1. What was your weight at time of surgery? 287.9 with a BMI of 49.1
2. How has your life changed in the past year? I have so much energy that not only do I now work full-time (before I couldn’t work at all). I am going back to school to become a nurse. I didn’t feel that I had a present much less a reason to plan for a future. Now I’m always planning for a full life.
3. What is your favorite thing to do now that you couldn’t do before surgery? It’s always the little things you take for granted but my silly favorite thing is that I can cross my legs like a real lady while wearing really high heels.
4. What / who was your greatest source of support? There is no greatest source for support except my entire family and small group of close friends. They all were behind me 100%. But, I guess I would have to say my mom because she joined Curves with me and became my workout buddy. Even though she hasn’t been losing very much weight, she keeps going to keep me going. She is never jealous of my weight loss and brags on me all the time. I still hate exercise but love the results.
5. How have your medical conditions changed / improved since surgery? I have discontinued many medications, especially for depression. The greatest thing is that I no longer have sleep apnea and do not have to sleep with my c-pap machine.
6. What is the hardest part of being a bariatric surgery patient? Relearning the way I see and treat myself. I am my won worst critic. I have had a hard time actually seeing myself the way others see me. Even though the clothes sizes went down, I kept seeing the 288 lb fat girl. I have had to learn to quit beating myself up and realize the beauty that was within is now on the outside too.
7. What advice would you give to someone who is considering bariatric surgery? Just take the leap! You deserve a full life without the weight holding you back. Your world can expand and get so much better. Its not so much the actual weight loss but the energy I now feel. The healthier you feel the more you can do and then you do more and start to feel even healthier. It’s a wonderful cycle that grows and grows as you shrink and shrink. Good Luck!!! You CAN do it with a little help. For me, lapband was just the tool I needed to start living and just quit merely surviving.
Success Stories
Listed below are some testimonials from a few of our patients.
TJ
I, like so many others struggled with being overweight most of my life and trying every diet under the sun to lose weight, but could never keep it off. My highest weight was nearly 600 pounds. I had respiratory failure in March of 1997 and spent months in the hospital on a ventilator not knowing I was in the world. I spent nearly 2 years in a nursing home. I lost my home, day-care business and most of my possessions due to the high hospital cost. I left the nursing home after nearly 2 years and got a house and had in-home health care 7 hours a day for nearly 8 years.
I rarely left the house except for doctor visits. Day after day of looking at the same four walls and having to have help with dressing, bathing and even going to the bathroom. Not being able to shop for myself and get out and enjoy life; l felt as if I had no life and with all my health problems I thought my life would end any minute. I was hospitalized with asthma and breathing problems more times than I can count. I also got recurring cellulitis in both inner thighs and after being hospitalized for the eighth time in 2 months my primary care physician suggested weight loss surgery to help prevent my health problems from reoccurring.
My doctor put me on a monitored weight loss program and began making phone calls for me to see a weight loss surgeon. I went to 4 different surgeons before finding Hickory Weight Loss and their amazing staff and Dr. Cox. When Dr. Cox said I was a good candidate and agreed to do my surgery I was on cloud nine. I was so excited and thankful. I saw the staff in April of 2006 and had my surgery May 22, 2006. I had to have a vena cava filter put in due to my being at high risk for blood clots and the following day May 23, 2006 Dr. Cox did my gastric bypass. My life began on the day and has gotten better and better with each passing day. I had vena cava on Tuesday and gastric bypass on Wednesday came home from the hospital on Friday and went shopping at Wal-Mart for the first time in nearly 10 years on Monday.
I can't tell you how much this surgery has changed my life. I had no life before and now things just keep getting better and better for me. No more wheelchair, no more oxygen, no more C-pap, no more 19 medicines no more asthma, no high blood pressure, no heart problems, no more migraines and my back pain is almost ceased to exist. I can do anything I want. I have gone from a size 7X to 18/20. and still losing weight. One of my happiest awe moments was the first time after my surgery and my daughter took me out to eat and I could fit in the booth and in the car. I was so happy I cried tears of joy.
