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Before & After
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* move mouse over the picture to see “after” photo
See these instructions if you wish to submit your own Before & After photos. Surgeon Testimonial Brad Amson, M.D., His name is Dr.Amson in Victoria BC Canada he is a a sweet caring man who was easy to talk to and very understanding and warm. I am very comfortable with him and feel positive about having him as my surgeon. His staff was wonderful I got real talkative to one of the secretaries there she was very sweet and warm as well. he is very thourough all you need to do is go in fully prepared with your questions and I am sure he will have your answers. Dr.Amson in November 2002 was quick and efficient in ridding me of my gallbladder. I saw Dr.Amson Sometime around oct-nov 2002 I think. I discussed the pain i was having with my gallbladder and he assured me he would get me in ASAP. I was in and out of hospital a couple of months at least and I got a date of Nov 15th for my date. I ended up having a severe attack and saw him in his office I believe Nov 7th and he said to come into the hospital that weekend as he would be on call. I ended up having really bad pain that night and went to hospital. He had me admitted as he was in hospital that night and I had surgery the morning of Nov 9th. He was attentive and kind and even saved some stones at my request. It turned out 3 stones were blocking the duct. I seriously would tell anyone if you want a surgeon who truly cares for his patients he is the best. I think he goes above and beyond what any other surgeon or dr would do. He keeps following up on me every few months I see him and he is always very supportive and a wonderful ear to listen. I am honest with him in my shortcomings and he is wonderful in making me I am still doing well and that we all have our moments. I cannot speak highly enough of him. Truly he is a saint. His secretaries are all wonderful and caring as well. I know they get many calls and somehow Val one of the main secretaries that works for him keeps track of who is who and what is going on with us all. She truly seems to also care for how Dr.Amson's patients do. I know it is frustrating for the wait and there are many waiting and she gets calls all day long of when when when somehow she keeps it together and she does truly care for the people who come in. Dr.Amson has assembled a wonderful team. Member Interests
Angela M.'s Journey Click Here To View Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery. I had weight fluctuations throughout my life, however unlike many on here I did not suffer with being really overweight until when I had got pregnant and starting having children at 17. The same as my mother. My whole life i watched my mom do alot of weightloss programs and my dad taunt me about being "just like your mother" anytime I ate pretty much anything. That's what happened when I got out on my own I was depressed and didn't know how to deal with food management and eating and then it became the yoyo and I became like my mother, i got to gaining 25lbs a year Latest Surgery Support Comments
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I am a mother to 3. RNY(Amson) Sept 18/01 Pannelectomy(Taylor) July 17/03 I lost a total of 191lbs. I ended up having to get my gallbladder out and am now very anemic. I had gained quite a bit back but have since lost again and reshrink my sac. I am right now awaiting another scope as I am worried about having an ulcer as I am loosing alot of blood. Despite all the problems, Amson is a wonderful docotor and he shaved alot off of the problems I had when I was alot bigger. My kids are more proud to be with me and that counts for alot. I want people though to be realistic this is not something that works on it's own and it can come with other issues. Like I said I am anemic I am supposed to have iron shots every 2 weeks. My stomach hurts all the time. I had to relearn how to eat and still struggle. I have osteoarthrtis in my upper lumbar spine. But I can tie my shoes, I can cross my legs, I can go shopping and not wonder if peoplke are staring at me. I can eat without overeating everyone. I don't closet eat. I am honest. You can outeat this surgery and I started to. Please be honest and please look this thing in the face and take it as a gift and work with your tool") http://yourladyillusions.spaces.live.com/
