I'm a 9/11 survivor. What came after was a series of heart and pulmonary related issues. In an attempt to correct my atrial fibrillation, I endured several unsuccessful heart procedures. I then chose medications over further surgery. One of these medications was a blood thinner to mitigate the risk of stroke. the use of this and a list of other medications along with inactivity due to a chronic arthritic condition manifested itself in weight gain. in October of 2012 I suffered a subdural hematoma while at work. It required emergency brain surgery to save my life. After brain surgery it was determined that the use of blood thinners increased the possibility of another brain bleed. Reluctantly I agreed to more heart surgery to correct my atrial fibrillation. Each additional attempt failed. the end result, more medications and more weight gain. My team of doctors suggested that I would have to learn to live with the weight gain. I wasn't ready to accept that as an alternative.
Dr. Caroline Andrew came highly recommended by Dr. Steve Haas, also from HSS. He successfully performed my bilateral knee replacement surgery 20 years earlier. I met with Dr. Andrew in January of 2019. She was attentive. She listened to my long story. She cared. She explained several options. I felt hopeful. She reached out to my team of doctors and discussed the medications I was currently on. She challenged that some medications which promote weight gain could be replaced with more suitable medications which do not. We had a plan. She connected me with Sue Xiao Yu, a nutritionist and together we embarked on a weight loss journey. We met monthly to discuss my progress and to tweak the plan accordingly. By the end of 2019 I lost almost 80 pounds. To date I've lost about 100 pounds and although COVID-19 has affected everyone's lives, I've somehow been able to keep the weight off.
My goal is to lose another 40 pounds and to gain muscle. I just celebrated my 64th birthday and my quality of life is important to me. It's important to Dr. Andrew as well. This I am sure. With her in my corner I'm confident this goal is attainable. Thank You Dr. Andrew.
Wishing you all good health,
Bert Morgan, Sr.
All by Physician