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Surgeon TestimonialRita AndersonMy first impression of Dr Rita was that she looked like Mrs America, yet here she was helping morbidly obese individuals attain a better quality of life. I was very impressed with her credentials and her manner of presenting the information at the seminar I attended. When I asked a question, she held eye contact with me while she gave a most sincere answer. That's when I decided that I could trust her to do my surgery.
Dr Rita and her colleagues at New Life Surgery Center in Kettering Ohio make sure that the patient is well-informed enough to make their own decision about which weight loss surgery they prefer. They then send the patient through the approval process which also guarantees that one will understand the ramifications of the surgery and the importance of life-long aftercare. Even after all that, when you have your surgical consultation you must fill out a paper describing the surgery in your own words. There is absolutely no guesswork in this practice - you will be an informed patient!
New Life Surgery is equipped with a bariatric ward at Kettering Hospital, staffed with bariatric nurses. They have experts in every field on call who are familiar with weight loss surgery and the particular complications that might arise. For this reason, this practice has better than the national average statistics when it comes to complication and mortality rates. That is a reassuring thing for a patient to know.
Dr Rita is warm and direct and likes to hug her patients. She doesn't spend a lot of time chatting but does get right to the point with such questions as "what do you want to ask me?" or "what can I do to help you with that?" She quickly delegates whatever followup you need and has an assistant, Valerie, who is available by phone. This works very well, but if you want much of Dr Rita's time you had best be prepared with your list of questions.
I was told that I will never visit the office without having to fill out paperwork. This is because this practice is very proactive in determining how you are doing with your vitamins, protein and fluids and wants to be aware of any questions you have right up front. They don't want to miss anything and they want you to feel free to say or ask anything on your mind. And so you give a full report each time you go and I'm sure you get comprehensive feedback.
The practice also has active support groups for each type of surgery and encourages everyone to participate. The doctors themselves participate and keep close contact with patients who make themselves available.
I cannot imagine a better program anywhere so I have nothing negative to say about Dr Rita or New Life Surgery. They are as professional as any group can be and have covered every eventuality. They are always open to questions and discussion, so what more could one ask? I am thankful that they are in the next town from me and I got such quality care so close to home. I would recommend them to absolutely anyone. |
Ohio DS get-together on 9/29/07 on October 1, 2007 7:13 pm
Here's my post for that get-together!!
Hi everyone!! Man, we had a great time last Saturday evening at the Green in Dayton OH! I am late in posting pics, but this is the first chance I've had to edit and post.First, let me say that the Dayton/Cincinnati Ohio DS group continues to grow and Val and Caro already made great posts about it. We had one party-crasher, Peggy, from Indianapolis - who was most welcome and a nice surprise. Most of the following pics are from her. She doesn't regularly post here even though she does read every day - she has some work conflicts that keep her from posting freely. But she did give me her film disc so that we can all share the photos she took. Thanks Peggy!Second, I will confer that the Ohio DSers totally rock!! The nine of us (including Indy Peggy) who have had the DS have so far lost a total of 1172 pounds - is that awesome or what??!! Combine that with what the Michigan group had lost when I visited them in August and you have 17 formerly MO persons who have lost 2112 pounds!! More than a ton!! OMG - it is such a testament to what the DS can do. And can you even put a price on the improvement in those 17 lives?? I don't think so......Meanwhile, here's some photos:
first, the scene of the crime ~ the Mongolian Grill where you get fabulous food and fabulous service!!
David and diva Bonnie are both looking so fine... Val arrives looking super-sexy... Caro and husband had a fun evening (he showed me some family pics and they have such a beautiful and lovely spiritual family!!
 We do feed our faces!! (pictured is Kym and super-supportive hubby Ken, Caprice and me on the right with Lloyd and wife Chris also on the right, then, on the left, Bonnie standing, David and then Peggy's daughter) David (down 185 pounds), Kym (down 145 pounds to a size 4!!) and Lisa (down 80 pounds so far) 
then me and David... honestly, when David stood up to get his pic with me, he was sooooo tall and soooo cute!! isnt' it true that the good ones are all taken already??? geeeezzzz.............and here's the group: back: Lloyd, Brandy (diva goddess, having surgery real soon!), Kym, Caprice (DS in Mexico on 10/15), Lisa, Peggy, Bonnie front: Starr, Val, CaroDon't we look fabulous???
Thanks so much for a fabulous get-together. The DS is a miracle and getting together and staying in touch is such a blessing. Caprice, my best friend and one who is having surgery two weeks from today, was so impressed at how generous and loving this group was. We share so much having been MO and finding our way out of that death-trap. I hope that we can continue to encourage each other every step of the way and to enjoy our second chance at life.Thank you, each one of you, for being here and for sharing your experience. That is how we support each other and also how we spread the word about the most successful WLS available. I made a point to tell our waitress and waiter that we all love life and that we get to eat!! Her mouth literally fell open when I told her the amount of weight we have collectively lost. Life doesn't get any better than that!!
