Michelle - A Successful Gastric Bypass Surgery Patient
Winning support and reaping the social benefits of bariatric surgery
“Before my weight-loss surgery, I was trapped in an unhealthy cycle,” recalls Michelle. “The harder I tried to lose weight, the more attention I paid to what I was eating and the more I ate.”
During 10 years of dieting, Michelle fluctuated between 25 and 140 pounds above her normal weight range – and yo-yoed in between. “I tried all the diet plans. Some worked. Some didn’t,” she says. “Even when they worked, I’d gain back the weight I lost and then some. I knew how hazardous it is to gain and lose like that, so I started researching weight-loss surgery.”
A January 2009 diagnosis of cervical cancer made her even more resolved to lose the weight for good. “I was treated and cured, and by February my doctor and I both decided I needed to get the weight off.” She contacted her insurance company and, within four weeks, was approved for gastric bypass surgery. Carlos Ferrari, M.D., a general surgeon affiliated with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, performed the surgery on April 6, 2009. She was 41.
Michelle’s husband Dan, who works in Iraq, had undergone the same procedure with Dr. Ferrari two weeks earlier, at the age of 48. “Even though Dan’s away most of the time, we work together as a long-distance support system,” she says. “We eat well – lots of fruits and vegetables. We e-mail and talk on the phone every day. We’ve both made friends with people who had the surgery before we did, and they offer great support and good suggestions, too. Weight-loss surgery works, but you have to pay attention to the food your body will accept and remember to do everything in moderation.” Within 6 months of his surgery, Dan was able to stop all medications for high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.
Weight-Loss Surgery Benefits
These days Michelle goes to a restaurant with more than food on her mind. “I’m more focused on socializing now than on food,” she says. “I have a good conversation with friends, and I almost always take part of my dinner home.”
She’s also reaping social benefits. “The way people look at me is different now,” says Michelle, who slimmed down from 269 to 149 and went from a size 20 to a size 5/6. “People are friendlier. When I walk into a store, I feel welcomed, and when it comes to clothes, I have more options. It’s a great feeling because after years of dieting, I know I did it the healthy way.”
"I tried all the diet plans. Some worked. Some didn't. Even when they worked, I'd gain back the weight I lost and then some. I knew how hazardous it is to gain and lose like that, so I started researching weight-loss surgery."
-Michelle