Looking back - I made the right decision.
I gotta tell you fellas - this journey is nothing short of amazing! My all time high weight was in the neighborhood of 395 lbs. I dieted and walked my tail off to get down to 388 - Whoopee! After being advised by my cardiologist and family doctor to consider bariatric surgery due to declining health, I decided "What the heck - nothing is working and I am getting no significant loss through diet and exercise - so I'll do it!"
I weighed 366 in February 2008 when I went for my first consult at Vandy concerning WL surgery. I was wearing a 3XL shirt and size 50 (tight) pants. On the day of my surgery, 4-28-08, I weighed in at 333 lbs.
Well, today - 8 1/2 months post-op - I weigh 195 lbs!! I wear a size L shirt, and size 36 pants ( actually, size 35 would fit nicely, but that's an odd size and hard to find).
More importaantly, I am no longer pre-diabetic, no longer have sleep-apnea, no congestive heart failure problems, and no more edema in my feet, ankles, legs and hands. My BP is routinely 128/66 to 130/68 and my heart rate is between 62 and 66. I have gone from 13 meds a day to only 1, which is for cholesterol and is precautionary protocol for treatment following heart surgery.
I can now function daily as a "normal" person. My energy level has increased at least 10 fold. I can walk without pain in my feet, ankles, knees, and back. I can exercise and train with weights again. I can do maintenance items around the house and actually finish them in a timely manner. I can ride my motorcycle without having to stop after just 30-minutes because I am fatigued. I can work all day, go to the gym, and still have energy when I get home at night. I can play with my grandkids withiout having to stop after 5 minutes because I'm short of breath or feeling lousy.
Yep - when I stop and think about where I was both physically and mentally just less than a year ago, it is nothing short of absolutely amazing to me what this surgery has allowed me to accomplish and the changes it has made in my life.
As has been said so many times before, weight loss surgery is definitely not a "MAGIC CURE". It requires committment and dedication to the program. It requires changes in our mentality and lifestyle habits. The decision to have WLS is a personal decision that one has to make on their own. It should be made only after weighing the potential risks involved, research, and careful consideration of the lifestyle changes and the committment that is required to be successful after the surgery. But for me, I KNOW without a doubt that I made the absolute RIGHT DECISION!
I weighed 366 in February 2008 when I went for my first consult at Vandy concerning WL surgery. I was wearing a 3XL shirt and size 50 (tight) pants. On the day of my surgery, 4-28-08, I weighed in at 333 lbs.
Well, today - 8 1/2 months post-op - I weigh 195 lbs!! I wear a size L shirt, and size 36 pants ( actually, size 35 would fit nicely, but that's an odd size and hard to find).
More importaantly, I am no longer pre-diabetic, no longer have sleep-apnea, no congestive heart failure problems, and no more edema in my feet, ankles, legs and hands. My BP is routinely 128/66 to 130/68 and my heart rate is between 62 and 66. I have gone from 13 meds a day to only 1, which is for cholesterol and is precautionary protocol for treatment following heart surgery.
I can now function daily as a "normal" person. My energy level has increased at least 10 fold. I can walk without pain in my feet, ankles, knees, and back. I can exercise and train with weights again. I can do maintenance items around the house and actually finish them in a timely manner. I can ride my motorcycle without having to stop after just 30-minutes because I am fatigued. I can work all day, go to the gym, and still have energy when I get home at night. I can play with my grandkids withiout having to stop after 5 minutes because I'm short of breath or feeling lousy.
Yep - when I stop and think about where I was both physically and mentally just less than a year ago, it is nothing short of absolutely amazing to me what this surgery has allowed me to accomplish and the changes it has made in my life.
As has been said so many times before, weight loss surgery is definitely not a "MAGIC CURE". It requires committment and dedication to the program. It requires changes in our mentality and lifestyle habits. The decision to have WLS is a personal decision that one has to make on their own. It should be made only after weighing the potential risks involved, research, and careful consideration of the lifestyle changes and the committment that is required to be successful after the surgery. But for me, I KNOW without a doubt that I made the absolute RIGHT DECISION!
BamaBob54 
ROLL TIDE!!!
[IMG]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/BamaVulcan04/2661045004_3d63fb2244.jpg[/IMG]
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ROLL TIDE!!! [IMG]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/BamaVulcan04/2661045004_3d63fb2244.jpg[/IMG]
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Amen Bro! Amen.
Without question, my life is infinitely better now than it was 18 months ago. In every way except financial. I still owe about $20,000 on my surgery and my daughter's in her 4th semester of college rather than her first. But hell, it's only money. That's what tomorrow, next month, and next year are for.
Without question, my life is infinitely better now than it was 18 months ago. In every way except financial. I still owe about $20,000 on my surgery and my daughter's in her 4th semester of college rather than her first. But hell, it's only money. That's what tomorrow, next month, and next year are for.
The free man owns himself. He can damage himself with either eating or drinking....... If he does he is certainly a damn fool, and he might possibly be a damned soul; but if he may not, he is not a free man any more than a dog.
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