Here's the rundown:
Starr - minus 100 pounds
David - minus 185 pounds
Lloyd - minus 164 pounds
Peggy - minus 100 pounds
Kym - minus 145 pounds
Lisa - minus - 80 pounds
Val - minus 145 pounds
Caro - minus 115 pounds
Bonnie - minus 138 pounds
May your journey be successful, no matter where you are on the path,
Lunch with the Michigan girls on August 4, 2007 6:24 pm
Today was a fun day in my DS history - I got to meet the Michigan DSer's and have lunch. What a treat! Here's a group shot at the restaurant..
Clockwise from left: Deanna, Sharon (in back), Cathy, Maureen, Starr, Valerie, Nicole, Nicole's sister, Natalie (Petunia's daughter). Petunia (Ruby) is taking the photo.
And here's some more photos:
me and Maureen, of course.
Sharon S and her husband Jim
Nicole (Cowgirl) and her sister
Ruby (Petunia) on the right and daughter Natalie - Natalie just had the VSG done in Mexico 8 weeks ago and is feeling great! Don't they look alike?
Deanna and Cathy (dutchcala)
Julie and Kevin. Like me, they drove four hours to get there, but it was worth it!
This is CM Bender (Christine) and hubby Joe. Christine will be having the DS in another 12 days and is looking forward to getting on the "other side". Hopefully we all reassured Joe that there is a new life ahead after the DS!
Valerie is my switch twin - we had the DS on the same day (8/1/2005). How good it was to meet her!
These two are the reason I drove to Michigan. I wanted to meet my switch twin Valerie and also the dear-heart Maureen. Lovely, lovely ladies.
And of course we had to have a group photo. Kevin took this.
From left: Maureen, Sharon, Starr, Deanna, Valerie, Nicole, Julie, Cathy, Ruby. The nine of us have collectively shed 1,060 pounds. How awesome is that?
When Kevin said, "ok, girls, lift your pant legs", Julie and I immediately did! Better not team us up with LeaAnn and Baby Catcher!
So if you get a chance to meet DSer's near you - go for it. The journey from morbid obesity to normal life and normal weight is a fantastic one that really bonds us together. I think we look great!
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Long overdue update... on July 15, 2007 6:55 pm
Can it really be seven months since I last updated here? I truly cannot believe that! At that time I was still recovering from the hernia repair and LBL and I have to say that my life has changed considerably since that time!
In January 2007 I went back to work and tried to get back to a normal life. I was still adjusting to the changes from the plastic surgery and I felt very strange. Additionally, the people I work most closely with have not been supportive of my weight loss journey (they were either opposed to the idea of surgery or didn't give a hoot) and it was a surreal time for me. Suffice it to say that even though I lost 100 pounds in the past two years and my body changed dramatically with plastics, no one that I work with directly has said a single word. Not one word, be it favorable or unfavorable. NOT ONE WORD.
I found this emotionally devastating since I am a person who thrives on approval and acceptance from others. I guess this has been a lesson to me to grow up and get a better sense of my own self and not depend on what others think of me. This has been a hard lesson to say the least.
To be fair, there ARE people that I work with who did notice and who did care and who did say very nice and supportive things. They just aren't the people that I work with directly and I felt much like an orphan in my regular environment.
However, by the time Spring 2007 rolled around, I was a new person! Firmly in a size 14 petite, I finally went shopping for some new clothes for the first time since the whole WLS ordeal began two years ago. And what fun I had! I only bought really cute clothes - capris, skirts and a couple of new dresses with shrugs to hide my floppy arms. The first time I wore one of my new skirt outfits, my kids flipped out and ran for the camera. They were amazed at my "transformation" and were so happy for me that they couldn't stop commenting about it. I was thrilled to feel so attractive and comfortable with myself at last. Really, there are no words to express how wonderful it is to finally feel worthy of being in your own skin. The real me is visible for all to see for the first time in many years!! I cannot thank my doctors and surgeons enough for giving me back this aspect of my life after so many years of feeling unworthy and unacceptable and downright invisible to society. Finally, my real self is peeking out!!
Backing up a bit, I have to say that the LBL was a brutal surgery. The hardest I have had by far. Something about that 360 degree incision played on my mind and felt very gruesome. Maybe I just thought about it too much, but it felt "not normal" and I had a harder time adjusting to it mentally than I did physically. I did become depressed after that surgery and struggled with a lot of emotions for several weeks. Fortunately, Maureen and Deluzy both called me at home to chat and work through it. They helped me a lot.
After going back to work in January, I just went through the motions for some time. I guess this was still part of the healing and adjustment period. In the spring, I started to feel like the real me again. Like I said, I got some cute new clothes and started playing dress-up just like you do when you are a little girl. I wore skirts to work, put tanning cream on my legs to help with my pale-ness and just enjoyed looking like a girly-girl again. When someone at work asked me who I was "dressing for", I simply said "for me, who else?" And I smiled for the rest of the day because it was true...
