Hi my name is Trish and I would like to take a minute to tell you a little bit about myself and my experience with Gastric Bypass Surgery.
Starting as young child I always struggled with my weight. I was active in dance during my childhood and into my teen years and yet I remained overweight.
A little over 3 years ago I heard about Gastric Bypass Surgery. I called my health insurance provider and discovered they covered the surgery 100%, I was thrilled! I started my search for the perfect surgeons that would provide me with the understanding, support and discipline I would need to be successful.
After calling a few surgeons, I came across a free seminar that Dr. Richardson and Dr. Lane were holding about Gastric Bypass Surgery. My mother and I called and signed up for the seminar! We attended the seminar a few weeks later and that is when my life changed!!! The surgeons were so informative and professional, I knew from that moment they were the ones I wanted to do my surgery.
I scheduled my appointment for my one on one meeting with Dr. Richardson. She explained to me the process of Gastric Bypass Surgery, what to expect during the surgery and afterwards. I enrolled in the Bariatric Program and things started happening very quickly and it was all very exciting. The program was 6 weeks total and during that time we were taught what we would need to do before, during, and after surgery. We were taught about food, how to eat our meals, what food we should eat and what foods to avoid. We were taught everything we needed to succeed! The 6 week course went by quickly and before I knew it my surgery date was almost here, November 6th! I was getting more excited everyday; I couldn’t wait for my new happy, healthy life to begin!
The day of my surgery, Monday November 6th I was nervous but more excited than anything! Everything went very smoothly and there were no complications at all. I was up and walking the next morning, feeling great! I was a little sore and stiff but that is normal. I remember lying in the hospital bed and feeling like I was so skinny. I looked down at my stomach and it was all still there but my stomach felt really tight because of the surgery. The nurse came in and weighed me and I had lost 5 lbs within a matter of 2 days! By Wednesday I was ready to go home, I was able to hold down broth and was walking all over. They weighed me right before I left the hospital and I had already lost 7lbs, I felt great!
As time went on I lost more and more weight and I was feeling great and didn’t have any problems. All the appointments with my surgeons were going great and my family and I were very excited! They could see that my attitude was changing and I was becoming a more positive person! My self confidence and self esteem were growing and I was feeling great about life! I found myself wanting to go out and experience things that I never would have done before, like go boating with my friend. Before surgery I would have been worried about how I was going to get into the boat but that was no longer a problem! I competed in my first walk/run competition and finished 2 days early! It felt great and still feel great!
I am now nearly 3 years post-op. My highest weight was nearly 310 lbs and I was wearing a size 26, I am now 155 lbs and a size 10. I never thought that I would ever feel this good about life or be a size 10 but I am! I’m so much healthier now and I have a lot more energy. I can’t believe how much this surgery has changed my life and my friends and families lives. My family and friends were so supportive of me; they were by my side 110%! Looking back I feel the reason I have done as well as I have is because of the program, the wonderful surgeons and my amazing friends and family! |
