt myself and then completely walk away from it.  I don't want that to happen here. 


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Zumba vs. Walking
on June 7, 2010 8:51 pm
Well, I got my Zumba kit last week and have done it twice --- just the basics!!

Although I have rhythm, I have difficulty with some of the movements but that's okay.  I'm just learning and will get the hang of it eventually.  I'll need to continue wearing dance shoes instead of athletic shoes, as the athletic shoes stick to the wood floor when I try and slide or twist.  

One other more important thing is that I will need to do either Zumba or Walking...I cannot do both!  I am having such issues with my right ankle that if I do one thing a day, it is very difficult to try and do the other for the simple reason that my body does not want to cooperate!!  Today I did my walk early in hopes that my ankle would recover by this evening, and that did not happen.  I still have a tightness and swelling that only will go away with an overnight up on a bed.  I'll have to do one or the other every day to keep my excercise up.  So I guess I will need to resign myself to the fact that this is the best I can do for now and not beat myself up, and be thankful that I can still get out of bed on my own, walk and dance.  Not everyone has that opportunity!! 
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5 Day Pouch Test - epilogue 2
on May 28, 2010 9:35 pm
So here's another thing that has came to my attention after doing this test.  My appetite has become much smaller since I did the 5 Day 'Reboot'!!

Several times this week I've eaten HALF of what I used to post-op!!  After about a year post-op I had given up on myself and my weight loss and started eating carbs like there was no tomorrow.  Once I made the decision to do this return to basics way of eating, I've slowly returned to a much more manageable appetite.  I have to admit, I do have days where I feel like I just can't get enough bread, however what I've realized is that this need may be hormonal.  There is a tendency for me to be get this one particular craving pre-menstral.  It will be something I need to practice dealing with, but the good thing is that I've recognized it and can keep it in check as I go through this process.
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My Story

I began my journey in about 2001.  After 9/11 I was faced with the fact that I was extremely unhappy at my weight of over 250 lbs.  I like many people here stopped weighing myself, so I have no idea what my true weight was then. I am only 5 foot 1 inch, so anything of that size was too much!!  My father died at the age of 52 from a massive heart attack after having suffered a stroke several years earlier.  I could see that I was headed down that same path, and on my own was unable to stop it.

As most of us here have done, I tried Weight Watchers, 6 Week Body Makeover, Curves diet plan and countless others that never did much.  I should also say, I've been a Type 1 diabetic since age 13 (over 25 years now) and even the ADA recommendations did nothing to help me lose the weight permanently.  By 2002 I started to hear about gastric bypass surgery, and some of the local hospitals in Southern California had quickly set-up programs to accommodate the influx of new patients. I first went to Cedars Sinai and although I was approved by the doctors, my insurance denied my request.  That process took at least a year to get through, and although I was discouraged, I continued on.

By 2003 I had switched jobs and had Blue Cross of So. Cal. and began the process again.  I had other complications from my diabetes and decided to try and take advantage of the insurance I was paying so much for.  I did my research and found that USC had started a program a year or two before, so I made an appointment.  At that point i was at my heaviest 273 pounds!!  The staff and Dr. Katkhouda were extremely helpful and considerate, but due to the popularity of the procedure and Dr. K's schedule my wait would be over 1 year!!  I took it in stride since I was approved almost immediately, and decided to do my best to be proactive in the changes I needed to make.  I stopped eating fast food, I exercised on the stationary bike for an hour a day, and over that year lost 30 lbs. pre-op.  By 2004 I had completed a second round of cardiovascular tests, psych evals, etc. and  I was ready for surgery.  I had my RNY on July 20th, 2004.

Although I did well the first year on my own, USC had little to no follow-up or support.  Their support meetings at the time consisted of group meetings at 12 noon (during work hours), once a month in the back conference room of the staff cafeteria.  Very inhospitable for a food addict who had a job and couldn't afford to drive the hour plus each way to the meetings.  I went to one meeting, was completely discouraged, and never went back.  Unlike Kaiser's pre and post-op program, there was no pre-education requirement at USC, so my innumerable questions had to be answered on OH, or by other people or resources I could find.  Not a bad way to go, but at best it was inconsistent and unreliable.  These were the early days of message boards, so a lot of misinformation was floating around back then. 

Eventually I found a group meeting at Kaiser that was extremely helpful initially, but other times felt like I was listening to the same people talk about the same issues meeting after meeting!!  It's a wonder why no one said, "You need to put yourself in therapy, this is beyond the scope of the time we have here"!! So by 2006 I started to slowly gain the weight back, but I do mean slowly.  I never fully realized my goal weight, but at the time had been steadily adding a pound or two a year.

In 2008 I was involved in a car accident.  Although the accident was my fault, I have had to deal with the physical set backs that came with it.  I already had orthopedic problems from an accident and surgeries as a kid, as well as complications from my diabetes, but nothing prepared me for being bed bound for three months!!  With much help from family, I was able to get through and returned to work only to be layed-off four months later.  It was the summer before the recession hit, so finding a job was nearly impossible.  It was at that time that the depression hit hard and the weight began to pile on quickly.  Over the course of a year I gained twenty pounds, much to the dismay of my doctors and my self. 

Last summer, in 2009 I was able to find a job for a few months, then left to work for a larger more prestigious company.  After several months, I was let go because I couldn't keep up with the demands of the job and the job had evolved from what it had originally been.  Since then, I've found out that I was/am extremely anemic from the previous RNY and have had to have daily doses of iron to restore my 'reserves'.  In part, I believe this was one of the reasons why I was unable to maintain my work level, so if nothing else I try and look at the job loss as a blessing in disguise.    It may have saved my life!!

So now I find myself continuing to re-cooperate from all the things that life has brought my way.  I recently started to look back at my accomplishments and my failures and hope that I can learn something from each and every one!!  I have begun the "5 Day Pouch Test" in order to do a "hard re-boot" of my pouch, and will continue to make small and major changes to improve the quality of my life while I am here to live it!!