My Story I am an overweight single mom who just can't seem to get my weight under control. i have been so depressed to the point of suicide attempts. I think and believe with the surgery that I could be on a happier healthier road can anyone help? Feb20/2000: I was weighed this week 304lbs and a half I absolutely burst into tears. I went home and ate. My doctor is so sweet she is putting in the referals and does not see a problem with getting my surgery done. I am already ahead by having seen the nutrionist I need to see, so that is one thing I am happy about. The people who have been writing me from this site are an inspiration. Kristen has helped me so much i felt much more prepared talking to my doctor after having talked to her. I would encourage anyone to write me as now I know I am having this surgery I am suddenly a little more nervous, and been feeling a bit nausiated. It's a long road i wish it would all happen right now and that is what is frustrating me. I would like any news on risks, problems people have occured on the VBG, and the good stories. before and after pics will help to encourage me if anyone has some they feel they'd like to share. This is a big update but I am so happy, I just hope I am happy for good reason. I am determined to make this work for me. *s* April 23/2000-I see Dr.Amson in 2 more days. I am nervous but happy. All i want is to do the right thing. I have been walking everyday. will let all know how it goes. April 28/2000-well my appointement went so great with Dr.Amson he is booking me for the fall(not sure of date yet) and in the mean time I will also see the endocrinologist. I am so excited I can almost burst. I will be having the RNY. I am a little nervous and I keep thinking about all of it. I am reading as much as possible but would like to talk more to people who have had it. I look forward to hearing from all. Also here is where I will keep everything updated and have made a forum for people with weight issues ect to go to please come on in and visit: http://bbs.onecenter.com/adviceangel/ Update Aug 2/00: I saw Dr.Amson again he said if I don't hear anything by sept come see him in oct or he will see me in hospital in sept I am praying praying praying it is sept. I have already changed some things in the way I am and I am drinking up to 2 and a half litres of water a day for me that is a big thing and I am pretty proud of myself for sticking to it Aug 28/01: FINALLY MY DATE IS MADE!!!! yeah *dances around* I will be int he royal jubilee in Victoria BC Canada at 10am to the RNY. I am nervous and excited but more nervous and anxious than anything else. I guess I will get more excited as the time draws closer. I will be keeping my journey on my site. http://adviceangel0.tripod.com/aboutme.html I will try to keep pics there. Feel free to write and ask me anything I will answer what I can. So here I go... Update Oct 25/01 I had my surgery. I was in 7 days. I had alot of pain and was not expecting the other side to be as hard as it has been for me. I have kept some of my thoughts in my online journal since I have gotten home. http://adviceangel0.tripod.com/wls I have had some infections since my surgery and it made it harder to heal. I am still pretty weak but have lost over 30lbs now and it's 5 weeks and a bit. It has really been a long recovery for me. I am back to eating just liquids but slowly eating a bit of soft food. I have had the hard lesson of realizing just because you have had this surgery does not mean your mind changes. Fast food still looks and seems like food I would love to bite into. Dr.Amson has been wonderful. He has called me ont he phone when I needed it and called the chilliwack hospital so that they knew which tests to run and what was done during surgery. I was so thankful for that because nothing was getting done or found. When he got involved they finally started to listen. Alot of stress hit me when I got home. I broke up with my bf and my daughter was in hospital and this too did not help at all with my healing. Now things are starting to settle down and I am slowly starting to feel better. I am feeling alot of pinching in my stomach but it comes and goes. I am still pretty faint if I stand for more than a bit at a time. I have problems swallowing pills and so am having problems with meds and would love for that problem to go away. I feel very alone during my healing process because I thought I would be healed and great by now but I'm not but I am trying. I am very jealous of my friend who had her surgery 3 days after me and has lost like I have but can eat almost everything now. Here I am barely taking anything in. I know time will heal and I am glad to have had such a great surgeon and have the surgery done just realizing now the real work begins. I would be only to glad to share my feelings ect with anyone who would like to discuss this just drop me a line:) Nov 17th 2001 yesterday was my birthday I went out and danced up a storm. I have more energy than I have had for a long time. My shirts are getting to big. I am slowly adjusting to the changes in eating habits and finally getting my strength back. It is a day to day thing but I have come a long way from where I began. I now have my weightloss surgery story along with pics up on my site and a daily diary of what I eat feelings ect on that weightloss page. http://adviceangel0.tripod.com/wls.html I do not hide any of the bad things I do or the troubles or pains I have. i think the best way for someone to learn is to see all sides of a surgical story pre op and post op. I will try to keep my site updated with as much as possible. I do say though I feel so much better and think I might just make this work. In the beginning I wasn't so sure. I still have my days. But I am working to improve everyday. I'm 29 now and I plan on making this a yr of improvement and