If you are morbidly obese you know how frightening it is to go somewhere and wonder if you can fit in the chair or booth. Our society doesn't have things for the morbidly obese. The furniture is not big enough, the hospital beds are not big enough, even the ambulances are not set up for anyone over 300 pounds.
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank God for what he has made possible in my life and for my Primary care physician Dr. Schultz and Dr. Cox who gave me life back and the staff at Hickory Weight Loss and the staff at Frye hospital, Taren who went with me every appointment and stayed with me during my surgery and all those that had a hand in changing my life. How blessed we are to have Dr. Cox and Dr. Cook and the staff and hospital that care so much about changing the lives of the morbidly obese. Without them I wouldn't be alive today and happier and healthier than I have ever been in my life.
I feel like the butterfly that has just gotten my wings and come out of my cocoon and began to fly and explore life and the world around me. There aren't words to express how wonderful it is to be alive and happy and healthy. The pain,fears,sickness and despair is gone and there is joy, hope,laughter, peace and love in my heart and life for the first time in years.
Thank you and may God bless you all for giving me my life back.
I rarely left the house except for doctor visits. Day after day of looking at the same four walls and having to have help with dressing, bathing and even going to the bathroom. Not being able to shop for myself and get out and enjoy life; l felt as if I had no life and with all my health problems I thought my life would end any minute. I was hospitalized with asthma and breathing problems more times than I can count. I also got recurring cellulitis in both inner thighs and after being hospitalized for the eighth time in 2 months my primary care physician suggested weight loss surgery to help prevent my health problems from reoccurring.
My doctor put me on a monitored weight loss program and began making phone calls for me to see a weight loss surgeon. I went to 4 different surgeons before finding Hickory Weight Loss and their amazing staff and Dr. Cox. When Dr. Cox said I was a good candidate and agreed to do my surgery I was on cloud nine. I was so excited and thankful. I saw the staff in April of 2006 and had my surgery May 22, 2006. I had to have a vena cava filter put in due to my being at high risk for blood clots and the following day May 23, 2006 Dr. Cox did my gastric bypass. My life began on the day and has gotten better and better with each passing day. I had vena cava on Tuesday and gastric bypass on Wednesday came home from the hospital on Friday and went shopping at Wal-Mart for the first time in nearly 10 years on Monday.
I can't tell you how much this surgery has changed my life. I had no life before and now things just keep getting better and better for me. No more wheelchair, no more oxygen, no more C-pap, no more 19 medicines no more asthma, no high blood pressure, no heart problems, no more migraines and my back pain is almost ceased to exist. I can do anything I want. I have gone from a size 7X to 18/20. and still losing weight. One of my happiest awe moments was the first time after my surgery and my daughter took me out to eat and I could fit in the booth and in the car. I was so happy I cried tears of joy.
If you are morbidly obese you know how frightening it is to go somewhere and wonder if you can fit in the chair or booth. Our society doesn't have things for the morbidly obese. The furniture is not big enough, the hospital beds are not big enough, even the ambulances are not set up for anyone over 300 pounds.
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank God for what he has made possible in my life and for my Primary care physician Dr. Schultz and Dr. Cox who gave me life back and the staff at Hickory Weight Loss and the staff at Frye hospital, Taren who went with me every appointment and stayed with me during my surgery and all those that had a hand in changing my life. How blessed we are to have Dr. Cox and Dr. Cook and the staff and hospital that care so much about changing the lives of the morbidly obese. Without them I wouldn't be alive today and happier and healthier than I have ever been in my life.
I feel like the butterfly that has just gotten my wings and come out of my cocoon and began to fly and explore life and the world around me. There aren't words to express how wonderful it is to be alive and happy and healthy. The pain,fears,sickness and despair is gone and there is joy, hope,laughter, peace and love in my heart and life for the first time in years.
Thank you and may God bless you all for giving me my life back.
SW
On December 3, 2004, I had the Roux en Y gastric bypass at Catawba Valley Medical Center. Since then, my life has changed for the better. I have lost 75 lbs. in the last four months. I have stopped taking my high blood pressure medications. No longer do I wake up in the middle of the night with terrible heartburn. I can now walk up a flight of stairs without thinking I'm going to pass out. My energy levels have surpassed my highest expectations. The staff at Catawba Valley Medical Center are the best. I can highly recommend Catawba Valley Medical Center to anyone who makes the difficult and highly educated decision to have bariatric surgery.
