Page 34 - Inspire Health November/December 2015
P. 34
ry woman wants to look and FASHI NRJ at her boutique, RJ’s Closet.
feel her best. Rodnique Koonce,
or RJ, is no different, nor are her GALLBLADDER DISEASE
customers. So the stylish dresses, jeans, HASN’T SLOWED
tops, shoes and jewelry offered at her HER DOWN
boutique, RJ’s Closet, all look straight off
the streets of Manhattan. PLATE
But looks can be deceiving. The Photo courtesy of Easton Hospital
high‑end fashions that line the racks all jobs. While her stomach felt funny at
carry reasonable prices. “I still wear a two‑piece bathing suit,” first, she had no pain and no need for
Another surprise? The beautiful store she says. “So I knew single‑site surgery medication. After a week, she was back
is not her only vocation. RJ has two was the best – I didn’t want to have any to her old self.
other full‑time jobs as a Wells Fargo scars on my stomach.”
banking officer and mother of four. “RJ’s back!” she says. “I can eat
The last surprise? This vivacious Easton Hospital was the first whatever I want again. I still eat healthy
woman was once hobbled by pain. hospital in the Lehigh Valley to perform with only an occasional splurge.”
APART AT THE SEAMS single‑site robotic‑assisted gallbladder
RJ was diagnosed with gallbladder surgery, so RJ was confident in the team. And her stomach looks great.
disease two years ago. She had frequent “Dr. Bloch consulted with a plastic
attacks that caused pain in her upper “I met some other women in his office surgeon to ensure that there would
back and stomach. When the pain was who had robotic surgery, and I knew be no scars,” she says. “My stomach
severe enough, she visited the Easton I wanted the same,” she says. “These healed beautifully. There is not a
Hospital Emergency Room. women were very supportive as I mark at all.”
“Soon everything I ate was causing me contemplated what was best for me.” So now RJ can get busy. The boutique
pain,” RJ says. “So I changed my diet in DECKED OUT will soon have a full service salon and
hopes it would help.” beauty‑product line.
She said goodbye to her favorite On the day of surgery, Dr. Bloch “I had to put things on hold when I
Italian dishes, steak, macaroni and introduced the robotic team to RJ was living with pain,” she says. “Now I
cheese and, even, ice cream. before they began. can complete the vision I have for my
“I was eating lots of salads,” she says. store and feel healthy doing it.”
“And only cheated once in a while.” “The staff was amazing,” she says. Feeling good and looking beautiful –
“They made be feel very comfortable.” two things always in stock at RJ’s Closet.
But diet alone didn’t help. Soon the
most simple foods, like a cup of juice, Her surgery went well.
would cause terrible pain. She had it on a Thursday and was
back to work on Tuesday at all three
“It would last for hours,” she says. “I
had to decide if I wanted to take
medication to cover that pain or do
something more permanent.”
BUCKLE DOWN
RJ’s primary care physician referred
her to surgeon Robert Bloch, M.D.
“He was so good,” she says. “He took the
time to explain everything about gallbladder
disease – the causes, effects and treatments.
He even comforted my fears about living
without this God‑given organ.”
RJ had three surgical options:
open surgery through a large incision,
laparoscopic surgery through several
small incisions or robotic‑assisted surgery
through a single incision in the belly
button.
The diagnostic tests indicated that RJ
would be a candidate for single‑site.
34 INSPIRE HEALTH November § December 2015
feel her best. Rodnique Koonce,
or RJ, is no different, nor are her GALLBLADDER DISEASE
customers. So the stylish dresses, jeans, HASN’T SLOWED
tops, shoes and jewelry offered at her HER DOWN
boutique, RJ’s Closet, all look straight off
the streets of Manhattan. PLATE
But looks can be deceiving. The Photo courtesy of Easton Hospital
high‑end fashions that line the racks all jobs. While her stomach felt funny at
carry reasonable prices. “I still wear a two‑piece bathing suit,” first, she had no pain and no need for
Another surprise? The beautiful store she says. “So I knew single‑site surgery medication. After a week, she was back
is not her only vocation. RJ has two was the best – I didn’t want to have any to her old self.
other full‑time jobs as a Wells Fargo scars on my stomach.”
banking officer and mother of four. “RJ’s back!” she says. “I can eat
The last surprise? This vivacious Easton Hospital was the first whatever I want again. I still eat healthy
woman was once hobbled by pain. hospital in the Lehigh Valley to perform with only an occasional splurge.”
APART AT THE SEAMS single‑site robotic‑assisted gallbladder
RJ was diagnosed with gallbladder surgery, so RJ was confident in the team. And her stomach looks great.
disease two years ago. She had frequent “Dr. Bloch consulted with a plastic
attacks that caused pain in her upper “I met some other women in his office surgeon to ensure that there would
back and stomach. When the pain was who had robotic surgery, and I knew be no scars,” she says. “My stomach
severe enough, she visited the Easton I wanted the same,” she says. “These healed beautifully. There is not a
Hospital Emergency Room. women were very supportive as I mark at all.”
“Soon everything I ate was causing me contemplated what was best for me.” So now RJ can get busy. The boutique
pain,” RJ says. “So I changed my diet in DECKED OUT will soon have a full service salon and
hopes it would help.” beauty‑product line.
She said goodbye to her favorite On the day of surgery, Dr. Bloch “I had to put things on hold when I
Italian dishes, steak, macaroni and introduced the robotic team to RJ was living with pain,” she says. “Now I
cheese and, even, ice cream. before they began. can complete the vision I have for my
“I was eating lots of salads,” she says. store and feel healthy doing it.”
“And only cheated once in a while.” “The staff was amazing,” she says. Feeling good and looking beautiful –
“They made be feel very comfortable.” two things always in stock at RJ’s Closet.
But diet alone didn’t help. Soon the
most simple foods, like a cup of juice, Her surgery went well.
would cause terrible pain. She had it on a Thursday and was
back to work on Tuesday at all three
“It would last for hours,” she says. “I
had to decide if I wanted to take
medication to cover that pain or do
something more permanent.”
BUCKLE DOWN
RJ’s primary care physician referred
her to surgeon Robert Bloch, M.D.
“He was so good,” she says. “He took the
time to explain everything about gallbladder
disease – the causes, effects and treatments.
He even comforted my fears about living
without this God‑given organ.”
RJ had three surgical options:
open surgery through a large incision,
laparoscopic surgery through several
small incisions or robotic‑assisted surgery
through a single incision in the belly
button.
The diagnostic tests indicated that RJ
would be a candidate for single‑site.
34 INSPIRE HEALTH November § December 2015