when I am 30 I want to be the best I can be. let's see how it goes. Pre op I was 338lbs and now am down to about 302lbs and about 180lbs to go lol one pound at a time. My kids broke my scale so I am not 100% on weight but was weighed a week ago and am sure I am about 302lbs now Dec 6/01 Well things are going good I am slowly getting the hang of how the whole surgery thing works. Not as easy as I figured it would be. My head hunger is still there but I am getting better at recognizing true hunger and head hunger. I was last weighed a couple weeks ago and was down to 298lbs. Of course I did the happy dance. I have also made a new support group for people who are 35 and under to join please go here: http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/WLSTYofBCandBeyond Would love to have you join us. Our group is called The youngins of BC WLS and Beyond:) Jan 18/02 Well I have lost definetly 54lbs but my guess it's over 60lbs by now. I have a new before and after pic now. I feel pretty good. I am having some issues with low amounts of energy, but it comes and goes. I can tie my shoes, I can climb stairs without running out of breathe. I can clean better and so much more. I am still getting the full feeling. My capacity fro eating is about 1/3 of a cup unless it is salad which I can seem to eat more of. I have only been stuck once with a piece of steak. I mean the kind of stuck that scares you. Thankfully some coke pushed it through. Right now I would recommend this surgery to anyone who wants a new start at Life. Feels so good to be breathing again. I have only needed my inhaler once in the last couple of months:) Feb 11/02- Well in hospital a week ago I weighed in at an 80lbs loss. 2 other scales say differently or said. I am 1lbs away from that loss on my own scale now. I am happier, mostly healthier. I have a flu. I am walking more and eating much better and the puking has ceased now. I see Amson again soon. I am actually considering entering the 5k. I would recommend this surgery to everyone. I am so glad I did it. I keep my food diary on my site. So if your curious feel free to come read. Aug 8/02 Well I am now down 128lbs and I am doing okay physically. Mentally I am drained. I have gone back to depression and realized I have other issues besides weight and the weight took those from perspective. So it is now time to deal with the deep parts of myself that were hidden so well. I am breathing much easier, eating still not much but I do have days where I want to and have tried to and unsucessfully binge. I am open to discussing all and everything I will be painfully honest. I believe the best tool to being successful is to be ready for all realities. Oct 1/02 Well i found out I have gallstones and so apparently I am now going to get my gallbladder out. Oh lucky me. Other than that as far as health goes I am doing alright. I am having some issues of nighttime hunger and trying to deal with that but apparently I am not alone on this so am quite happy about that. Things are going good and i would do this surger again in a heartbeat. Dec 2/02 I am now under 200lbs and thrilled. I am wearing my heels most of the time now and feeling really good. I had my gallbladder taken out in Nov on the 9th/02. I am still in school somehow yes I have managed to keep it going. I will be so relieved when that part is over but then a new journey begins. I definetly feel sexier and happier and healthier. I have seen Dr.Taylor a plastic surgeon and have choosen to have the panelectomy which will be sometime next year Dec 29/02 I am now 189lbs my weightloss is slowing down and I have had some struggles through the holidays with eating the wrong foods. I plan to get back to the right foods again right now though. I can say even though I have had some of the wrong foods a few too many times this holiday season I am still dumping and I am still loosing. I still cannot eat what I would have eaten before surgery and for all of this I am glad. I would say having a support network is a huge part of being successful. If you don't have a support network find a way to have one. Also stay honest it is hard to admit failure and bad days but in doing this it allows others to realize it's ok if they have these days and months too. I go against the grain in admitting the hardships but I am being realistic and i think in the long run it helps those to follow and it helps me. I am thrilled to be eblow 200lbs and I am now at the hard work part I need to up my excercise and get back to all the water drinking. I will let you know how it goes:) April 2003: I am down to 180lbs. I am going to be having my plastic surgery close to summer they tell me. So I am excited. I have slowed down with loosing weight but I need to get my excercise routine more active. I am still so glad I had this surgery. I am having some pain when eating so I am having an upper GI series done in may and we'll see what happens with that. I am back it's still April. The plastic surgeon called today I have a date for my panni. whew hoo. I am so excited. I will be so happy to have the skin removed. I am also down to 179lbs and doing the 10k on sunday and