JH
I was at the point where I felt like I wouldn't live very much longer. I had high blood pressure and sleep apnea, and I was in really bad physical shape. I looked at my girls and realized I had to do something. I had researched all the doctors in the state and had basically narrowed it down to two, and one of them was Dr. Cook. When I found out that Dr. Cook was leading the seminar, it was the icing on the cake.
I hear all the time now how good I look, but what people don't know is how great I feel. I feel awesome. You don't realize how much obesity affects you both mentally and physically. I can do things now with my family that I wasn't able to do before. It's really had a positive effect on the quality of my health and my family life. The support group has been one of the biggest blessings in my life post-op. We have a dietitian and a social worker who work with us, and the coordinator is an absolute blessing to everyone. I've even called her in the middle of the night and during her kids' games, and she's been there for me. I can't stress enough what a positive impact they have had on me through all this.
I hear all the time now how good I look, but what people don't know is how great I feel. I feel awesome. You don't realize how much obesity affects you both mentally and physically. I can do things now with my family that I wasn't able to do before. It's really had a positive effect on the quality of my health and my family life. The support group has been one of the biggest blessings in my life post-op. We have a dietitian and a social worker who work with us, and the coordinator is an absolute blessing to everyone. I've even called her in the middle of the night and during her kids' games, and she's been there for me. I can't stress enough what a positive impact they have had on me through all this.
DY
1. What was your weight at time of surgery? 360 pounds
2. What is current weight? 225 pounds
3. How has your life changed in the past year? Healthier, more energy
4. What is your favorite thing to do now that you couldn’t do before surgery? Put on a size 40 slacks and extra large golf shirt. Before surgery, my sizes were 54 slacks and 4 X shirts.
5. What / who was your greatest source of support? All my friends and family
6. How have your medical conditions changed / improved since surgery? No high blood pressure, no signs of diabetes or sleep apnea.
7. What is the hardest part of being a bariatric surgery patient? The surgery itself.
8. What advice would you give to someone who is considering bariatric surgery? It will be the greatest life change; way more than you can imagine.
2. What is current weight? 225 pounds
3. How has your life changed in the past year? Healthier, more energy
4. What is your favorite thing to do now that you couldn’t do before surgery? Put on a size 40 slacks and extra large golf shirt. Before surgery, my sizes were 54 slacks and 4 X shirts.
5. What / who was your greatest source of support? All my friends and family
6. How have your medical conditions changed / improved since surgery? No high blood pressure, no signs of diabetes or sleep apnea.
7. What is the hardest part of being a bariatric surgery patient? The surgery itself.
8. What advice would you give to someone who is considering bariatric surgery? It will be the greatest life change; way more than you can imagine.
KR
1. What was your weight at time of surgery? My pre-op weight was 490 pounds, but I had been larger than that at times in my life. Weight was a hard thing to judge for me. In the town I lived in there just weren’t scales to weigh someone my size, so to weigh usually meant an hours drive to Winston. And trust me, that was more than enough incentive to postpone weighing myself and to continue the self deception that helped cause my obesity.
2. What is current weight? My current weight is 307. Even though I have been on somewhat of a plateau, I have faith that I am going to reach my goal weight of 285. My much improved health and losing my tracheotomy tube have spurred a new boost in my weight loss.
3. How has your life changed in the past year? This has been the most amazing year. I can honestly say that the months leading up to my bypass were the darkest of my life. My continued weight gain, and thus my more labored breathing, had caused me to really start to doubt that I had much longer on earth if I didn’t do something to change my life. So its really an understatement to say that my life has changed this year. My life has began again this year. My health is better; my voice is back after seven years as a mute. I have found love again and have once again started to make plans for the future, instead of assuming that I don’t have one to look forward to.
4. What is your favorite thing to do now that you couldn’t do before surgery? I would like to say that I have a single favorite thing to do now, but I don’t … to be honest, everyday there is something new that I can marvel over. But a few of my favorite activities are tying my shoes without having to tie them loose and slipping them on. Another thing is being able to climb a flight of stairs, and then just walk on without having to stop and recover after I get to the top. There are really endless everyday things that bring me pleasure now, and I hope that I can one day take these things for granted, but for now, I’m thrilled with these small victories.
