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Surgeon: Drs. Robert and John Rabkin, San Francisco, CA Most recent update: June 2003
by Anna-Maria: Hello everyone! I am honored to be on this page as a post-op patient, and I’m thrilled with my results thus far. I had my Duodenal Switch on February 12, 2002, with Dr. Robert Rabkin, Dr. John Rabkin, and Mike Rossi, PA, in San Francisco, CA. I am blessed to have had the surgical team I had, including the addition of Dr. Rabkin’s brother, Dr. John. He is a former transplant surgeon who joined the team just prior to my surgery. My quest for weight loss surgery began AFTER the very successful procedure of my sister Vicki. She is on this website under “Vicki” if you are interested. I stress AFTER because I was adamantly opposed to her having WLS because I was afraid she would die. Her perseverance gave me the strength to pursue my own surgery, and I thank her for that. My weight loss history is simple. I was a very thin child who gained weight at puberty. I did every possible weight loss program growing up, but if you are reading this, you know that when you have genetic obesity, nothing will help. By the time I was 35 years old I had reached 350 pounds, and decided it was time. I have never had the “typical” psychological issues related to obese patients. I have always been a happy person who did whatever I wanted, even though it wasn’t always comfortable. I have traveled extensively, worked in very active jobs, and never once said “why me”. Of course there were things that I wanted to do but couldn’t because of my weight, but I didn’t hide away because I was obese. Everyone accepted me; therefore my weight was not psychologically detrimental. I did, however, have the want to be healthy and comfortable. After several surgeries related to obesity, it was time to do something about it. I had insurance issues that I fought for over a year. After receiving my third and final denial I had given up on the surgery. This was in August of 2001. On a very fateful day in December 2001 I received a phone call from Dr. Rabkin’s office telling me that I needed to call my insurance because someone there called to confirm my surgery date. I assured Dr. Rabkin’s office that I had received 3 denials, with the final one coming from the head of my insurance companies appeal department, therefore it had to be a mistake. When I phoned the person at the insurance company she explained that she understood my quest for Weight Loss Surgery and then told me to ask no questions and set a surgery date. At this point, I was extremely skeptical, but started crying. She continued to tell me that I was not to call anyone at the insurance office after this phone call. I told her that my denial came from the top, and she said she was aware of that and asked me to trust her. When I asked why, she simply said, Merry Christmas! We both cried for a few minutes together and she wished me the happiest holidays ever. I cannot tell you what that phone call did for me, and how it changed my life, and I thank that amazing woman from the bottom of my heart. She was definitely my guardian angel! In the midst of all of this, I have failed to mention that I met a wonderful man, prior to surgery, and we are engaged to be married in May of 2003. Roger is an amazing person who has supported my efforts in every way, and I love him doubly for that. God has truly blessed me with so many things, but Roger is the icing on the cake. I am including photos of he and I for you to see our progress. I say “our” because he has lost over 100 pounds on his own. I am very proud of him, and he of me, so we are a very happy team. I’ll share wedding photos as they become available. I would not have made it to this point in my life without incredible support from my family and friends. I have to thank you all for your friendship, kindness and love. The only way I know how to thank you is to live the life you have wished for me, and I will do so with honor knowing that every day I am living healthier because of you.
I am about 17 months post-op and there are not too many changes to report. I eat more than I ever did, and although I am thin, I weigh 177 pounds. Both Dr. Rabkin’s agree that I do not require a revision at this time, but if my weight drops from this point we will have to consider it. Let me explain the eating, I was always a consumer of large portions, but now I am eating smaller portions….ALL DAY AND NIGHT LONG! I have to say, it gets old, but I’m not complaining. In order to maintain my weight I have to eat like this, otherwise I’ll be in for a revision and I’m not ready for that at this time. I do have an umbilical hernia in need of repair, and I would like to have a tummy tuck. All of this can be handled after one important step…BABIES! I am working on becoming pregnant, and after I have 2 children (from my mouth to God’s ears), I will reconsider my revision option at the time of my hernia repair and tummy tuck. Please know that none of this is a serious factor. I feel very healthy, I just have to eat a lot to maintain the weight, and over time this could get old. The option of a slight revision is always there, so I’m not worried. Living life in a size 12 body suits me perfectly. I am able to do everything, although at times I still question myself. While on my honeymoon in Hawaii we stayed at a hotel with a waterslide. It took me 2 days to muster up the confidence to try the slide, and I had a slight panic attack on the way up the steps. All I could think about was my butt getting stuck in the slide. I was scared to death, but my husband helped me overcome it and told me not to worry. I knew that this was an important step as I had not been on a waterslide since I was 12 years old, and was then a size 12! Rationally I knew it would be fine, but my old self crept in saying, “just be careful”. Well, I did it and am so happy I did. Other important factors reared their head while I was away, and the most important is that I spent time in a spa area where there were several large size women who were embarrassed to sunbathe at the regular pool with the general public. The most amazing thing was that these women were obviously uncomfortable speaking with other “regular size” guests, but were drawn to me. I never discussed my surgery with them, but rejoiced in the fact that they felt comfortable enough with me to sit and have a conversation without hiding in a corner. This is one of the amazing phenomenons that this surgery brings to light. One of the guests at my wedding told me that she knew she was talking to me because she heard my voice, and I have not changed my personality a bit, but by looking at me she could swear I was someone else. That makes me very happy. I never wanted to change who I was, just how I was living. I am now living and feeling better each day. Life is good, and I wish health and happiness to all of you. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions. I am not convinced that this surgery is for everyone, but it worked for me because I worked with it. Anna Riggsby |
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Greetings from a whole new world! It gives me great pleasure to update you on my story. On May 31, 2003, I married Roger and we had an amazing Big Fat Greek Wedding. Many of the over 400 guests had not seen me since my surgery, so it was a shock for them, but gave me great joy to watch their reactions. I have attached a photo for you to see not only how I look, but how truly happy I am.