I would never have even thought of it a yr ago *dances around* Here is where you can go to see more pics:  July 30th/03- I had my panni with Dr.Taylor. I was more sore than I had expected after a week than the first week. I can say though that I also moved the week I got out of hospital so did not take it easy like I was told to. I suggest to anyone to expect to take it really easy after surgery I think it will make your healing time go quicker unlike me who has prolonged and pulled things making the healing process slower. Dr.Taylor and his office have been wonderful. My scar is much lower than I had anticipated and so am real excited for when it all heals. I totally recommend Dr.Talor I am thrilled with his work. Aug 17th/03- I am now down to 165lbs the weight seems to finally be dropping once again. The fluid is beginning to go down and swelling. Hips still very tender but better every day. See Dr.Taylor for check up next week:) Here is some abdominalplasti pics. The ones in skirt and red top before surgery, the more graphic ones the newer shots.  October 5, 2003- I am now 155lbs and starting to loose again a bit more in a week. When we had a death in the family I fell back on my friend food. But my friend made me ill. So I slowly got back on normal foods again and am loosing again. I'm pretty happy I am almost to the goal of loosing 200lbs. This has been the ultimate goal, although 200 and 10 would be great but let's see if I can make that 200lbs loss:) January 24/2004- I had a visit with dr.Amson a week or so ago. I have been having some problems with eating. When I eat I generally feel sick. I am dumping more than when I even first had surgery. I am my dr says very animic but hemoglobin is fine just ferritin is low and he says as long as hemoglobin is fine I don't need the iron shots. B12 is good. Protien is low. Other things are not high but are at the lowest ok range. I am tired alot, but other than that I am thrilled with things. I do have days where I want to eat myself out of the agony I feel, those habits never leave us. It's how we deal with them that does. So this is my update for now:) August 8/2004- I am still down to 147lbs I gain 5lbs up and down for the last 6 mos or so, so not sure how things will go from here. I think I've finally it that stop in the road. Now it's taking care of what I have. I really am disappointed in not getting to gola which is 130lbs but I've come close and I guess it's much better than being at 138lbs. I have had some real iron problems I have none:) My hemoglobin is at a level of 101 and dropping. I am though hoping that will go back up after my scheduled hysterectomy on Sept 29th 2004. My protien and calcium have also been low but I am still chugging along. I have had a few issues with throwing up and struggling with the bulemia side of me I used to depend on so much. I may have to get some counselling for that. But trying hard not to go there. I don't throw up very easily. I have had an occasion where my bowels got really backed up but a few days and I was back to normal. I do feel alot better now than I ever did before and not for one moment do I regret having this done. I am now wearing 12's in some clothes small and medium in shirts. I am so damn happy about that and even this yr bought a bikini actually 2 that my daughter picked out for me. so this has been the best summer I've had in some time. Please do not hesitate to contact me. I try to keep up with things on here but I have had alot going on I will get back to you all though. *hugs* Here's some newer pics: My kitties Aug 23/04 Well I got my blood tests back and my hemoglobin has now dropped to 97 my iron is still nil and now my red blood cell count is low as well as is my cholesterol. Apparently I am quite anemic. Is anyone else going through this? I feel like everyday I get just a little weaker and a little more tired and I am so tired of being tired. Takes energy just to eat. If your going through it how are you dealing. Yes as asked I am having surgery soon a hysterectomy Sept 29th at VGH at 1pm. I see the anestitist on the 20th. I am worried with this period I am on now and one more to go before surgery I won't have anymore blood to loose:( I am feeling so alone in this. So reaching out Angela/LadyIllusions/Sattorie cw 147lbs/gw 130lbs/sw 338lbs Open RNY w/Amson Sept 18/01 Gallbladder removal Dr.Amson Nov 02 Pannelectomy Dr.Taylor July 17/03 Feb 12/05 Well I have sadly gained 25lbs back on. I find it depressing I have cried alot. My dr thinks my meds are causing the weightgain so I considering going off of them. I feel really lost and alone and I am drinking more water, taking healthy supplements, still my pouch gets full quick. But some days I feel like all I want to do is. I've turned into a nibbler and closet eater again. I'm working hard to change that. My mother and I going to start going swimming and I plan to work out on the machines too. So hopefully I can come back and let you all know I got the wieght back off as none of my new clothes now fit me. Now if that isn't something to cry about I don't know what is. |
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