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Surgeon TestimonialMichel GagnerThe more I speak with hime, the more impressed I am. He is very knowledgable and supportive and cares about his patients.
Friendly and helpful
He is not warm and fuzzy at first, but openly discussed the different types of surgery and the potential complications.
In the hospital he was incredibly supportive, and his staff was very helpful as well.
Has follow up care program.
His surgical competence is well known and I have many other WLS post ops refer to him as "the master". He does not have much of sense of humor, but really cares about his patients. While he may not be warm and fuzzy initially, I had complete confidence in his hands and really felt he cared. AndreaA's JourneyClick Here To View
Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.I started dieting when I was in 9th grade. I was 5'4" and 150, and the boy I liked called me a "hippo". I went to weight loss camp and began yo-yoing. I must have lost 500 lbs in my life. In 1997 I started getting pains in my chest and was diagnosed with asthma (I was about 200 lbs at the time). I also started taking blood pressure and cholesterol meds. In 2001, at 232 lbs, I decided to get scuba certified. After filling out the form (check here if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol), I was forced to take a stress test that resulted in an abnormal result. 3 months and 6 tests later I had a triple CARDIAC bypass.
After the bypass, I lost a lot of weight and was down to 195lbs, exercising regularly and feeling good about myself. I switched jobs... |
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Hi! my name is Andrea, and I have struggled with my weight for most of my adult life. I began researching weight loss surgery, and in May 2005 I began the journey. This is my story of the ups, the downs, and the wonderful results I have lived. Thanks for visiting my journal, leave me a comment to let me know you were here! --Andrea |
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December 2006 on December 7, 2006 10:54 am
Nearing the 18 mos. mark. I think I have to accept that this is it-- 154-158 pounds. I would have liked to have gotten to the 149 mark, but I'll live. Most of the world has 10 pounds to lose. :)
Interesting thing happened. I was in San Francisco on business and decided to stay an extra day to see my cousin, Susan. We went window shopping on Union street- which turned into, of course, regular shopping :). I found a decanter I had been admiring that matches my wine glasses and I went up to see if they could ship the decanter to NYC. At the counter was an old boss of mine. She didn't recognized me. I had to tell her who I was. Gosh that was surreal. I mean, I don't feel like I am not me, but I guess the difference is completely drastic. I guess we are always going to be the fat one in our head.
It felt great to have to tell someone who I was though!
Andrea
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Weight Records on July 23, 2006 12:00 am
Weight loss
Date..................Weight....... Weight Loss..........Total Loss
07/10/2005..........256................0...........................0
Day of Surgery.....250...............-6..........................-6
07/24/2005..........252..............+2..........................-4
07/31/2005..........240..............-12.........................-16
08/07/2005..........231..............-9...........................-25
08/14/2005..........229..............-2...........................-27
08/21/2005..........225..............-4...........................-31
08/28/2005..........221..............-4...........................-35
09/04/2005..........215..............-6...........................-41
09/11/2005..........212..............-3...........................-44
09/18/2005..........210..............-2...........................-46
09/25/2005..........209..............-1...........................-47
10/02/2005..........207..............-2...........................-49
10/09/2005..........204..............-3...........................-52
10/16/2005..........202..............-2...........................-54
10/23/2005..........201..............-1...........................-55
10/30/2005..........198..............-3...........................-58
11/06/2005..........198...............0...........................-58
11/13/2005..........197..............-1...........................-59
11/20/2005..........195..............-2...........................-61
11/27/2005..........192..............-3...........................-64
12/04/2005..........192...............0...........................-64
12/11/2005..........189..............-3...........................-67
12/18/2005..........190..............+1..........................-66
12/25/2005..........188..............-2...........................-68
01/01/2006..........185..............-3...........................-71
01/08/2006..........181..............-4...........................-75
01/16/2006..........183..............+2..........................-73
01/22/2006..........181.5...........-1.5........................-74.5
01/29/2006..........179.4...........-2.1........................-76.6
02/05/2006..........178..2..........-1.2........................-77.8
02/13/2006..........176.2...........-2.0........................-79.8
02/20/2006..........177.2...........+1.0.......................-78.8
02/26/2006..........178.2...........+1.0.......................-77.8
03/05/2006..........177.2...........-1.0........................-78.8
03/12/2006..........172.4...........-4.8........................-83.6
03/19/2006..........171.0...........-1.4........................-85.0
03/26/2006..........171.6...........+0.6.......................-84.4
04/02/2006..........171.8...........+0.2.......................-84.2
04/09/2006..........170.6...........-1.3........................-85.4
04/16/2006..........167.8...........-2.8........................-88.2
04/23/2006..........166.4...........-1.4........................-89.6
04/30/2006..........163.6...........-2.8........................-92.4
05/07/2006..........160.4...........-3.0........................-95.4
5/14/2006............158.8...........-1.6........................-97.2
5/21/2006............157.4...........-1.4........................-98.6
5/28/2006............155.8...........-1.6........................-100.2 CENTURY CLUB-- WOOOOOOO HOOOOOO!
