Anyone use Dr. Fitzer at Virginia Bariatric?

[reboot 13]

7 minutes ago, FINFAN3DP said:

I think that's one of my biggest issues right there... I really don't eat a lot. I know, it sounds strange for someone my size, but whenever people see me eat they say "is that all you are having?". I don't exercise at all though, as I ruptured my patellar back in 2006 from falling down three stairs. Yeah, i always wonder when something will go wrong, and always worried about the ticker, but i'm always ok, so just don't know if i want to take such a drastic step as re-routing my plumbing just yet. I am so envious of you brave people that did it though. My other issue is i have a very limited diet. I only have several foods i will eat, as I am very very very picky.

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.

[SampTheChamp 234]

3 minutes ago, reboot said:

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.

Wow! Well said.

[gr8ful1 122]

Fitzer's support group usually meets the first Monday of each month at 6:00. The first Monday of next month is Labor Day, so the group won't meet then. Deby, our support group leader, will announce the September date soon. It will probably be 9/10. The printed schedule says 9/11, but she thinks that's a typo. So stay tuned for more on the September meeting.

Reston Hospital also has a bariatric surgery support group that meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30. Next Thursday, 8/16 is the next meeting date.

Both support groups meet in the same conference room at the hospital: Pavilion II, 2nd floor, Conference Room A.

You are welcome to drop in!

[reboot 13]

One more quick thing I wanted to add, that really resonated with me when I spoke with Dr. Fitzer.... I have roughly 170 lbs to lose. For most of my adult life, I have been "dieting", losing 10 lbs here, regaining, then losing 20, or 30. I think the most I've ever lost in one stretch was 50 lbs.

His words - "Statistically speaking, your chances of losing all the weight you need to lose on your own, is practically 0".

I was shocked, and even mildly insulted. It was hard to take, but once I processed it, I realized he was right and I am grateful he said it because it was exactly what I needed to hear.

The truth is, most of us fail on diets, especially those of us who are severely obese. And guess what? While it may be our faults we put on the weight, it's NOT our fault that we are unsuccessful at taking it off. Its not just as simple as will-power or calories in-calories out. Even with the surgery, YOU still have to put in the work to lose, but the surgery is a very powerful tool you can use to get there.

[gr8ful1 122]

3 minutes ago, reboot said:

One more quick thing I wanted to add, that really resonated with me when I spoke with Dr. Fitzer.... I have roughly 170 lbs to lose. For most of my adult life, I have been "dieting", losing 10 lbs here, regaining, then losing 20, or 30. I think the most I've ever lost in one stretch was 50 lbs.

His words - "Statistically speaking, your chances of losing all the weight you need to lose on your own, is practically 0".

I was shocked, and even mildly insulted. It was hard to take, but once I processed it, I realized he was right and I am grateful he said it because it was exactly what I needed to hear.

The truth is, most of us fail on diets, especially those of us who are severely obese. And guess what? While it may be our faults we put on the weight, it's NOT our fault that we are unsuccessful at taking it off. Its not just as simple as will-power or calories in-calories out. Even with the surgery, YOU still have to put in the work to lose, but the surgery is a very powerful tool you can use to get there.

Well said, my friend! My wife is a family physician, and she had always cooked for me and encouraged me to eat better, exercise, and eat less. I too was "successful" at losing up to 60 pounds at a time. But it would always come back, usually with more pounds added before I got my diet back on track again. On day she eventually told me, "I hate seeing you struggle like this. I didn't want to tell you this because I believed you could lose and keep the way off on your own, but the truth is that almost nobody at your weight is able to lose weight and keep it off through diet and exercise alone. All the best studies agree. At your height and weight, weight loss surgery is the only thing that works for most people."

One question that sometimes comes up is, "any regrets?" The most frequent answer I've heard is, "My life has been great since surgery. I regret I didn't have this surgery even sooner."

Oh, and regarding your tastes in food, I don't think that should be a factor. Many patients' tastes in food change post-op. Expect some new likes and dislikes, and be open to trying new things. Protein is the name of the game post-op, so if you hate veggies, you're not longer going to be encouraged to eat five servings of them per day post-op. LOL

[reboot 13]

4 minutes ago, gr8ful1 said:

One question that sometimes comes up is, "any regrets?" The most frequent answer I've heard is, "My life has been great since surgery. I regret I didn't have this surgery even sooner."

I couldn't agree more! If I had listened to my doctors years ago, I would have probably avoided a heart attack.

[FINFAN3DP 79]

24 minutes ago, gr8ful1 said:

Well said, my friend! My wife is a family physician, and she had always cooked for me and encouraged me to eat better, exercise, and eat less. I too was "successful" at losing up to 60 pounds at a time. But it would always come back, usually with more pounds added before I got my diet back on track again. On day she eventually told me, "I hate seeing you struggle like this. I didn't want to tell you this because I believed you could lose and keep the way off on your own, but the truth is that almost nobody at your weight is able to lose weight and keep it off through diet and exercise alone. All the best studies agree. At your height and weight, weight loss surgery is the only thing that works for most people."

