My name is Doreen Varga. I had a Roux-en-Y with Vertical Banded Gastroplasty in July, 2002. My range of problems began four weeks after surgery. These included but were not limited to: uncontrollable gas, malnutrition, inability to stop losing weight, excessive vomiting up to 10 times a day, pneumonia because vomit entered my lungs and I stopped breathing, numbness and tingling in my fingers and toes, excessive coldness especially in my hands and feet, fatigue, loss of energy, loss of interest in food becsuse it would always result in vomiting, dizziness in which I'd have to hold the walls for balance, severe depression and suicidal ideations... and so much more. I found Dr. Goodman and I credit him with being the vessel that God used to save my life. Since my reversal in September 2004, I have never been happier. Happy, in fact, is an underestimation. If you want to know the full details on my story, please see www.obesityhelp.com and search the NJ Peers Database under Doreen Varga. Please also visit www.mtnstars.com for my story and others like me. Dr. Goodman to me is a saint. I will forever be grateful to him for saving my life and for taking on so many cases that were not originally his own. He is by far more than a surgeon, he is an angel of a human being whom I admire with all my heart.

Thank you Dr. Goodman.

Fondly, Doreen Varga doreenfp@comcast.net

DOMENICA Z (NY)

I am a patient of Dr Goodman's. I'd like to share my story hoping it will help others. In 1998 I had gastric bypass surgery to lose 100 lbs. 2 days later I had severe back pain and high fevers. I had a reop and found to have an anastomosis leak resulting in 1 month of hospitalization for antibiotics and a feeding tube. In 2001 after losing 60 lbs and regaining 80 lbs I "needed" to have my pouch revised. I did so with the exact same postop complications and worse this time. I cheated with food and never felt "well". Around 2003 I started to have frequent bouts of sweats and dizziness. No one could figure out why. I was severely anemic, had many episodes of diarrhea, my back and joints were so painful. After many consults (of MD's thinking I was crazy), I was found to have "reactive hypoglycemia, anemia, malnutrition, malabsorption, arthritic joints and on... Thanks to so many competent doctors and a million tests, I needed a reversal of the bypass. I tried so many medications, supplements, injections but nothing was absorbed or worked.  Due to the lack of space I can't begin to tell you how my life was destroyed. My son thought I would die and many times I wished I would. Then came Dani Hart who wrote the book "Gastric bypass I want to live." She referred me to Dr.Goodman who did a reversal of gastric bypass in 10/04. I won't say recovery was easy or problem free but with his help and the help of very good gastro and endocrine doctors I have my life back. Most of the damage was reversible but some injury will be a permanent reminder of how close I came to give up.  Don't ever give up. I owe my life and undying gratitude to Dr Goodman and wish all well.

RAMONA S (NE)

My name is Ramona Sexson and I’m from a small town in western Nebraska.

I had a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in July of 2001 in Nebraska; the surgery went well without any major problems. I healed fairly quickly and started losing 20lb a month. I was able to eat rather quickly and tolerated most things well.

Then in October of the same year I started having extremely bad heart palpations and had to go on heart medicine as well as nitroglycerin.  Then I began having symptoms of hypoglycemia which I could take care of by eating some protein and carbohydrates. But as time went on I was unable to control the blood sugar fluctuations with food. What I was able to eat one month, I couldn’t eat the next month.

My sugars jumped all over the place, I would have symptoms when the readings were within “normal” range because what was normal for most was not for me. My life changed dramatically, I had to be checked on all the time, I couldn’t drive by myself I had lost more weight then what looked healthy because I was unable to eat very much of anything.  I had a doctor go so far as to tell me that my sugar fluctuation could be in my head, because of stress!  Needless to say I couldn’t go on like that very much longer.

My doctor tried to find out what was wrong with me, he was willing to talk to anyone that had dealt with this problem because he had never come across anything like it.

But when someone did mention I would need a gastric bypass reversal, he would disagree. Reversals are such a new thing that most surgeons out here are not trained nor have they ever done a reversal.

I started doing some research on the web and came across Dani Hart, she wrote a book about having a gastric bypass reversal. I emailed her and she told me that Dr. Goodman dealt with cases that other doctors don’t know how to fix. That sounded like me!

I emailed my story to Dr. Goodman and within a day or 2 he called and left his cell phone number! I knew he was different, out here you don’t talk to your doctor without an appointment, they do not call you and they sure don’t give you their cell phone #.  

I was so relieved to finally find someone that knew what was going on and best of all how to make it better. So within a few weeks I was on a plane to New Jersey and checking into the hospital to have a reversal done. That was 3 weeks ago and I am doing great. Of course it is very important that I continue to eat properly. I can handle that, having to eat right! 

I don’t think that Dr. Goodman really knows how unique he and his partner are. I wish there were more doctors like them.  They are God’s vessel and I am so thankful for them. If anyone has any questions please feel free to email me at rmsexson@nebnet.net.

God Bless