Maria Savastano
Hi...my name is Maria. I'm a wife and mother of four. I have the best family in the world and the most supportive husband ever! Why I wanted WLS...
I've been obese ever since I can remember. I've never in my life felt "normal" about my weight or appearance.
I looked into wls for over two years now. I was diagnosed with clinical depression and high cholesteral back in Nov. 2001. Soon after that I was diagnosed with acid reflux. Since that time my weight has fluctuated between 250 - 325 lbs. I've been off medication for both the depression and acid reflux for about 3yrs now. I have sleep apnea as well as severe hypothyroidism and have been on medication for it since I was a teen. However, this year my medication has been increased four times.
From January to April 2006 I experienced a weight gain like no other in my life. It's scary...scary enough for me to finally say enough. I've tried almost every wlp that I can think of over the past 20+ years and nothing has been able to help me even maintain a weight.
My mom is a retired dietician of 40+ yrs...and even she has been unable to help me in the past. We've tried EVERYTHING!
I was on a medically supervised wlp since Sept. 2005. I started it weighing 319lbs. and by March 2006 I was at 308lbs. I was on 2 different types of weight loss medication...the first one didn't do anything at all. The last was Meridia and it helped a little bit...but nothing significant.
I finally had my WLS on 7/17/06 and now I'm healthy...much happier and ready to take on the world!
1. To be healthy - DONE 9/17/06
2. So I can take my kids to Six Flags and ride the rides - DONE 10/21/06
3. To go horseback riding again - DONE 10/8/06
4. To fit into a normal seat on a plane w/o having the arm raised - DONE 12/23/06
5. To be able to climb a flight of stairs w/o being out of breath - DONE 4/07
6. To not be discriminated against at work because of my weight - DONE 4/07
7. To look the way I feel inside
8. To be able to go hiking, biking, and other activities - DONE 5/07
9. To wear a swimsuit and look good in it - DONE 6/07
10. To be able to shop in a normal clothing store - DONE 4/07
11. To not have to think about my obesity every day