6/4/2006..............155..............-0.8.......................-101
NORMAL BMI!
6/11/2006............155..............0.0........................-101
6/18/2006............157..............+2.0......................-99
6/25/2006............155.6...........-1.4.......................-100.4
7/3/2006..............156.............+0.4.......................-100
7/9/2006..............156.............0.0.........................-100
7/16/2006 NO weigh in
7/23/2006.............155............-1.0........................-101
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7-18-06 on July 18, 2006 12:00 am
Post one year-- My post is a little late in coming, but things have been hectic-- the trip to Vegas, work and now gearing up for the bicycling trip, the heart scare. I realized I write all my thoughts directly on the July board and don't update my profile I can't believe it has been one year-- so much has happened to me---- I feel like I found myself again. I got my life back. A lot of folks had this surgery because they were worried about dying. I thought that was why I had it-- but as I stand at the other end of the surgery, I think I had it because I was afraid of not living. I look at my dad-- who can't walk a block; who has no cartilage left in knees and has dialysis 3 days a week and spends the rest of his time sitting in front of the TV and I realize I am SO happy I am not living my life like that. I might be there someday, but it is great to know that I have put that on hold for a number of years. I mean I am going on a biking trip! Even if I can't keep up with everyone, the fact that I can attempt it is such a huge change. This surgery was the best decision I made in a long time, and I feel so lucky to have done it. Since this is my WLS anniversary, I thought it only right that I show you from where I have come. When I see these pictures, I am so proud of myself.
256
Pre op at 256 pounds |
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155 pounds
June 2006 - At 155 pounds with a BMI of 25! |
Also, this is my one year anniversary gift to me!
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4-13-06 on July 13, 2006 12:00 am
Per the July message board- I am officially uploading my bootie taken April 13, 2006- ( 9 months post op)-
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6-11-06 on June 11, 2006 12:00 am
Went to the beach with my friends this weekend. Got the pictures back from the weekend and I didn't even recognize myself! Can you believe it?
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My Story
I have battled my weight since grade 9 and am beginning to consider WLS because I have health related concerns. My father and his two sibling were all over 300 lbs, and both my uncle and my father had cardiac bypass surgery. My grandfather died at 54 of a heart attack. This fall, my father went in to have his carotid artery cleaned out and ended up in the ICU for 3 weeks. It turns out his diabetes led to kidney failure and he is now on dialysis.
So given my family history and the obesity its no wonder why I would consider WLS. But to really understand the reasons, you need to go back to March 2001 (I was 32).
My friend Alana who lives in Calgary gave me a call. She and her friends were going to Belize. I decided to join them on the spur of the moment. I signed up to scuba dive (Belize is known for amazing reef life) and they made me fill out a health form. Being honest-- I checked the "high blood pressure box". The Scuba instructor looked at the form and then told me I needed a doctor's signature on some paperwork. Of course, I argued with my doctor, pointing out that I was controlled on meds and most people my age never even KNOW they had hypertension. No go. She had me do a stress test-- and of course it was abnormal.
"Could be because you have large breasts, and it is a false positive, but let's try another test to be safe"
We followed it up with a "thallium hypertension test". Also abnormal. At this point the panic set in, and suddenly I started to watch what I ate.
At Dr. Hom's urging (I owe her my life). I made an appointment with the cardiologist she recommended and went off to Belize to snorkel, cave and jungle trek. Upon returning I met the Cardiologist- nice approachable guy-- who listened to my history and said--
"You're probably fine, but let's do a heart scan to check"
The heart scan showed calcification in one artery. So, at the next consultation he opined,
"If it wasn't for your family history I would just treat aggressively with meds, but let's do an angiogram to be safe. I can put a stint in and we'll go from there".
I don't remember much of the angiogram, just my card saying "the stint is a no-go".
When I woke up he told me I should have a triple by-pass immediately-- One artery was completely-- 100% blocked; the other two were 40% and 60% blocked. Five days later they operated.
I spent two months feeling like I had been betrayed, and wondering what I had done to deserve this. Then a baseball player died of a heart attack while taking a weight loss drug-- He was 33. A few weeks later 9/11 happened and I stopped feeling sorry for myself.
What's horrible about this is I lost 40 pounds after the bypass and felt great. Then I gained 75 over the next 3-4 years. The last 35 happened when my dad was going bonkers in the ICU and no one knew why (by the way, a sign of kidney failure is agitation and "going nuts").
A few doctors had suggested WLS, but of course I scoffed at it. I thought I could do it myself. After my dad got sick, I started researching it. I talked to my cousin (father's side of course), who had WLS two years ago. She told me about this sight. In February, I made an appointment with a surgeon to discuss the options-- Since he is so well known, I couldn't get the appointment until May
In March of this year my blood sugar started spiking. It hit 126--diabetes is 127 and higher). I could see it- my father's future laying before me. Diabetes, not be able to move, dialysis etc.
That's my background-- Quite lengthy it was, too.
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