One question that sometimes comes up is, "any regrets?" The most frequent answer I've heard is, "My life has been great since surgery. I regret I didn't have this surgery even sooner."

Oh, and regarding your tastes in food, I don't think that should be a factor. Many patients' tastes in food change post-op. Expect some new likes and dislikes, and be open to trying new things. Protein is the name of the game post-op, so if you hate veggies, you're not longer going to be encouraged to eat five servings of them per day post-op. LOL

That is my huge problem. I will not try anything new. Ever. Which is another reason i'm worried about getting the surgery.

[SampTheChamp 234]

4 minutes ago, FINFAN3DP said:

That is my huge problem. I will not try anything new. Ever. Which is another reason i'm worried about getting the surgery.

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!!!

[gr8ful1 122]

Just got this message about the 2018 support group schedule from Fitzer's support group leader:

Sept 4th 6-7 pm which is the day after Labor Day, on Tuesday. ... October 1st 6-7pm November 5th 6-7pm December 3rd 6-7 pm.

[tera73 34]

11 hours ago, FINFAN3DP said:

Hi All,

I had my consultation with Dr. Fitzer about a 3 weeks ago. Since then, Heather has called a couple times to set up appt with dietician. I haven't called her back. I'm 390lbs, but have only one health issue, sleep apnea. Everything else is good. I'm scared to make the next step because i don't want to be sick to my stomach for the rest of my life. Happy to read you guys success stories, but still don't know if this is for me.

Fin

I am almost 45. I had gastric bypass on May 7. I wouldn’t change it for anything...and honestly, I wish I would have done it years ago. I started out at 401. And I’m sure there was a time I was prob a little higher than that. I had to lose weight prior to surgery per insurance requirements...so I lost 41 pounds. I was 358 on surgery day. I weighed myself this morning and was 305. I am very picky! The list of foods I don’t eat...is huge! The dietician will help you with that. I had no health issues prior...not one...except for BMI.

I have felt fine since surgery...no sickness...as long as you follow his instructions and keep in touch with them you will do great!

Good luck!!!

[gr8ful1 122]

@tera73 brought up an excellent point regarding the dietitian helping with food choices. Good to hear you're doing so well after surgery, Tera!

@FINFAN3DP, I am thankful for the 6 months of dietitian visits before my surgery, because that gave me time to think about my own issues and readiness for surgery and life after surgery. Like I said in my first post, you've got to get your head in the game, and although we all want to see you succeed and get healthier, I wouldn't want to push you into getting surgery when you don't yet have that "let's do this!" feeling in your head. Why not go ahead and see the dietitian once and see how it goes? I think it's worth the out-of-pocket cost. She's really terrific.

[Roxine 211]

On 8/8/2018 at 9:22 AM, FINFAN3DP said:

Hi All,

I had my consultation with Dr. Fitzer about a 3 weeks ago. Since then, Heather has called a couple times to set up appt with dietician. I haven't called her back. I'm 390lbs, but have only one health issue, sleep apnea. Everything else is good. I'm scared to make the next step because i don't want to be sick to my stomach for the rest of my life. Happy to read you guys success stories, but still don't know if this is for me.

Fin

I had surgery March 5th and do not experience any nausea on a daily basis. In fact, I have been remarkably healthy since the surgery. I've only had 2 episodes of dumping syndrome - where I've immediately regurgitated the food I tried to eat - both times it was because they were too spicy and eating too fast. Just a mistake on my part. Lesson learned! Meet with the dietician, begin the process - I lost weight even before the surgery so even starting with his office reaps rewards! And you have time to make the decision. I would also follow-up with your General practitioner - get some blood work - you may find that sleep apnea is only one issue you are facing. For me it was pre-diabetes, pre-hypertensive - I was beginning to have mobility issues as I got older - arthritis pain in knees and hips.

Post surgery all of my labs are back to normal and I have no pains in any joints. I can bike, walk, run, ski, dance and have tons of energy. I understand you're scared, but this truly is an amazing tool - a gift to myself.

[Roxine 211]

On 8/8/2018 at 9:47 AM, FINFAN3DP said:

Thanks Samp! How old are you? I'm 51.

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!

[Roxine 211]

PPS - I'm going to try and make the September meeting! And maybe the Hospital one next Thursday...

[SampTheChamp 234]

4 minutes ago, Roxine said:

PPS - I'm going to try and make the September meeting! And maybe the Hospital one next Thursday...

Indeed. Hope to see you there. It's a GREAT group!!