A Week of Miracle Workers

This week, I have an anniversary which got me to thinking about people who have made a difference in my life. So this week, I'm going to write about my own personal "miracle workers" and share with the world what they've done for me.

Today, June 24 is the 3 year anniversary of me having a life-changing gastric bypass surgery. I mulled this decision over for years -- I mean, it's pretty drastic to get your stomach carved up and part of your intestine removed .... voluntarily. Irreversible. Forever. Mortality rate 1 in 800. Dozens of doctor appointments, psych evaluations (how the hell'd I pass that?). Blood work ... ugh!!!!

Anyway, I am still kicking myself for not doing it 10 years earlier. It's the best thing I ever did for myself. Now, 140 pounds lighter, I have this man to thank:

Meet, Dr. Isaias Irgau

He is my miracle worker, and I am so thankful for his skilled hands and for putting up with me when I went into a complete Defcon 5 meltdown in his office when he told me I'd have to give myself a needle at home every day for a month or I couldn't have the surgery. He is patient, smart, caring, and a God-send. (And my friend Kat gave me the needles ... oy! Codeine, xanax and percocets with a pillow over my head .... that's the only way I got through it. Everyday .. for a month!)

I'd be remiss not to mention the staff at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington. It was a highly unlikely place for me to have the surgery considering I live in Philadelphia where there are numerous world-renowned hospitals. But ... I wanted Dr. Irgau to do the surgery and St. Francis guaranteed me a private room. They put me in ICU, and I was surprisingly shocked at how incredibly cared for I felt. These people were absolutely fabulous. I didn't worry for one minute about whether or not I'd be okay because I knew that I was in good hands.

Anyway, that's the story of how I went from looking like this:

To this: