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Surgeon: Dr. Robert Rabkin, San Francisco, CA
Surgery date: November 27, 2000
Pre-op weight/BMI: 320/50.1
Current weight/BMI: 150 (as of November 11, 2002)

 
Left: Pre-op (320lb.); Right: 4 months post-op (260lb.)

 
Above (both): August 2002 (150lb.)

by Andrea:

I was a fairly normal-sized baby, 8 pounds even. I was tall and thin up until about age four, when I started to gain weight, nothing much, but to a more-normal size for my height. Well, it didn't stop there. I gradually gained weight year-by-year, and by age 10, I was quite the chubbo. In 5th grade the boys on the playground called me "Mack Truck" at recess and I usually went home after school in tears from the pain that caused.

My mother took me to Weight Watchers the first time the summer between 5th and 6th grades. I grew 4 inches taller and lost 25 pounds! In the 6th grade my new nickname was "legs" since I was tall and thin. Which of course didn't last. In the next three years I was pudgy, or at least 20 pounds overweight, and always depressed about it. I know I wasn't obese, but for me it was devastating. My sister was thin and I guess there was a lot of pressure at home to always be on a diet. I dieted all through high school and ended up losing 10 pounds, gaining 12, losing 10, gaining 12, until I graduated at 185 pounds, or size 18. (Ha, If only I was there now!) After high school, I continued to struggle with my weight only to continually gain year after year.

I got married for the first time at age 23, and weighing about 210 pounds, size 22. My wedding dress was ugly and too tight. I continued to gain weight until at age 28, I was at 265 pounds. I went on the Weight Watchers at Work program which worked really well, I lost about 75 pounds, but it was a battle to stay below 200 pounds, and I gained back a few but stayed at 200 pounds for about a year. At that time I went through a divorce, job change and met a new man, my current husband.

I had really succeeded, or so I thought, at beating the dieting cycle, and thought I'd never gain again. I was happy to stay around 200 pounds. But again it wasn't to last. I started gaining again and after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia and depression, I put on a lot of weight. I tried WW over and over, only to fail. I tried exercise classes, only to have too much pain from the fibromyalgia or from the weight or a combination of the two. I eventually was at 275 pounds and desperate. I went to a doctor-supervised liquid-protein diet and dropped 40 pounds in about 3 months, switched to phen-fen and kept 35 pounds of it off for about 6 months. Soon phen-fen was off the market and I was gaining again. At 300 pounds, I went to my PCP at the time to ask for a referral for WLS (1995) and he denied it saying he wouldn't recommend WLS for anyone and told me to just get on an exercise bike and cut down on what I eat (like duh, I never tried that before!). He told me just to lose 25 pounds since he felt I was happier at 275 pounds. (I was never happy there.) Anyway, I left angry, never to go back to him again. I tried other diets, Atkins, Jenny Craig, WW two or three more times, only to gain more weight and become more and more depressed.

In July 2000, my mother-in-law called us about her friend's daughter-in-law who was having DS surgery with Dr. Anthone. She felt that this might be the answer to all my suffering. She gave us the DS website address and sent me a copy of Dr. Anthone's pamphlet for patients. I started researching and got very excited about the possibilities. I made an appointment with my current PCP to ask for a referral. I brought about a 2" stack of papers I had downloaded off the internet about the surgery. My doctor said that I was very prepared! She initiated the referral but told me my medical group would probably deny because Dr. Rabkin was out of their network. She suggested I should get the RNY because they would refer to a local doc for that. I told her that I absolutely wouldn't get the RNY, only the DS would work for me. And she was right, I received a denial letter the following week. I called her to ask for her help with my appeal only to be told she no longer worked there.

Imagine that, giving me a referral, then leaving without bothering to mention it to me! Ugh, back to square one. I immediately decided to change medical groups to one that would refer to Dr. Rabkin (thanks to Vicki Booros' experience) and set the process going that direction. My newly assigned PCP was going to be on vacation for the first 3 weeks of September, so I've been not-so-patiently waiting for my first appointment with her that is scheduled for September 26th. Meanwhile, I have a consultation scheduled with Dr. Rabkin for October 12, 2000!

October update:

I went to my new PCP on 9/26 and asked for the referral to Dr. Rabkin. She was apprehensive, not being familiar with WLS and me being a new patient, but she went ahead and put in the referral anyway! Within a week I had my official referral authorization in the mail and was ecstatic! I went to the Oct. 12th appointment with Dr. Rabkin and planned to meet some of the eGroups members for dinner, then staying for the support group meeting. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day. I met several wonderful people while in Dr. R's waiting room, including Derek (who was having surgery the following week) and Melanie, of course. Went to dinner in a group of six, had a great time, then attended the evening support group meeting. All in all, it was one of the best days I've had in a long time! Dr. Rabkin put me into the "special" patient group (those that were ready for surgery now) given the tentative surgery date of 11/27/00, and I was given the names of the doctors I needed to see for pre-op. I went ahead and scheduled my psych evaluation right then.

On 10/17 I had my psych evaluation with Dr. Hartman. He explained that the purpose of the evaluation was to make sure that the patient would be able to handle the possibility of complications, i.e. have family/friend support, the fortitude to push through complications and the tendency to take care of themselves and go to the doctor when things go wrong. I passed with flying colors!

On 10/27 I received my official authorization for surgery in the mail! I am on my way! I have pre-op appointments with Dr. Jossart and Dr. Elkin in SF on 11/16, the pre-admitting appointment at the hospital on 10/22 and my surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am on 11/27.

I'll finish this story as a post-op!

March 2001 Update:
My surgery went uneventful... the recovery has been smooth, no complications. It isn't easy by any means; the first 5-7 weeks were pure hell, but then things turned around, eating got easier and energy levels came up again.

I've enjoyed the weight loss and the freedom that has provided for me. I feel so much better and can do things that I'd not been able to do for many years. I can bend, climb, fit in smaller spaces and fit in the seatbelts of all my friends vehicles too!

I've lost about 65 lbs in 3.5 months and although I have a long way to go yet, I am seeing the future without weight as the main focus.

11/27/01:
Wow! 1 year since my "switch"! I am doing awesome still... now working 2 jobs and having a lot of fun in life. My weight is no longer the definition of myself. I meet people who would never believe that 1 year ago I weighed 330 lbs. My family was so pleased to see me on Thanksgiving. I have to be careful not to eat too much fat (gas and cramps) but other than that I am eating whatever and whenever I want. I love to go out to eat. I don't feel guilty or worry about what people think when they see me eating in public anymore. I'm very active, even run on my farm when I'm doing the chores! something I would never have thought possible. At 215 lbs now, I'm 65 lbs from my ideal goal weight, but I'm not sure that I have that much left that I can lose! I'm going back to the gym soon...

November 2002 update:
Well, it's been 2 years now since I was "switched"! I'm down to 150 lbs and will be going in for my hernia repair and panniculectomy (lower body lift) on November 22, 2002. My life has changed 100%. I'm single now, almost through the divorce. I work for the state, and am looking forward to getting a full time job next year. I look totally different, and the world treats me totally different than ever before. I now am treated like a queen every where I go. I have a gazillion friends, and get tons of attention from men. Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared for how to deal with being suddenly single and attractive, and getting so much attention. It has been hard to learn how to set boundaries, and how to enforce those boundaries! I'm learning though, and wouldn't trade my life now for the way it was before for all the money in the world! I know life will keep getting better from here on out. I'm healthy and happy with my new body. I'm wearing a size 8 now, which I never dreamed would happen! I'll try to update again with new pictures in the spring.

send email to Andrea

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