My Patients
Personal Stories
Diann and Megan - Los Angeles, CA
My name is Diann Moskowitz and I am 56 years old. I had gastric by-pass February 10, 2006 at Alvarado Hospital with Dr. Julie Ellner. I have battled my weight all my adult life and until last year, my weight was winning. Being from the mountains of Tennessee, I grew up eating all those wonderful fried foods not to mention the homemade butter on the veggies. As you might guess, most all my family has battled with obesity.
I had been on every diet that came along. I took drugs that are now illegal, had injections (no idea what it was), Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, you name it, I had tried it. I’d loose a few pounds and gain more right back.
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| Diann and Megan after surgery |
My journey to health began a few years ago when I saw a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with severe depression. I was given two different medications and slowly life began to improve. First came a little makeup, caring how my hair looked, buying nice clothes, but I was limited to the plus size stores because I was a 5X. At that time I was 5'2 and 293 lbs. Traveling was impossible, hygiene wasn't always easy and just walking was becoming harder and harder. I only had certain restaurants I would go to because I knew I'd fit in their tables. I was the heaviest person in the room and I was always afraid that if a car parked too close to mine, I wouldn't be able to open my door to get back in my car. I never realized how much time I was spending thinking about my weight and how to get through life.
Then someone I had known for many years told me about Dr. Ellner. My husband and I drove from north Los Angeles County to hear her speak and I knew right then I'd be ok. I could and should give Dr. Ellner and her staff all the compliments that would ever come to mind, but instead, six weeks after my surgery, I took her my 21 year-old daughter. If that's not faith, I don't know what is. I put my most precious possession in her hands without hesitation. While I'm not a scientist, I saw in my family that obesity had been passed on to my daughter. Megan wasn't a "fat" child, just always a little bit round and of course as she got older, the problem became worse and worse. She became more self-conscious and even dropped out of college due to panic attacks. She applied for a job and was turned down, but not told why. She wasn't in any way living up to her abilities, she couldn't, weight was in the way. She had gone from being a happy well adjusted child to a depressed and sad young person. Her back hurt all the time and nothing was ever fun. I was worried that obesity had robbed her of her youth.
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| Megan after surgery |
Megan has lost 140 lbs, is back in college and has the job she applied for last year! (The woman just doesn't know it's her!) She has her self confidence back and is getting on with her life, we both are. I have the double pleasure of feeling great and seeing my daughter happier than she's ever been.
If you're ready to make the commitment to change your life, call Dr. Ellner's office for information. It will be the best gift you could ever give yourself and especially your child.
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