Testimonial
I have been overweight all of my life. (I am sure you read that line a lot.) I started gaining weight by the first grade and by 2003; I had reached a weight of 394 pounds. I was very reluctant to share my weight with anyone even now because you start thinking the old way of what if I gain it back everyone will know what I weigh. I did great the first two weeks after surgery then I went down hill fast. Keep in mind I had no co-morbidities except my weight. I started getting nauseated. I ended up in the hospital 3 separate times from November through December. I had test after test trying to figure out what was wrong. My PCP said it was time to look at my birth control pills as the culprit and sure enough I stopped taking them and the nausea stopped. It has been a long journey and hard at times I have low blood pressure from being sick for so long but it is improving everyday. I am now more confident in public. I feel so much better about my appearance which means I get out more now. I still feel inside like I am the same weight. But on the outside I can't figure out what size clothes I should wear. To give you an example I almost lost my pantyhose after church in the grocery store. Normally that would a stressful thing trying to keep them up until you could get to the car but I found it hilarious. I will update as I have time to write. (I have a two year old you know.) ha ha

Update January 1, 2007 - Time sure has flown by! I now weigh 197 pounds that is 188 pounds from my weight at the time of my surgery 385 and 191 from my highest weight ever. I have learned I can eat more know which is nice. Through the holidays not so nice, I think I lost and gained the same ten pounds over and over again! Oh well.

In September of 2006 I started having a lot of pain in my abdomen. It sent me to the hospital many times. Because I had weight loss surgery they scoped my stomach and intestines looking for blockages. Guess what they said, my inside plumbing looked great. Even my gastro specialist (Dr. Riccio) said he had never seen anyone in his office with the DS procedure before. He was very fascinated with it. He asked me for notes on the subject. He said my surgery was the best procedure he has ever seen. Dr. Riccio said he has many patients with the other types of surgeries. They come to him with all types of digestion problems, pain and so forth and some he can't help at all. So yes I am glad that I had the DS surgery. My pain was caused by a hernia which I found myself the hernia wasn't from surgery. I was told it could have come from having a 11 lb. 3 oz. baby or from all the throwing up I did the first three months after surgery which was caused by birth control pills. I have had many problems arise this past but none have been from my procedure. My pcp said I am now a very healthy person.

It has taken me a year but I feel healthy, lots of energy. I run with my son and chase him around the yard. I feel like I just started living my life and it is a lot of fun! If you are reading my testimonial and are thinking about weight loss surgery please e-mail me. I will be glad to answer ANY questions you have about the subject even if you think they are silly, please ask me anyway.