"I first met him at a seminar, so I decided to have my consult with him. The consult with him was not quite what I was expecting, since he didn't want me to have the surgery and be off to school 800 miles away a month later, but he gave me some options and encouraged me to keep thinking. I kind of felt shot down from my hopes of being able to have this and continue on with my life, but he was right and very nice about how he addressed it. I could tell that he didn't want me to be in a situation where I was with doctors who might not know what to do in case of complications. The staff was very nice and I actually enjoyed my visit to the office in Covington, LA.
Update: 6/4/09
Dr French has been a great surgeon. 4 years after my original surgery, I experienced a lot of weight regain and stomach pain. I went to see him in April regarding this, and Dr. French took me very seriously. I was expecting a doctor to just tell me I was crazy...which I may be, but not about this. On May 28, I was scheduled for a diagnostic laparotomy to determine the source of my abdominal pain and it was determined that I was suffering from Candy Cane Roux Syndrome and part of my original pouch was bulged out. He fixed it up and here I am, starting with a "fresh" pouch and another chance to achieve what I have set out to do."