5. What / who was your greatest source of support? There are two sources of support that I found to be invaluable. My family that sat with me through the operation, and the days of adjustment that followed, and have supported me throughout this change. And a fellow patient that had the same operation a few months later. She helped to give me a sounding board for issues that come up, and it was nice to have someone to help celebrate our mutual victories.
6. How have your medical conditions changed / improved since surgery? The changes to my health since my operation last December have been amazing. When I had the operation, I was suffering from several health issues. I was suffering from high blood pressure, poor circulation in my lower legs and I was fitted with a trach tube in 2001 and was mute due to the tube blocking my vocal chords. I was dependant on portable oxygen and had to carry around equipment to suction fluids out of my throat in order to breath. Since the surgery, I am now off all my meds (with the exception of my supplements - always take your supplements people!). I was soon off of the oxygen, and as of a month or so ago, I was relieved of the trach tube. So now, I am free of all my equipment and I can finally talk again!
7. What is the hardest part of being a bariatric surgery patient? I’ll not lie to you. There are tough changes to be made, and though they are not impossible, they can seem to add up sometimes. Things that made me question the surgery were : Dumping (lets face it , it sucks, but even this evil serves a great purpose – to set boundaries. Boy, does it). Another issue is the day after the operation, though it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, the gas has got to come out! Not a fun time for sure, but it passes (heh). I wish I had known how easy and fast it was to recover. It would have made the days before the operation much less stressful.
8. What advice would you give to someone who is considering bariatric surgery? To someone considering the surgery, I would say “Imagine yourself healthy, happy and more confident”. Then, I would tell them to weigh the pros and cons, and to make a decision to not only alter their bodies, but their minds and lifestyles. The payoff is so worth the effort. Bariatric surgery is a wonderful tool, but to get the most out of it, you have to embrace the changes. The surgery is not a cure, but it’s a powerful tool and it can mean the difference between hope and hopelessness, or a least it did for me.
Please use the space below to add any additional information about your experiences. Thank you for sharing your story with us!
The only thing I could really add to all this is to praise the services provided by Frye and the staff at Surgical Weight Loss. I’ll admit that I might not be a model bariatric patient, I’m not the greatest at going to meetings and utilizing all the massive community support offered after the procedure, but I do appreciate the knowing that any and all questions and concerns that I might have are only a call away from being answered. And knowing that the people at the SWLP are there to help, support and cheer me on make all the difference in how you’ll look at life after the operation. Use them, and the growing community of bariatric patients to help redefine who you are and what life has to offer you.
2. What is current weight? My current weight is 307. Even though I have been on somewhat of a plateau, I have faith that I am going to reach my goal weight of 285. My much improved health and losing my tracheotomy tube have spurred a new boost in my weight loss.
3. How has your life changed in the past year? This has been the most amazing year. I can honestly say that the months leading up to my bypass were the darkest of my life. My continued weight gain, and thus my more labored breathing, had caused me to really start to doubt that I had much longer on earth if I didn’t do something to change my life. So its really an understatement to say that my life has changed this year. My life has began again this year. My health is better; my voice is back after seven years as a mute. I have found love again and have once again started to make plans for the future, instead of assuming that I don’t have one to look forward to.
4. What is your favorite thing to do now that you couldn’t do before surgery? I would like to say that I have a single favorite thing to do now, but I don’t … to be honest, everyday there is something new that I can marvel over. But a few of my favorite activities are tying my shoes without having to tie them loose and slipping them on. Another thing is being able to climb a flight of stairs, and then just walk on without having to stop and recover after I get to the top. There are really endless everyday things that bring me pleasure now, and I hope that I can one day take these things for granted, but for now, I’m thrilled with these small victories.
5. What / who was your greatest source of support? There are two sources of support that I found to be invaluable. My family that sat with me through the operation, and the days of adjustment that followed, and have supported me throughout this change. And a fellow patient that had the same operation a few months later. She helped to give me a sounding board for issues that come up, and it was nice to have someone to help celebrate our mutual victories.
