I was able to sneak out of this office this morning to be a guest on News12’s “To Your Health” program hosted by Dr. Derrick DeSilva. I was invited to talk about sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve), a minimally invasive surgical weight loss procedure. Karen Fabiny, RN, my colleague at CentraState Medical Center and also my patient, joined me to share her firsthand experience with gastric sleeve (she has dropped more than 130 pounds!).
The team at News 12 could not have been more accommodating and I can say that Karen and I both had a great time.
Our program will air several times this weekend:
Saturday and Sunday
February 25 - 26
AM: 6:30, 9:00
PM: Noon, 1:30, 4:30
Let me know if you think I should move to Hollywood
Kellie describes how having weight loss surgery has impacted her life in just 6 months. She describes the improvement in her quality of life, resolution of high blood pressure, fibromyalgia and improvement of osteoarthritis
James Langan, a 60-year-old retired maintenance supervisor, was looking forward to having his weight loss surgery performed by Dr. Seun Sowemimo. He initially attended the doctor’s weight loss surgery Informational Seminarto learn more about the different surgical procedures available and ask questions about the process. James attended the seminar with his sister-in-law, Joanne, head nurse in the Surgery department of an orthopedic group, whom he refers to as the ‘family doctor’. “Even she was impressed with Dr. Seun and agreed with his assessment that the gastric sleeve procedure was the way to go in my situation,” James recalls.
An unexpected roadblock
Prior to surgery, the Sayreville resident underwent routine testing to ensure he was a suitable candidate for the sleeve procedure. But during a colonoscopy, a mass on right side of James’ colon was discovered. James says Dr. Seun took immediate control of the serious diagnosis and simply told him “we would resolve this issue first and then get back to the weight loss surgery.” Dr. Seun recommended James get a second opinion from another surgeon before even discussing what action to take. “That really earned my confidence,” James says.
James did so and the second surgeon confirmed Dr. Seun’s diagnosis─stage one colon cancer. Fortunately, the cancer was in the early stages and had not penetrated any muscle. One week later, Dr. Seun laparoscopically removed all of the cancerous tumor in the colon at CentraState Medical Center.
Moving forward
“The incisions from my minimally invasive surgery were tiny—maybe two inches long. I previously had a knee replacement and surgery to remove an aneurism. But this time, I didn’t have to deal with weeks and weeks of recovery from general surgery.” James was only on pain medication for a day and a half after his colon surgery and says his scars are almost completely gone today. One month later, cancer free, James was finally ready to move forward with his bariatric sleeve surgery, which was performed without any complications.
Today, James has lost 76 pounds in less than three months and has alleviated the need for several medications for previous health conditions related to his obesity; He no longer needs any medication for high blood pressure. He found Dr. Seun’s calm and patient demeanor along with the non-stop support of Julie Parrott, RD, the Prime Surgicare nutritionist, pivotal to his rapid weight loss. To prepare him for surgery, James underwent a liquid protein diet to eliminate meals and caloric intake prior to surgery and prepare him for the liquid diet he would consume for a few weeks after surgery. “This helped tremendously during my first week of recovery,” said James.
James laughs and says that, unfortunately, he deems himself an expert in the world of surgery, after undergoing three major procedures in additional to his bariatric surgery. “Dr. Seun is not a hit-and-run doctor. He is always there to answer your questions, very down to earth, and speaks to you on your level. I recommend him 100% to anyone who may be facing surgery.”
There is nothing more fulfilling than to help a wonderful person turn down a different path and find good health again. Allison, a 52-year-old wife and mother from Monmouth County, shares her personal challenge of losing the weight, overcoming her diabetes, and gaining back her ability to enjoy life to the fullest.
We will be following Allison’s journey over the next year as she makes major changes in her diet, exercise and health. She will be supported by Prime Surgicare’s nutritionists and patient support group as well as family and friends.
Here, Allison, 52, shares her weight loss surgery experience with Prime Surgicare in Freehold, NJ and exclaims, “These have been the life-changing events of my life–marriage, children and my weight loss surgery!”
November 17, 2011 Update: Allison has just filmed her three-month post op weight loss update. We will be posting this exciting update within the next few weeks. You won’t want to miss it!
Karen Fabiny, RN, has a great deal of exposure to the ins and outs of weight loss surgery. As a staff nurse at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, she helps patients before and after various surgical procedures, including gastric bypass and the gastric sleeve procedure. At 51-years-old and with a family history of obesity, Karen knew the time had come for her to make a change. Weighing more than 300 pounds, she was taking three medications for high blood pressure and experiencing chronic joint pain in her knees and ankles.
“I watched Dr. Sowemimo (Dr. Seun) interact with patients before and after surgery and was impressed by his care and concern for each of them,” Karen says. “Once I made the decision to have bariatric surgery, there was no question he was the surgeon for me.” Karen and Dr. Seun agreed that the minimally invasive gastric sleeve procedure (sleeve gastrectomy) would be the best surgical solution for her. Gastric sleeve is one of the safest bariatric operations offering shorter hospitalization, quicker recovery time and less pain.
Starting on the road back to health
Karen began working with the nutritionists even before her surgery. She learned how to change her eating patterns throughout the weight loss surgical journey and even lost 10 pounds before surgery. She also attended CentraState’s support group meetings with other patients who were undergoing bariatric surgery.
“After just 10 weeks, I lost 50 pounds. At that point, I was more motivated and comfortable to start walking outside and get my body moving again,” Karen recalls. At six months, she had lost 85 pounds and was exercising regularly, following her meal plan and enjoying non-stop compliments from family, friends and colleagues at the hospital. She attended an annual summer picnic with her husband and when they arrived, the group thought her husband had brought another woman to the event. “Our friends whom we don’t see very often did not recognize me until I started talking to them,” Karen recalls. “That was a very memorable day for me.”
From size 28 down to size 12 in one year
A year later, Karen has given away her clothing in sizes 26/28 and replaced them with size 12 clothing. She can no longer shop in plus-size clothing stores. She has lost 130 pounds and is not finished yet. “One of the nutritionists, Karen Scott, RN, BSN, helped me understand the importance of eating protein and how this helps keep you feeling full and energized throughout the day, “Karen says. Today, her meals are centered around protein drinks and bars, Greek yogurt, fruits and vegetables and appropriate portions of white protein.
“My life has changed, that’s for sure. My only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner. At the same time, this experience has been worth the wait.”
Karen Fabiny shown before her weight loss surgery.
Karen Fabiny smiles a year later and 130 pounds lighter.
sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve), a minimally invasive surgical weight loss procedure. Karen Fabiny, RN, my colleague at CentraState Medical Center and also my patient, joined me to share her firsthand experience with gastric sleeve (she has dropped more than 130 pounds!).
