Regina
05-29-2008, 07:32 AM
[/COLOR]GET THE SKINNY
MAY 2008
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/LRJD/Dr%20ALLAM%20FOLDER/Project0DRALLAMFADED-1.jpgDr. Allam started out with an article on the increasing disability of obese seniors and how it is even worse than originally thought. They have more problems with joints and chronic pain, in addition to greater physical limitations from Cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.
The second article of the night brought up that gastric banding yielded a 76% diabetes remission rate. Despite hundreds of studies demonstrating benefits of surgical weight loss on diabetes, the American Diabetes Association, and similar societies have yet to highlight surgery as an important treatment option.
The group then went into a general question and answer session about band slippage, eating more, and weight gain after a year or two with the bypass, and Dr. Allam said that the most difficult part of both operations is “BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION”.
We also had a visitor to the group that is a Psychologist. Jon A.Liebermann, Ph.D. added a fresh outlook on some of the topics and jumped right into the conversations. He joined the group as we went around “THE CIRCLE” and discussed how we felt about food and what the circumstances were, and what food meant to us before and after surgery.
There were many answers, some of which included: depression, marriage problems, passing away of a loved one, comfort, abusive relationship or parent, ethnic traditions, insomnia, family health problems, dehabilitating accident, one even said that he ate for special events, and when there weren’t any events, he would make up his own!!!
The last portion of the meeting was a presentation of Dr. Allam’s slides of his annual trip to donate his time and surgical skills to the needy. This year the group traveled to Peru and the Amazon Jungle where he and his mission donated their time for surgical procedures that were badly needed. The slides show his team making a difference in places where even the simplest medical help isn’t available. You can visit his website and see for yourselves how he and his team do make a difference at www.ismission.org.
Thank you Dr. Allam for all of your humanitarian efforts. YOU AND YOUR TEAM DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!
SUPPORT MEETING
Our Next Meeting Will Be On
June 17th 2008 at the Hampton Bays Library, Hampton Bays NY. Our Meetings Start at 6:30 PM! Please Try To Come.
Annual Picnic
This will be our 3rd Annual Picnic that we are planning. I really need to know if we want to hire a DJ. I collected from a few members their money at our May Meeting. I need to COLLECT $10.00 from all that are going to attend the picnic. I need to collect this by our June meeting. If you are not able to attend the meeting, you can drop it off to either Carrie or Pauline at the office.
The DJ plans to play for 4 hours and in that time; he will play games with the children. We have some patients that are already planning activities for the kids. If you have children, you would be responsible to pick up a small prize for them to win. We want to make sure all children win something. Please RSVP by emailing me at Bellamama256@aol.com if you are going to attend our Picnic. Thank you.
OUR MESSAGE BOARD
http://forums.hamptonbariatric.com
I want to thank all of you who have been posting. If you are new, please come and check it out. We have a great board that is full of information for both Bypass and Band patients.
This ends our newsletter for this month. We hope to see you all at our meeting.
By Regina and Jamie
INTERVIEW WITH A PATIENT
1. Your Name Michelle Totten
2. How did you find Dr Allam? Through research and friends
3. What procedure did you choose? Gastric bypass
4. Why did you choose this one over another? Dr.Allam did not do the band. I didn’t want the band
5. How long did you research it before going ahead with it? 2 years
6. A) Have you had your surgery?Yes
b) If Yes, when? OCT, 2 2006
7. Explain as briefly as you can how you felt after your surgery. I felt great, actually had to ask Nannette if Dr.Allam really did the surgery!!!! :)
8. Were you in a lot of pain? No, not at all, never took the pain meds he gave me the worst part was having the drain out!!!
9. How soon were you up and about? That night I was walking, then 6:30 am up on my feet and didn’t go down to much after that
10. How long were you in the hospital? Went in on Tuesday, out on Thursday
11. Were there any complications after surgery? If so, what were they? I had none thank god!!
12. If you work, how long was it before you were able to return back to work? At that time I didn’t work, I have 3 kids at home
13. What kind of work do you do? Mother of 3
14. Did you find it hard to return to work after the surgery?I was doing all the normal things with the kids within that next week
15. A) Did you tell people - family, friends, co-workers - that you were having this surgery? Yes
b) If Yes, what was their reaction? Well they were very supportive to me however talking between them how they could change my mind, (YOU REMEMBER THAT UNCLE JAMIE?LOL)
16. a) Did you have any health problems besides being obese? yes
b) If yes, what were they? H IGH BLOOD PRESURE
17. Do you still have any of the above health problems? NO, my blood pressure was down I like 3 weeks to normal
18. Do you attend the support group meetings? I did for the first year, im going back to the May meeting
19. Do you follow up with your visit to Dr Allam? Yes very important, to do just what the DR TELLS YOU!!!
20. Do you take all your vitamins and follow the rules on what to eat? Yes, also very important!
21. A) If you have lost all of your weight already have you had any other surgery since then?
b) If yes, what? No
22. A) Are you considering having any other surgery? Yes
If so what? Tummy tuck
23. Is there anything you would like to say to the people who are thinking of this surgery that you think may help them or guide them with their decision? Yes, research it pick the one that’s for you then, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN TO DR.ALLLAMS TO GET IT DONE, YOU WILL BE THE HAPPIEST PERSON EVER!!!!
24.Most importantly, would you do the surgery again now that you know what it is all about?
