I want to begin this post by saying that my doctor is truly phenomenal. If I had to begin this process of weight loss via surgical intervention all over again (thank goodness I don’t!), I’d choose him again in a heartbeat. Dr. Nicholson is affable, highly knowledgeable, warm, and has a good sense of humor. He puts you at ease and answers all your questions in a no-nonsense manner, using data to support what he has to say–this is especially important to me as a scientist. To be blunt, I appreciate that he doesn’t talk out of his ass. When you decide that you’re going to have surgery to help you lose weight, you don’t want someone who is going to sugarcoat things for you. Dr. Nick definitely does not do that–he is very honest about why bariatric surgery is a better alternative than remaining obese, what the risks and benefits of having surgery are, and what the risks of remaining obese are. He also makes sure that you understand that he is not the only health professional you need to make this process work for you–he teaches you that behavior modification is necessary, that therapy is important, and that nutrition education is critical and provides recommendations for hand-picked professionals for you to choose to address each of these aspects of your care.
His bedside manner is also great–the day of surgery, I was totally nervous and jittery and he put me completely at ease by explaining everything that he was going to do and why he was going to do it. As a biology teacher, I appreciate that he and I can converse about the science behind all the things he did and why he did them. He did everything he knew to do to ensure my safety before surgery, during surgery and post-operatively. Dr. Nicholson is a very thorough doctor who truly cares about his patients’ health and well-being.
He does not allow you to enter into any stage of the process with eyes wide shut, that’s for sure. I appreciate that about him and the way he practices medicine.
Unfortunately I did not get to see him after surgery, as he is a very busy guy–he had 9 patients on my floor alone the day I had surgery! So I did not have the chance to thank him for providing me with this fabulous tool that I plan to put to good use, especially now that I’m about to embark on the mushy food stage of my post-op diet. I would say that overall, he did a really good job of preparing me for surgery and for some of what comes after.
But there were some things about this process that he did not fully prepare me for.
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La Guerra de La Gorda 