SampTheChamp

I'm sorry that you had to go through that but, super glad you made it out on top. Dr. Fitzer and staff are REAL DEAL!!! Reston Hospital were phenomenal as well. Buckle up. Your life is about to get REAL GOOD!! I'm excited for you!

I'm also going (back) to Fitzer's office in 2 days! It's been 2 years since my surgery with him, and it's time for my annual follow-up. As @SampTheChamp said, Fitzer is the best. He may come across as a bit over-confident, but he is not wrong about how good he is and how relatively few complications his patients have. ? I had to work a bit to get him to recommend which type of surgery was best for me, but when I finally asked him if he were in my shoes, would he choose sleeve or bypass, he said bypass all the way. He explained why, and that's why I went with the bypass. Best decision I've made in a long time.

What time is your appointment? I will be there at 1:00 today.

6:00 p.m., Pavilion 2, 2nd floor, Classroom A. Hope you're doing well and hope to see you there!

PS - I turned 50 March 10th. Spent my 50th birthday recovering Will celebrate the milestone birthday next March on a beach - in a bikini - with my husband once I reach goal!

The will to live will force you to try something new. It's a no brainer. You'll be in great hands. I am beyond pleased with my results and the way I feel. I feel like a "machine"!!! It's awesome. As a former athlete, I feel better now than I did when I was a well trained athlete. I strongly encourage you to come to the next support group like my 2 brothers @gr8ful1 and @reboot mentioned. You'll get all that you could ever ask for while there. Plus I'll be there. I'm kinda awesome!! Hahaha. I hope that you come take us up on our offer. We got your back!!!

I just wanted to give a thumbs up to a few of the things that SampTheChamp and gr8ful1 said. I too had been told for years that I needed to consider this, but always fell into the "I can do this myself if I put my mind to it" trap. The recommendations to look into this started 8 years ago when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure... I ignored them. Then I got sleep apnea - I still said no. Then I had a heart attack - AT 36 YEARS OLD - that still wasn't enough. It wasn't until I found my 2 year old son on top of me screaming"Wake up Daddy" after my blood pressure got so high that I fainted that I decided to do anything.
I called three different surgeons, then met a patient of Dr. Fitzer. I came in for my appointment and felt good but was still on the fence. It wasn't until I attended one of his support groups, and met, in person a number of his patients that have been through the process (Including these two guys) that I decided to go through with it. In the area - there is no one better than him. I'm 61 days out until surgery and absolutely can't wait. Having seen the new lives that people have been blessed with is beyond words. It will be a whole new life for me, and it can be for you too.
I strongly recommend you come out to the next group meeting which I believe is on September 3rd in Reston (correct me guys if I'm wrong). In the meantime, you don't have much to lose (except the low cost of the sessions) with starting the nutrition counseling with Jessica - who is awesome by the way! If you decide to go through with it, you'll be glad you got a head start on the counseling which is required by most insurance (mine is 6 months). You really aren't committed to anything until about a month or so before the surgery, so you have that much time to really decide.

Hi Fin! I too had some serious doubts when I first started considering weight loss surgery four years ago. It's not just a surgery, but a new lifestyle, and you have to get your mind right before you proceed. Would you consider attending a support group? Dr. Fitzer's office offers 2 monthly support groups to his patients. The groups are especially welcoming to pre-surgery patients, and everyone is very open about sharing their own experiences and answering your questions. The support group definitely helped me with my fears and made me feel less alone in my journey.
By the way, I am exactly 2 weeks out from gastric bypass surgery, and sleep apnea was my only major co-morbidity as well. But I knew that I could be told I have diabetes or hypertension at any given checkup, and I didn't want to wait for that to happen, or worse. I am doing great. I am not disgusted by food now, which was one of my fears pre-op. I feel like I now have a control over food, as opposed to food having control over me. And that is a GREAT feeling. :-)

Indeed my friend!!!

It gets better every day. I'm very blessed to have had a complication-free experience so far.

My weight loss has slowed down a lot lately but I know I definitely need to hit the gym more regularly. So excited to be close to goal. The last time I saw the nutritionist she thought that 170lbs would be a good goal for me and we could reassess once I reach it. Today I'm 184lbs and I have my one year surgery anniversary coming up April 20th. Trying to crack down to hopefully be 170 by my annual check-up. Regardless I'm really proud of how far I've come and I know that I can get there with the same focus I've had the last 10-11 months. In the last week or so when I've seen old pictures I don't even recognize that person. Surgery was the best decision I've made!
December 2016

February 2018

You'll be fine. I'm a worrier too. Just listen to your body. You'll be straight. Congrats again.

I'm thinking about it. If I can free up, then I'll be there

The second one is the ultra-secret recipe group. I just nominated you for it.

Just got released....headed home.

Indeed my friend. We need to stay in touch.

Likewise - its great to have others who can relate to the process - if either of you ever need anything, let me know.

@SampTheChamp and @reboot, it was a pleasure meeting you both at support group tonight!

Hey... I plan on coming out for my first one... that is unless I end up having to work late (which is a real possibility for me any day). Keeping my fingers crossed!

Hello Family,
Anyone going to the support group tonight at 6?

You got this my girl. I'm so excited for you. Time to be great! Good luck. Keep us posted!

Just had my pre op....now waiting to see Suzanne....signed my surgery consent papers....made me more nervous! [emoji51]

Trust me, you'll definitely know!! Hahaha. It doesn't take long to be able to take big drinks and chug. I can drink pretty fast at almost 4 months out. I can't chug a whole bottle water, but I can get after it pretty good.

Super easy. It'll let you know if you do too much. It's all mental. Over the first few days it gets easier as you go. Nothing to worry about.

Thank you!!! I’m kinda still in shock...but my stomach is doing flip flops...lol! [emoji23]