YES, IN A HEARTBEAT and I would do it for the people who had a lot of fears!!!!!!!:)
MAY 2008
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/LRJD/Dr%20ALLAM%20FOLDER/Project0DRALLAMFADED-1.jpgDr. Allam started out with an article on the increasing disability of obese seniors and how it is even worse than originally thought. They have more problems with joints and chronic pain, in addition to greater physical limitations from Cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.
The second article of the night brought up that gastric banding yielded a 76% diabetes remission rate. Despite hundreds of studies demonstrating benefits of surgical weight loss on diabetes, the American Diabetes Association, and similar societies have yet to highlight surgery as an important treatment option.
The group then went into a general question and answer session about band slippage, eating more, and weight gain after a year or two with the bypass, and Dr. Allam said that the most difficult part of both operations is “BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION”.
We also had a visitor to the group that is a Psychologist. Jon A.Liebermann, Ph.D. added a fresh outlook on some of the topics and jumped right into the conversations. He joined the group as we went around “THE CIRCLE” and discussed how we felt about food and what the circumstances were, and what food meant to us before and after surgery.
There were many answers, some of which included: depression, marriage problems, passing away of a loved one, comfort, abusive relationship or parent, ethnic traditions, insomnia, family health problems, dehabilitating accident, one even said that he ate for special events, and when there weren’t any events, he would make up his own!!!
The last portion of the meeting was a presentation of Dr. Allam’s slides of his annual trip to donate his time and surgical skills to the needy. This year the group traveled to Peru and the Amazon Jungle where he and his mission donated their time for surgical procedures that were badly needed. The slides show his team making a difference in places where even the simplest medical help isn’t available. You can visit his website and see for yourselves how he and his team do make a difference at www.ismission.org.
Thank you Dr. Allam for all of your humanitarian efforts. YOU AND YOUR TEAM DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!
SUPPORT MEETING
Our Next Meeting Will Be On
June 17th 2008 at the Hampton Bays Library, Hampton Bays NY. Our Meetings Start at 6:30 PM! Please Try To Come.
Annual Picnic
This will be our 3rd Annual Picnic that we are planning. I really need to know if we want to hire a DJ. I collected from a few members their money at our May Meeting. I need to COLLECT $10.00 from all that are going to attend the picnic. I need to collect this by our June meeting. If you are not able to attend the meeting, you can drop it off to either Carrie or Pauline at the office.
The DJ plans to play for 4 hours and in that time; he will play games with the children. We have some patients that are already planning activities for the kids. If you have children, you would be responsible to pick up a small prize for them to win. We want to make sure all children win something. Please RSVP by emailing me at Bellamama256@aol.com if you are going to attend our Picnic. Thank you.
OUR MESSAGE BOARD
http://forums.hamptonbariatric.com
I want to thank all of you who have been posting. If you are new, please come and check it out. We have a great board that is full of information for both Bypass and Band patients.
This ends our newsletter for this month. We hope to see you all at our meeting.
By Regina and Jamie
INTERVIEW WITH A PATIENT
1. Your Name Michelle Totten
2. How did you find Dr Allam? Through research and friends
3. What procedure did you choose? Gastric bypass
4. Why did you choose this one over another? Dr.Allam did not do the band. I didn’t want the band
5. How long did you research it before going ahead with it? 2 years
6. A) Have you had your surgery?Yes
b) If Yes, when? OCT, 2 2006
7. Explain as briefly as you can how you felt after your surgery. I felt great, actually had to ask Nannette if Dr.Allam really did the surgery!!!! :)
8. Were you in a lot of pain? No, not at all, never took the pain meds he gave me the worst part was having the drain out!!!
9. How soon were you up and about? That night I was walking, then 6:30 am up on my feet and didn’t go down to much after that
10. How long were you in the hospital? Went in on Tuesday, out on Thursday
11. Were there any complications after surgery? If so, what were they? I had none thank god!!
12. If you work, how long was it before you were able to return back to work? At that time I didn’t work, I have 3 kids at home
13. What kind of work do you do? Mother of 3
14. Did you find it hard to return to work after the surgery?I was doing all the normal things with the kids within that next week
15. A) Did you tell people - family, friends, co-workers - that you were having this surgery? Yes
b) If Yes, what was their reaction? Well they were very supportive to me however talking between them how they could change my mind, (YOU REMEMBER THAT UNCLE JAMIE?LOL)
16. a) Did you have any health problems besides being obese? yes
b) If yes, what were they? H IGH BLOOD PRESURE
17. Do you still have any of the above health problems? NO, my blood pressure was down I like 3 weeks to normal
18. Do you attend the support group meetings? I did for the first year, im going back to the May meeting
19. Do you follow up with your visit to Dr Allam? Yes very important, to do just what the DR TELLS YOU!!!
20. Do you take all your vitamins and follow the rules on what to eat? Yes, also very important!
21. A) If you have lost all of your weight already have you had any other surgery since then?
b) If yes, what? No
22. A) Are you considering having any other surgery? Yes
If so what? Tummy tuck
23. Is there anything you would like to say to the people who are thinking of this surgery that you think may help them or guide them with their decision? Yes, research it pick the one that’s for you then, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN TO DR.ALLLAMS TO GET IT DONE, YOU WILL BE THE HAPPIEST PERSON EVER!!!!
24.Most importantly, would you do the surgery again now that you know what it is all about?
YES, IN A HEARTBEAT and I would do it for the people who had a lot of fears!!!!!!!:)