“I can do things now that I couldn’t do two years ago, like heavy lifting and pushing snow to run my small farm. Plus, I’m so much more comfortable out in public. This surgery is the best thing that ever happened to me!” – Lola Carlson, Bowdoin, Maine For more information, call 207.795.5767 or visit CMHC.org. CENTRAL MAINE MEDICAL CENTER BRIDGTON HOSPITAL • RUMFORD HOSPITAL Surgery Gave Me My Life Back! Lola struggled with fecal incontinence since her early 30s. Over the years she consulted with a number of doctors, but her condition was embarrassing and still kept her from enjoying many activities. Her life changed when she met Dr. Reza Rahbar, colorectal surgeon at Central Maine Healthcare. Dr. Rahbar implanted a neurostimulator, similar to a pacemaker, that sends mild electrical pulses to Lola’s sacral nerves. Now her condition no longer controls her, and the result has been so life-changing that she’s even referred three of her friends to Dr. Rahbar. Central Maine Healthcare’s colorectal program includes a multidisciplinary team working together to provide patients with a fully integrated approach to care — from screenings and diagnosis, through treatment and recovery. In addition to being the only fellowship-trained colorectal surgeon in the region, Dr. Rahbar is one of a select few in the nation qualified in InterStim® Therapy, a new option for treating chronic fecal incontinence.