Dr. Mark Colquitt
I'm back and my computer is finally working. I had my one year weigh in yesterday. Dr. Colquitt is outstanding, great surgeon, takes great care of his patients, and he can be stern when you aren't working out daily or getting in your protein. I have lost 141 lbs in one year, which he is concerned about as I now weigh 136 and one 6 lbs to my goal. But I am not your average patient, he knew that before he agreed to do my surgery after 11 denials from other surgeons. I found out in July 05 I have Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. When I met with him that Sept. I told him I had this rare form of Leukemia which is a cancer of the blood and large bone marrow such as in the hips, lower spine, and tail bone hindering me being able to do a lot of walking at one time. Plus I was in a power chair my first visit with him because of the pain from the leukemia but I was healing from a broken hip and pelvic. He agreed to do my surgery once he receives a report from my Oncologist regarding my blood work. My white cells were 50,500 and they are supposed to be in the 4,000 - 10,000 range to be normal. In October after being on the chemo pills one month, he agreed to do my surgery and I said I wanted it the first available date in January, a new year resolution that couldn't be broken. I had my surgery on Jan. 9 as the first he was still going to be out of town. I have had not problems from the surgery itself, but from the chemo eating up my potassium, he kept having me readmitted back into the hospital over a 4 month time frame, trying to keep fluids in me as I was constantly throwing up from the chemo. I have lost 141 lbs, which for a 5'3" female weighing 277 the day of surgery is basically unheard of. Most go thru a plateau and not lose a lb for 1-3 weeks, or even a month, then it will start up again, this occurs usually after the first 6 months. But as I said I am a different case all together. I can only drink Deer Park water, and I've never been able to get in more then 25-30 ozs a day, I have to take my pills with 2% milk, water and juice makes me throw them right back up, including yesterday. I took a Pheneragan as I was feeling really queasy from eating half a pimentoe cheese sandwich, when I got to Dr. Colquitt's office because of taking that one pill with water, I started throwing up like crazy.
He's quiet, and I had to ask him outright if he said he would do the surgery, I was so used to being denied prior to getting diagnosed with leukemia. Last Sept. I rejected one chemo pill, and now I am on one that just got released in June, last week I was taken off the new chemo pills for three weeks as my blood counts dropped way below normal and my blood pressure for 2 weeks was only 90/50. Trust when I said I stayed dizzy while in Nashville visiting my sons for Christmas. Today it was 118/70 and my glucose is 98. If you are a diabetic and on pills, you can not take them the night before surgery. Jan 7 I took my last diabetic pills, and the morning of Jan. 8 I took my blood pressure pills. I had my chemo pills brought to the hospital as the hospital doesn't carry them, I have never had to take another diabetic pill or my high blood pressure pills since just before surgery. Mine stablized that fast. Granted I was in the hospital for 5 days, and on the third day had to have a pint of blood, but I am anemic from the Leukemia, and the chemo pills kept causing my potassium to bottom out, and that can cause a massive heart attack that quick. Every week I go to the cancer center in my area for Potassium and CBC blood work. I have a med-port in my right shoulder, had it put in just after surgery. My veins are too weak to support an IV. Dr. Colquitt will be putting in a central line IV, It will be taken out when you are discharged. A central live IV, he put it in before you go into surgery and the sleep Dr. is right there to give you the nighty nighty drug in your IV. But I will tell you up front, the central line doe hurt when it's being put in as he has to go under the collar bone into the juggler vein, less chance of your IV line blowing while in the hospital and having to be poaked several times to get another line started. My med-port is also in the juggler vein in the right shoulder. No blood, no blood pressure cuff, and not strenuous lifting can be done with the right arm. Only an RN or Surgeon can access my port, it's under the skin, and when they are accessing it, the whole area around it is sterilized, masks and gloves have to be worn by me and the person accessing the port. That's where my IV's are placed, it's like a central line, but it's surgically put in while you are asleep, and has to be surgically removed, I can see it, it's a big knot just below the collar bone. I know what size needles can only be used, and when they're in the port or if they are hitting the back wall of the artery. I can't move my arm because the hook needle will poke me if I try, then they are at the back wall, and needle to pull the iv out just a hair and they're in.
I can honestly say, Dr. Colquitt has never lost a patient, he's only been active as a gastric surgeon since April of 03. But I am proud to have him as my surgeon considering what all I had going against me. He's always been there for me, the staff are very friendly and helpful, and either he or one of his staff will return my call the same day. I attended his partner Dr. Ray's seminar, but I didn't feel the vibes of comfort and trust in him as I did with Colquitt. Ray assists Dr. Colquitt, and Dr. Colquitt will assist Dr. Ray. Now, Dr. Ray checked up on my in December when I was in for 4 days, and is humorous, but I liked the quiet feeling of Dr. Colquitt. He believes in God, and he knows you are nervous even afraid. Even my family was there, they were against my having the surgery because of my having leukemia. After surgery he spoke with them, told them every about the surgery, and I didn't have a problem at all while I was a sleep. Three hours after I was taken to my room, I was up and walking, mind you I had been in a power wheelchair for almost 3 years as between the weight, the pain from leukemia, and the healing pelvic and hip bone, kept me confined. But I felt so positive, that I wanted out of the bed, most sleep the day away, and maybe 6 hours after getting to their rooms are able to just walk in their rooms the first time. I was walking in the hall just two rooms away, then 3 and finally the whole floor before I left the hospital and my legs and back never complained a bit.
Just think positive, do what he says, and he'll take great care of you. Technically I shouldn't have to go bac****il July for my 18th month follow-up, but I have to go back every 3 months, until my weight quits dropping. I'm not even trying to lose weight, but one week I am wearing a new pair of size 12 jeans, the next week they fall right off and now I'm in 10 Levi's misses today. They are just a tad baggy in the butt and I have to keep pulling them up. I love me, and Dr. Colquitt gave me a chance to live longer even with the leukemia. I owe him so much, for taking the chance and giving me my life back. I recently had to have the left lymph node removed under my left arm, the surgeon who put the port in, was doing the surgery asked in the holding room if he could pray with me. He prayed that God would guide his hands, and that all would go well for me. I will miss him, he's leaving the area in 2 weeks, but the holding area at the hospital became very quiet while he prayed. He's the first that has every done that openly over me before putting me to sleep. By the way the node was benigh. I will miss him greatly, I feel blessed having Dr. Colquitt and this other surgeron in my life. Both rated #1 in my book. I will be moving at the end of the month to the Nashville area, but I will not be changing my Dr.'s, They are all setting their appointments for follow-up and medication refills every 3 months and all will be within a 10 time frame. I don't want to lose them and start over with my health problems finding specialists to work with me like the ones I currently have.
I know in my heart that you might as well not bother seeing other surgeons, Dr. Colquitt is tops in my book, and his office and Blount Memorial Hospital are in the top percentile with medicare in the Center of Excellance. Debbie Mitchell, Kim Perez are two others who don't visit the board that often also had their surgeries with Dr. Colquitt and have done great.
Feel free to contact me anytime.
May God travel with you on this new journey in your life, Kathy
299/277.5/136.5/130
2 yr prior while researching/day of surgery/current weight/goal.
I lost a whole person.
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