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Before & After

 
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Goals

keep most of my hair :)

13 People
 in progress, 
9 People
 achieved this

lower my resting heart rate

0 People
 in progress, 
1 Person
 achieved this

lose weight!

4 People
 in progress, 
1 Person
 achieved this

reverse my Type 2 Diabetes

12 People
 in progress, 
18 People
 achieved this

reduce or eliminate my hemoroids

0 People
 in progress, 
1 Person
 achieved this
View Other Goals
Surgeon Testimonial

Eric DeMaria, M.D.
Dr. DeMaria has a significant amount of experience with Bariatric Surgery and in his position as Director of the Duke University Medical Center Weight Loss Surgery Program he trains other surgeons during their fellowship at Duke. The program that Dr. DeMaria directs at Duke is comprehensive and has a significant emphasis on aftercare which is comprised of medical, psychological and nutritional support at 3 wks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year postop. I have found all of the staff, from the office, nurses, to the dietician to be helpful and available. I had my Lap-RNY 06-05-07. While Dr. DeMaria is without question very competent, he perforated my colon during the surgery. Normally this would require a conversion to an open procedure, but Dr. DeMaria was able to re-sect the colon laparoscopically. I have done well since my surgery and have lost all of my excess weight. I have talked with Dr. DeMaria at length about my concerns that while it is important for bariatric programs to provide a significant amount of support through the weight loss process, but that it is at least as important, if not more to provide significant support as you enter the maintenance phase of this life-changing journey. I'm delighted to say that he is a strong proponent of long-term bariatric aftercare and has opened a practice that focuses on the 'whole' bariatric patient in the long term; medical follow-up/management, nutritional support, psychiatric/behavioral support, and physiological/exercise. I hope this becomes a model to support the bariatric patient population.
Member Interests
  • Dogs - I have Havanese ... Like chocolate I haven't met one I don't like :)
  • Meeting People - As my children say-Mom do you know everyone? Not yet, but I'm workiing on it : )
  • Singing - I love to sing ... However, my children are embarassed when people turn around
  • Shopping, Bargain Hunting & Auctions - OMGoodness! I love great deals! Like 500 sq ft of great tile for $5.00!
  • Photography - I love photography in general, viewing or creating
  • Scrapbooks - I started doing this about 15 years ago ... still so much to do. I love it!
  • Interior Decoration - I am often told I have an eye for it ... I love to stage homes for sale
  • Mentoring - I love to watch a flower unfold ... that's what happens when mentor young or old
  • Genealogy & Family History - I'm reasearching the family history of my children ... We are definitely muts!
  • Computer and Internet Surfing - I started using the internet long before AOL ... It's still amazing!

Barbara C.'s Journey

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Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
I was an overweight child and became an obese adolescent and adult. I experienced a huge weight gain on the occasion of my marriage, ballooning up to 217 pounds. Unfortunately, I have never been able to get and keep my weight under 225 for more than six months. In spite of multiple efforts at dieting including HCG shots, Weight Watchers, Grapefruit, Cabbage Soup, Cambridge, many over the counter diets (Dexitrim, Hoodia, etc.), Slimfast, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Hypnosis, Registered Dietician and Personal Trainer, Medifast, medically supervised VCL diet, Shaklee Shakes, Oprah/Bob Greene diet. With each attempt I have lost some weight, however when the diet effort stops, the weight comes back, often more. When I...
Barbara C.'s Blog
Barbara C.'s Blog


2 Year Follow Up Appointment
on May 23, 2009 10:02 pm
While my actual 2 year 'surgiversary' isn't until June 5th, I had my 2 year follow-up appointment with my surgeon, Dr. Eric DeMaria. My BP was 102/60 and my weight was 142. Dr. DeMaria beamed and was absolutely delighted. He said I looked the picture of health and he could be more pleased with my progress and the fact that I had maintained my weight loss. He kept going on and on about how 'great' I looked. I have to admit that it felt good.

I told Dr. DeMaria, that I am delighted with my outcome and the incredible changes in my quality of life, including my slimmer, trimmer body. I also told him that I would do it all over again even if I hadn't lost the weight, if the only benefit had been resolving my type 2 diabetes and managing my hemochromotosis.

I told him that while the first year was so focused on losing the weight, this second year has been a journey of a different sort. The second year has caused me to really look at the behaviors and coping mechanisms I have developed over a lifetime that have contributed to the obesity that drove me to have WLS. I am having some serious challenges and have noticed 'lapses' into dangerous behaviors. I discussed my concerns about them and am addresssing them with a support group I started based on the 'Beck Diet Solution' books.

I realize that my new 'normal' weight is a tenuous thing that has to be nurtured and cared for if I want to maintain it.
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