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Surgeon: Dr. Keshishian, Delano, CA by Alyssa J.: I always thought that I would *never* want to have weight loss surgery. Only crazy people did such things, I thought. That was before I became so overweight... I've been overweight for as long as I can remember. There wasn't a year in school that someone didn't tease me for my weight (or my height...I'm 5' tall now). I wasn't even obese at that point, but my weight kept climbing. My junior year in high school, I exercised my way down to 127, but by the end of my senior year, I was 140, and it went steadily up from there. By the end of my sophomore year in college, I was 172, and starting Nutri/Systems. (No need to elaborate on how *that* went...lost some, gained it back plus.) Got married in 1992 at 182 lbs. Just before I got pregnant with my first child, I started Weight Watchers, and went from 199.5 down to 187...before the weight started to creep back up. Got pregnant at 196 lbs and only gained 19 lbs during my pregnancy, but by the time I got pregnant a 2nd time 3 years later, I was 220. I gained 4 lbs with my second pregnancy (David was born Dec 98), but within 6 months after his birth, I had regained every pound that I lost while pregnant. In July 2001, I hit my all-time high of 231. That didn't even faze me entirely..it was a trip to my Ear Nose and Throat doctor that did it. In Aug 2001, I went to see him because of the horrible snoring habit I'd developed. While I was there, the ENT told me that I probably had sleep apnea, too, and for some reason that hit me like a ton of bricks. I have always had high cholesterol (controlled by Lipitor), and the thought of sleep apnea with its risk of heart attack scared me to death. I nearly cried when the ENT described the surgery that "cures" snoring. When I got home that day, I had an epiphany...I realized that nearly every single member of my family has a weight problem, and most of my family members are very overweight. It dawned on me that maybe this extra weight ISN'T my fault, that it's not some sort of character flaw that leaves me this weight. That's when I started researching WLS. When I stumbled onto the DS, I knew I'd found the answer. I researched, asked questions, looked at personal testimonies...I was obsessed. I found out that there were 2 surgeons within 5 hours of where I live, and I made consultation appointments with both -- Dr. Rabkin (end of October) and Dr. Keshishian (mid-October). It seemed like forever between August and mid-October, but finally it was time for my consult. By the time I left Delano and Dr. K, I knew that I should cancel my consult with Dr. Rabkin because I'd found the surgeon for me! I have been extremely lucky -- insurance approval came without a fight, and surgery happened on December 20, which is when I needed it to, since I'm a teacher. Surgery wasn't fun, but it was much easier than I had thought it would be. Recovery has been way too easy -- at nearly 3 weeks out, I'm eating normally (although TINY quantities and mostly protein), I have tons of energy, and people can already see the difference from the little weight I've lost. Dr. K is a wonderful doctor, and the Delano Regional Medical Center is a great place to have surgery. The care was wonderful, and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Now I'm just looking forward to more weight loss...and I've already thrown away my Lipitor! :) Update 5/5/02: As I sit here wearing *tucked in* jeans, I have lost about 45 pounds and gained my quality of life back! I now weigh what I did when I got married 10 years ago, much to my delight. Of course, I want to lose another 55 lbs, but for the first time ever, I believe that it can and will happen! I have lost weight every single week, even when my period was due. (Okay, so sometimes I only lose .25 lbs that week, but any loss is a good loss!) I feel fantastic! Last week, I even hiked up a major hill without dying on the way up. I never could have done that pre-op. Also, I'm preparing for Bay to Breakers, a fun run in San Francisco on May 19th. Needless to say, I won't be "running," but the fact that I'm even going to be walking the 7 miles is a feat. I am very proud of myself (another new concept in my life), thankful for my surgeon and those who went before him, as well as for Cigna PPO for paying for my surgery. Those of you who are pre-op or, as Anita in Denver used to call it, "pre-pre-op," keep reading and researching and you'll find what I found: nothing beats the DS and a bunch of weight gone forever!! Until next time... :) |
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