*Results may vary
My life before surgery was deciding if I was going to like myself that day, according to how I looked or what I could do. I had had pneumonia. I almost died; it was within hours because I didn’t think I was worth it. I didn’t want to cost my family any money. I thought it was my fault. When I finally did go to the hospital we found out I was diabetic. And then it just went from there. The same time next year, I started getting sick again. I said “I can’t do this.” And that’s when I picked up the card and called Dr. Frenzel’s office, came in for a consultation. The hope that I got just from the staff, from their experiences that they’d been through, before and after, I mean, they showed me their scars, ‘cause I didn’t know what to expect. I’m a person that is scared of every needle or anything. I wouldn’t have been able to get through what my imagination was thinking it was going to be if I didn’t have the staff working with me. I called all the time asking questions; they were so patient.
My name is Julie Cottengame. I have had the gastric bypass and then I had a tummy tuck—amazing results from both. I have lost, as of today, 160 pounds. That is more than I weigh today, that is over half of my body weight.
My expectations going into surgery was that I actually had hope to live again. I was so sick and on so much medication. My doctor said, “Oh, you have seven years,” my regular doctor, “you have seven years of this life that you’re used to before you won’t be able to walk and get up and move around.” But starting out at 322, that’s, even though I’m tall, that’s huge and now, 157, people don’t recognize me. With that confidence and after coming through the first surgery with flying colors, all of my friends that I know, there’s been no nightmare happenings, everyone has been completely successful. So when it came time to think about the tummy tuck, it’s really nice to know you’re going to be in the same hands with the same surgeon that you already have all the confidence in. I would never go to anybody else to do anything.
He’s answered every question I’ve had, as ridiculous as they all got. Before I would go on to the next question, he was like “No, you’ve asked me this question, now let me answer it.” And he completely put my mind at ease with every little question. I would come with lists: when do I do this, what do I do with this, how is this, how long, when can I do this? It was great.
Dr. Frenzel, thank you for everything you’ve done and giving me my life back. I get so excited every time I get to come to your office, whichever office I go to. It’s a place where I feel so successful and I just keep wanting to do better. Thank you so much.
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