"Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy 3/17/10
With a procedure as life changing as this, I spent three years learning all I could about my options, my surgeon, and myself before moving forward with surgery.
I attended an informational seminar in 2007, which was hosted by Dr. Joseph Chebli on the Northwest Hospital Campus (Seattle, WA). My first impression was that he seemed very confident, and over the course of the next few years there was one line from that seminar that stuck with me. During the talk he discussed things like how to pick a surgeon and when referring to the fact that a doctor might have done many weight loss surgeries, but are not up on the more current methods and training he said(paraphrasing), "just because we CAN, does not mean we SHOULD".
I left there really feeling that he had the patients best interest at heart, no matter who did the procedure.
Within a few weeks I visited his office and was very sure that I wanted to have a Lap-band installed. His demeanor at first was VERY professional, and not really personalized. But I understood he consults with many patients and all of the beginning "leg work" is just very straightforward. YOU the patient, have to take home the binder and decide if this the path you want to take. He is not there to make this decision for you. He did let me know statistics for success were low with the Lap-band, especially with my BMI being so high. Long story short, I lost the required 5%+ and tricked myself into thinking that I could lose the rest of the weight on my own, and cancelled the surgery.
Fast forward two years, and all the studies I had been keeping up on showed that Dr. Chebli was correct. The Lap-band was not getting the results I would have expected. I went back with him and discussed the Lap RNY, a procedure that I really did NOT want - but after gaining back the 5% and then some, I knew I could not do this on my own. We did discuss the Sleeve, but my insurance did not cover it and I could not afford the procedure on my own. Again my visit with him was very quick and he was just straightforward and professional. During these few years I consulted with him, Dr. Chebli had also consistently ended up on Seattle Magazine's TOP DOCTOR list for his excellence in bariatric surgery. This was another reinforcement that gave me assurance in his ability.
After scheduling a surgery date for the Lap RNY procedure, I cancelled again. My fiance' abruptly passed away and I had to sort out how I was going to move forward with just myself and my three year old son, alone. Then three months later, I unexpectedly lost one of my brothers.
Fast forward three more months to Feb 2010, add an additional whopping 60lbs to my short frame, and I found myself just walking into Dr. Chebli's office unannounced. Samantha let me go in and stand on the scale. Speaking with her was truly a moment in which I will never forget. I think I will always consider her one of the people who helped "save" me, so to speak. From that point on, she personally helped to make sure all my records, insurance approvals, and tests were in place so that I could restart the surgery process. In a miraculous change, my insurance company had begun covering the Sleeve procedure. This is a medical procedure we are talking about, but I surely took that as another sign that this was the "right" time to embark on this journey.
On March 17th, 2010 when Dr. Chebli came in to see me before surgery, I knew instantly that he was MY surgeon and was going to make sure everything went smoothly. I truly saw the switch from just a consulting physician to my personal surgeon. I followed all his rules for success and made a huge commitment to have him perform this procedure and in return, I know first hand that he is invested in my long term success. From the excellent aftercare in the hospital, to the follow up visits, and at home call back when I had questions, I cannot be any more pleased with my decision in choosing Dr. Chebli for my VSG procedure.
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