When spring arrived, I began to work in my yard to restore my garden. This has turned out to be an amazing experience. Two years ago, trying to work in my garden was what triggered my final breakdown that lead to having the WLS. At that time I could not pull weeds out of the ground for ten minutes. I would become red in the face and so worn out that I could not continue. I cried because of what bad shape I was in. I feared that I would die and never see my children and grandchildren grow up in this life. I could barely get out of bed to get to work and support myself. I was afraid I had waited too long to get the DS.
Now, I can work all day and still come home and work for 3-4 hours in the garden. Weekends, I have to make myself go inside and rest. Honestly, I do not remember the last time I had my TV on - it's much too nice outdoors to stay in!! Go to my blog at http://starrgirlsworld.blogspot.com/ to see for yourself! I never thought I could feel this good again and I often stop what I am doing outdoors to look heavenward and say "thank you" to my glorious God Jehovah for giving me this second chance at life.
Always, I appreciated the gift of life and tried so hard to diet and exercise and live healthfully to show that I wanted to do all I could to deserve the blessings that came my way. In my heart I know that I always did what I could and that is why I know beyond all reasonable doubt that morbid obesity is a disease that makes it impossible for its victims to ever be a normal weight. Normal people do not gain hundreds of pounds and couldn't do so if they tried. But some of us do and that means that we are different from normal society and need the intervention of something like the DS. And then maybe plastics to feel normal again.
So here's the bottom line ~~
1) the DS was necessary for me to regain a normal weight and eating pattern. I look forward to always being a normal weight for the rest of my life and to not developing diabetes although it is prevalent on both sides of my genetic family.
2) The plastics restored me to a normal body image and made me feel youthful in my mid-fifties. No matter that it was brutal - it was like childbirth ~ a short time out of your life, (actually a total bitch of a time!), and then you are happy with the results forever. Having a flat tummy and slim hips is the most youthful thing that could happen to me at this point in my life. Clothes are fun and I enjoy strutting my stuff in front of those stodgy fools at work who opposed my WLS in the first place....
I have had an incredible journey back from morbid obesity and the DS forum here has been a large part of my experience. Please feel free to email me with questions or comments as I would love to give you feedback and pay forward anything that I can. This experience has its price, but it is small in comparison to being morbidly obese. Ask me anything and I will tell you all that I can and what is true for me.
I am one happy, happy person since I discovered the DS!
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Plastics update on December 19, 2006 6:19 pm
Well, it has been a very good day. After several weeks of being in a funk (since the surgery for hernia and LBL), I've finally started to come round to myself. The water weight has dissipated somewhat - at least the four pounds I gained and the eight pounds the surgeon removed are finally showing up on the scale. And my feet and ankles look normal again. I know that there is more fluid to get rid of, but at least now I feel like I'm on target with what has transpired.
Today I had two doc appts, so I roused myself to get dressed in something other than sweats. I had been "shopping" in my closet this week and was able to pull out and wear a new pair of 14P slacks and a stretch shirt. Also a BELT ~ for the first time in about five years!! Truly, I felt unreal all day!
First stop, I had my daughter take some pics of me so that I could show everyone my progress. The clothed pics are here for everyone to see ~ if you'd like to see the surgery update pics, you need to be my "friend". So send me an inquiry if you'd like to be on the friend list.
Second, I went to my WLS appt and it had been cancelled. I had to reschedule it for January. Then I amused myself until time to see my family doc, who didn't know I had the recent corrective surgeries. When I got to that office, they went nuts over me!! It was so exciting!! Doc and the office staff were thrilled for me and thought I looked great and I offered, of course, to recommend the DS to any patient who is wavering. Doc said that he runs into this issue most days and that his patients generally think WLS is too DRASTIC. He tries to tell them that MO is DRASTIC and needs serious treatment, but it is a battle. It took him three YEARS to convince me!! Here is a doc who believes in the DS and can't convince his patients that is is the smart thing to do!!
So we had a grand time and I pirouetted as much as anyone could stand!! I am down almost 100 pounds now! Two lousy pounds to go and I'll be in the Century Club!! No sweat!!
Then, when I went to check out, the receptionist made me an appt for six months from now. "No", I said, "I always come in every three months." **pause** She double-checked and said, "no ~ you are down for SIX months..."
I retrieved my prescription and asked, "Do I have enough here to last that long?"
"Yes", she said, "He wrote your scripts for six months."
Well, glory be!! I've been coming to see this doc every three months for over 15 years. Finally, I am healthy enough to stretch that out to 2x year in the future ~ and that's just to get scripts!! My blood pressure was 120/82 (and had stayed that way, unmedicated, through the plastic surgery experience!) and I no longer take cholesterol meds. Isn't that AMAZING!!!! I am totally floored!!
I am going to write a special thank you to my PCP for sticking with me and getting me to get the DS even tho it took me three years to come around to his way of thinking. Lord, I hope that others aren't so dense!!
Meanwhile, check out my current pics. I'm not skinny, but I'm a hell of a 55 year old, folks. And I love it!! Thank God for the DS!!!
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