Weight Loss Surgery Directory

By Location By Map
Before & After

There are currently no before and after photos for this member.

See these instructions if you wish to submit your own Before & After photos.
Goals

Lose 2 more pounds prior to surgery

0 People
 in progress, 
1 Person
 achieved this

get down 6 more pounds before 11/1

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

Lawrence Dennen
My first encounter with Dr. Dennen was at the information meeting all bariatric patients must attend. Dr. Dennen impressed me as a straight forward, no BS, but caring and compassionate surgeon. He knew what he needed from his patients and was very direct about it. I liked that and requested that he be my surgeon. I am so glad I did.

At my first appointment with Dr. Dennen asked me many questions about my health and weight history and then answered all my questions. Once my questions were answered he made sure I understood all the risk involved with surgery. At the end of our appointment he concluded that I would be a good candidate for either RNY or VSG and that the decision was really up to me. I chose the VSG. At my next appointment Dr. Dennen explained in detail how he would construct my new sleeved stomach and the reasoning behind his techniques. He also gave me a thorough physical exam and referred me for various tests that needed to be completed prior to surgery.

My surgery went very well. I woke with excellent pain management - in other words no pain at all! The nursing staff was generally excellent. There was one nurse I didn't particularly like and her care was only adequate, but the rest of the entire nursing staff was absolutely fantastic. I was really pleased by the complete care I got in the hospital. I was surprised, too, that I got a private room. The room was very nice and I was very well cared for while I stayed in the hospital.

I did have a bit of a scare just prior to surgery. I had gained a pound and a half over Thanksgiving and had not lost it. I came very close to having my surgery cancelled by Dr. Dennen. He is absolutely to the point about the weight loss he requires prior to surgery and I came within 8 ounces of his upper limit. Whew, by the skin of my teeth. If you are lucky enough to have Dr. Dennen, be sure and keep your weight off once you lose it!

I'm just over a month out from surgery and have had absolutely no complications. I have been very pleased with my progress and my after care. I think the pre-op and after care program at Kaiser Fremont is great. Patients have access by phone or email to a psychologist and a NUT and the surgeon. Follow up appointments are scheduled well in advance, too. Also, the program coordinator, Nancy, is fantastic. She is always friendly, accommodating and direct. She is very easy to work with.

I don't think you could have a finer WLS surgeon. Yes, Dr. Dennen is direct and to the letter clear with his patients, but he is also kind and understand a patient's concerns and spends time with his patients. He also will go to bat for his patients when needed. I know he went to bat for me when it came to scheduling my surgery and I will always appreciate that! Does Dr. Dennen sound to good to be true? Perhaps. Yet, this is my honest, albeit biased, review. I would recommend Dr. Dennen to anyone considering WLS.
Latest Surgery Support Comments

No comments posted yet.
Please post yours.

Click here for the surgery support page
kairk's Blog
kairk's Blog

NSV's
posted on 11/6/11 4:45 pm
Well, November promised to start off great, but by the afternoon of the 1st it clearly was a promise unkept.  I was pretty excited when I got up on the first. My final pysch eval was scheduled for that afternoon. I had made my pre op goal weight and was ready to have the evaluation and be scheduled for surgery. Anyway, that's what I thought. I learned later that day, surgeons have very little say about their schedules. It's the nurse coordinators who do that for the surgeon. My surgeon had told me that he didn't see an issue with getting me sleeved in December as long as I met his pre op goals by November 1st. So, I'd been planning all along to get my VSG in December. So, after passing my psych eval and a written test on WLS, post-bariatric surgery lifestyle, and weight loss I was mighty bummed out to hear the coordinator telling me it was highly unlikely that I would get surgery in December. She predicted it would be more likely January or February. Damn, damn, damn was all I could really think. I had already started making plans for work and arranging time off. This is not at all what I had been working towards. I had a mind set for December. Damn!

I was super depressed over the news. So much so that all I really wanted was comfort food. I sat with this feeling on the way home. Tacos, curly fries, chicken tenders? What would make me feel better, hmmmmm? I passed so many fast food places on the way home but I didn't stop the car.  About half way home I realized that I was so proud of myself for meeting my goals that I wasn't about to let this crappy news interfere with all my hard work losing the weight. I was not going to sabotage myself again by eating crap because I was depressed and angry. I went home and ate as planned for the day. I had to sit with my disappointment for a few hours and deal with my feelings - YUCK. In the end I made an OH post about the news, bitched at my support group that night and got a lot of sympathy, but I never ate over it. That was a HUGE NSV for me.

Next NSV is one of a different nature altogether. It has to do with clothes. Even though I haven't lost a whole lot of weight yet and it's been slow going, my body shape is changing. I have worn nothing but relaxed fit or loose fit jeans for years. I have always had big thighs and a big butt. Even when I was thin in my twenties (the one decade in my life in which I was thin more than fat) I had to buy pants larger in the waist to ensure my seat and thighs fit properly and  then I'd have the waist taken in. Since I've been losing weight I've lost a size in jeans - no biggie really. I went from a size 40 to a 38. This week I realized my 38s weren't fitting right at all. I kept having to pull them up all day long. At one point I noticed that I had a severe case of trouser seat cleavage going on (aka plumber's butt) and the crotch was hanging halfway down to my knees. Not a look I'm fond of! So yesterday I went to get some new jeans. Well, I tried on about 14 different pair of jeans some 36 inch waists, some 38s. Nothing fit really well except a pair of 38 501s. Hmmmm I haven't worn 501s since I was in college in the 1980s. Last time I tried them on I couldn't even get my legs into a pair. This is odd, I'm thinking. But 501s ain't cheap and I don't think I'm going to be wearing these jeans all that long - God willing! Well, I left the store without buying any jeans.

A few hours later I was at Kmart picking up some things and went over to the guy's section. I thought I'd try on a couple pair of jeans and see if any of the Wranglers, Rustlers or Lees would fit right. I found the jeans (Rustlers) that actually fit my shape at Kmart!!! And this is the best part: they are regular straight fit jeans! Not loose fit. Not relaxed fit! REGULAR FIT! Hot damn - I feel like a regular person wearing regular fit jeans. So flipped out about that I bought two pair - how could I not? They were on sale for 13 bucks a pair. I got two pair for half of what one pair of the 501s cost. Happy Dancin' am I!

Odd, perhaps to get so worked up over a pair of 13 dollar jeans. But not really to me. As a kid, being dragged to the husky boys section in JC Penny's was just awful. I hated having to wear Husky Jeans when all my best friends were skinny kids. Yesterday, for the first time in a VERY long time, I bought a regular fit, regular size pair of jeans. Huge. Simply huge.






0 Responses to "NSV's"


Be the first to comment! .
<< Blog Home



Archive

Tags
  • None