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Surgeon Testimonial

David Le, MD
I have had a few appointments with Dr. Le, and I have been pleased with our interactions. My first thought upon meeting him was that he was quite young. However, Dr. Le handles himself professionally and is willing to answer any questions that I have. I never feel that I am being rushed out of the office with him.rnrnAny future patients should note that Dr. Le is rather soft spoken but quite intelligent. He's also quite thorough and ensures that his patients understand the surgery that they are about to embark upon. If there are any questions, he will be the one to answer them quickly.
Member Interests
  • Cats - I have three cats: Melchiah, Raziel, and Kain
  • Singing - I am countertenor with a four-and-a-half-octave vocal range.
  • Black American - African American and proud!
  • French - Je parle français courrament. Je cherche les autres francophones.
  • Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender - I have been happily married seven years to a wonderful man!
  • Martial Arts - I have black belts in tae kwon do and Goju-Ryu karate.
  • X Box - I actually have an Xbox 360, but you get the gist!
  • Atheism/Agnostic - The belief in rational thought and empirical evidence is what motivates me.

Xavier Smith's Journey

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Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
As a child and teenager, I did not have issues with my weight. I studied the martial arts religiously and led a fairly healthy life. As a whole, I did not think much about my weight. Transitioning into adulthood proved to be difficult though. My mother passed away from an excruciating death from colon cancer, and her death took a toll on me. I coped by turning to something that I thought would bring me comfort and solace: food. I stopped working out and starting gaining weight, and the weight gain got out of control. Behaviorally and emotionally, I dealt with stress and anger with eating. Eating was the only thing that I felt I could control. So it's interesting how the tables really were turned: Food was the master, and I was actually the servant.
Latest Surgery Support Comments

  • Comment by judyanne on 5/14/07 8:28 pm
    Now that you are a couple of months out, I hope you are doing well with your protein, water and exercise. I wish for continued success for you and I hope to read more of your journey on your profile.
  • Comment by Celest J. on 3/7/07 9:10 pm
    Sending lots of love and good vibes, you are going to do great. Big hugs, Celest
  • Comment by LavenderLoco on 3/6/07 4:26 pm
    Wishing you a smooth and safe surgery, speedy and easy recovery and all the best as you begin your exciting, life-changing journey. Many Blessings!
Click here for the surgery support page
Xavier Derico-Smith's Blog
Xavier Derico-Smith's Blog


Brief Update
on July 20, 2007 8:13 am
I am not going to make this blog posting very long. Right now, my weight is down to 266 pounds. I have officially crossed the century mark and am still moving forward.

The most important event is my latest WOW! moment. Unlike other patients, I have not had too many of these, but, then again, I do not look for them too often either. In any fashion, my husband and I were shopping at the Wal-Mart Supercenter yesterday when an issue arose regarding my credit card at the self-service checkout stand. While trying to get the issue resolved, an old co-worker of my husband's came by and tapped me on the shoulder. He had a bewildered look on his face, so I thought something was wrong. The first statement from his mouth was, "You look really good! You have lost weight!" I told him that I underwent gastric-bypass surgery just four months ago and that I had lost over 100 pounds. He commented that he could hardly recognize me.

I cannot share with you the immense feeling of elation and joy that this person's statements caused. It is not as though I have not heard those statements before; my husband and a few family friends have said the same thing. Of course, I believe that they are all biased. So, to have someone who has not seen me in two years (and who saw me at my top weight) make such a statement gave me a sense of validation, that this surgery was all worth it! The comments also motivated me to continue to move forward in continuing to get to the point of good health and nutrition. Every day, I fail a little bit; however, every day, I continue to get up and move on.

4 comments | Leave a comment.

Long Time, No Post
on July 3, 2007 11:16 am
I have been quite the naughty gastric-bypass patient; I have not updated this blog in a while. In my defense, I have been busy with various interviews and several trips up to Seattle.

It's official: We are moving to Seattle! I had the opportunity to spend approximately five days up there late last week, and every minute of it was enjoyable. I was up there because I had a few interviews established. I ended up accepting a management position with a contact center up there, so I am in the waiting process for the background check to be completed and for the remuneration package to be finitely negotiated.

My weight has been coming off steadily, not necessarily rapidly, but I am okay with it all. Right now, I am at 270 pounds, which means that I am down almost 100 pounds from my top weight and nearly 80 pounds from my surgery weight. This journey has been amazing and is continuing to be amazing. I am eating well and doing what I should be doing to keep a healthy lifestyle going. The surgery and the education behind it has been the best thing that has happened to me.

It's time for me check out for the mean time. My husband has today off, so I want to go out to lunch with him so we can spend time together. I have been traveling a lot and have not been able to be around him much.

Holla!

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