6. How have your medical conditions changed / improved since surgery? The changes to my health since my operation last December have been amazing. When I had the operation, I was suffering from several health issues. I was suffering from high blood pressure, poor circulation in my lower legs and I was fitted with a trach tube in 2001 and was mute due to the tube blocking my vocal chords. I was dependant on portable oxygen and had to carry around equipment to suction fluids out of my throat in order to breath. Since the surgery, I am now off all my meds (with the exception of my supplements - always take your supplements people!). I was soon off of the oxygen, and as of a month or so ago, I was relieved of the trach tube. So now, I am free of all my equipment and I can finally talk again!
7. What is the hardest part of being a bariatric surgery patient? I’ll not lie to you. There are tough changes to be made, and though they are not impossible, they can seem to add up sometimes. Things that made me question the surgery were : Dumping (lets face it , it sucks, but even this evil serves a great purpose – to set boundaries. Boy, does it). Another issue is the day after the operation, though it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, the gas has got to come out! Not a fun time for sure, but it passes (heh). I wish I had known how easy and fast it was to recover. It would have made the days before the operation much less stressful.
8. What advice would you give to someone who is considering bariatric surgery? To someone considering the surgery, I would say “Imagine yourself healthy, happy and more confident”. Then, I would tell them to weigh the pros and cons, and to make a decision to not only alter their bodies, but their minds and lifestyles. The payoff is so worth the effort. Bariatric surgery is a wonderful tool, but to get the most out of it, you have to embrace the changes. The surgery is not a cure, but it’s a powerful tool and it can mean the difference between hope and hopelessness, or a least it did for me.
Please use the space below to add any additional information about your experiences. Thank you for sharing your story with us!
The only thing I could really add to all this is to praise the services provided by Frye and the staff at Surgical Weight Loss. I’ll admit that I might not be a model bariatric patient, I’m not the greatest at going to meetings and utilizing all the massive community support offered after the procedure, but I do appreciate the knowing that any and all questions and concerns that I might have are only a call away from being answered. And knowing that the people at the SWLP are there to help, support and cheer me on make all the difference in how you’ll look at life after the operation. Use them, and the growing community of bariatric patients to help redefine who you are and what life has to offer you.
SH
1. What was your weight at time of surgery? 325 pounds
2. What is current weight? 157
3. How has your life changed in the past year? My life has changed dramatically. I was diagnosed with hypertension and renal failure at the age of 36 and had to go on dialysis. I felt as though my life had ended, and that there was no reason to make future plans or have ambitions toward a career anymore. I was told I must lose weight in order to be considered for a kidney transplant, but every diet I tried ended in failure and left me feeling worse about myself and my situation. When the issue of gastric bypass surgery came up to me, I figured that I might as well give it a try since nothing else has worked up to that time. Now that I have had the surgery, I have had a kidney transplant, and now have more energy that I have ever had. The surgery allowed me to have the stamina needed to go back to school and pursue a career in the medical field, which I am close to finishing. So much has happened since that time in which I felt I would be dead within a year or two, to graduation with a career in the field which gave my life back to me. My goals and aspirations are all within my grasp, and I am a successful woman entering the workforce to help others like myself attain their goals and aspirations.
4. What is your favorite thing to do now that you couldn’t do before surgery? I can now spend time with my family and friends without getting tired or having to leave to rest before other activities. I have a niece that is an exuberant teenager, and I love to spend time with her, but before the surgery, I would tire easily, and had to rest before we even had spend much time together. Now she is the one who has to rest before moving on to the next activity. I can now exercise also, without all of the fatigue and tiredness. I feel as though I have a new body, and it is more suited to the activities that I want to have in my life.
5. What / who was your greatest source of support? My family and especially my twin sister. We have both been overweight since childhood, and my sister along with my mother, were the main rock on which I was able to lean. They were there through the entire process, encouraging me to stay strong, and fight a good fight. Once I was successfully through the surgery, my twin was so inspired that she also had the surgery. Now we can share the same positive changes and successes and support each other by having shared the same experiences. It is said that twins experience each others thoughts and feelings, but thanks to this surgery, I know that this old adage is true.
