"My first impression of Dr. Baker was of a complete and utter control freak. I did not know what to think at the obesity surgery meeting. He stood up there and said that he would be watching for us and that if he saw us parking close at Wal-Mart, he would fire us as patients. If he opened up someone for obesity surgery and found food, he would close them up and not complete the surgery. He also stated that hot dogs were not on the soft food diet. I thought that was way too much. I went home thinking that I needed the surgery so badly to save my life that dealing with him would be a necessary evil.
I remember crying the night before I was supposed to have my final weigh in before surgery. My home scale showed I had not lost any weight and I had been on the shakes for two weeks. I just knew that he was going to cancel my surgery and I was going to die from kidney failure. I had only been drinking the shakes and I had been following an exercise plan. Whenever I weighed in, I had lost weight. This experience taught me two things: my scale at home was broken because I weighed too much for it and there were sound reasons for Dr. Baker to have the attitude that he had.
I went in for the surgery and did exactly what he told me to do. I got out of the hospital in four days and have really gained a respect for the man I once called "Dr. God." I have followed a diet and exercise plan since I got out of the hospital, symbolically on New Year's Eve. I have hit little plateaus and have definitely had struggles. I have lost 132 lbs. since I began this journey in October and I am over 100 lbs down since the surgery. Dr. Baker and his staff have been very supportive and have given me the tough love that I have needed to make it on this journey. I still have a little over 70 lbs. to go but I am optimistic and ready to complete this journey with their help.
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