6. How have your medical conditions changed / improved since surgery? I was able to have a kidney transplant, which has given me new life, and I am able to do things that I never thought were possible. Although I still struggle with the hypertension due to amino-suppressant medications, I have so much more energy and the chance at a normal life. I feel that now I have the body of a twenty year old, even though I am much older.
7. What is the hardest part of being a bariatric surgery patient? There really was no hard part for me. The most difficult time I had was when I was having to wait for the surgery. There have been many changes in my life with diet, but this was really not hard to accept all the changes after seeing results within a week of the surgery, and witnessing my body becoming more lean and fit.
8. What advice would you give to someone who is considering bariatric surgery? I would say for you to really examine yourself and make sure that you are ready for all of the changes that will occur in your life. There are so many positive changes that will occur, but you must be mentally ready to accept them and be ready to accept that people will notice you more and in a more positive way.
Please use the space below to add any additional information about your experiences. Thank you for sharing your story with us!
Without the surgery, I would probably have still been on dialysis and not have been able to accomplish all of the things that I have since the surgery. I would say that if anyone wants to change their life for the better, and they are ready for a new look and outlook, then they should consider bariatric surgery for themselves.
2. What is current weight? 157
3. How has your life changed in the past year? My life has changed dramatically. I was diagnosed with hypertension and renal failure at the age of 36 and had to go on dialysis. I felt as though my life had ended, and that there was no reason to make future plans or have ambitions toward a career anymore. I was told I must lose weight in order to be considered for a kidney transplant, but every diet I tried ended in failure and left me feeling worse about myself and my situation. When the issue of gastric bypass surgery came up to me, I figured that I might as well give it a try since nothing else has worked up to that time. Now that I have had the surgery, I have had a kidney transplant, and now have more energy that I have ever had. The surgery allowed me to have the stamina needed to go back to school and pursue a career in the medical field, which I am close to finishing. So much has happened since that time in which I felt I would be dead within a year or two, to graduation with a career in the field which gave my life back to me. My goals and aspirations are all within my grasp, and I am a successful woman entering the workforce to help others like myself attain their goals and aspirations.
4. What is your favorite thing to do now that you couldn’t do before surgery? I can now spend time with my family and friends without getting tired or having to leave to rest before other activities. I have a niece that is an exuberant teenager, and I love to spend time with her, but before the surgery, I would tire easily, and had to rest before we even had spend much time together. Now she is the one who has to rest before moving on to the next activity. I can now exercise also, without all of the fatigue and tiredness. I feel as though I have a new body, and it is more suited to the activities that I want to have in my life.
5. What / who was your greatest source of support? My family and especially my twin sister. We have both been overweight since childhood, and my sister along with my mother, were the main rock on which I was able to lean. They were there through the entire process, encouraging me to stay strong, and fight a good fight. Once I was successfully through the surgery, my twin was so inspired that she also had the surgery. Now we can share the same positive changes and successes and support each other by having shared the same experiences. It is said that twins experience each others thoughts and feelings, but thanks to this surgery, I know that this old adage is true.
6. How have your medical conditions changed / improved since surgery? I was able to have a kidney transplant, which has given me new life, and I am able to do things that I never thought were possible. Although I still struggle with the hypertension due to amino-suppressant medications, I have so much more energy and the chance at a normal life. I feel that now I have the body of a twenty year old, even though I am much older.
7. What is the hardest part of being a bariatric surgery patient? There really was no hard part for me. The most difficult time I had was when I was having to wait for the surgery. There have been many changes in my life with diet, but this was really not hard to accept all the changes after seeing results within a week of the surgery, and witnessing my body becoming more lean and fit.
8. What advice would you give to someone who is considering bariatric surgery? I would say for you to really examine yourself and make sure that you are ready for all of the changes that will occur in your life. There are so many positive changes that will occur, but you must be mentally ready to accept them and be ready to accept that people will notice you more and in a more positive way.
Please use the space below to add any additional information about your experiences. Thank you for sharing your story with us!
Without the surgery, I would probably have still been on dialysis and not have been able to accomplish all of the things that I have since the surgery. I would say that if anyone wants to change their life for the better, and they are ready for a new look and outlook, then they should consider bariatric surgery for themselves.
MR
