Less than a year ago I had Lap-Band surgery and I have lost almost 50 pounds.
Back when my wife Jennifer first decided to have the Lap-Band procedure, I became
the husband of a patient. After her surgery, I followed the process watching her
losing weight, being able to become pregnant and then become a great mother.
The Lap-Band was really the perfect weight loss surgery solution for her because
we knew we wanted to have a baby and the adjustability of the band really allowed
for her to be able to get all the nutrition that she needed for the baby. And it
also helped her to lose the weight beforehand so that she could actually get pregnant.
In fact, the day she found out she was pregnant she had just broken one of the major
milestones that she had set for herself which was breaking the 200 pound barrier.
She knew that she would have to cross back over it because of the baby, but, it
was one of those real happy, happy days. And then after our daughter was born, she
was able to get the band adjusted and started losing weight again.
Unfortunately, throughout the whole time she was losing weight, I started gaining
weight. And it kept coming on until the jokes were on the holidays were, "oh look
there goes Santa Claus" or in the summer it would be "humpty dumpty don't fall off
the wall". After a while those jokes became very painful - you sit back and you
laugh outwardly, but inside it tears you up. It was just extremely painful to hear
some of the things that people would say behind my back. So finally, after watching
my wife's weight loss success, I made the decision to have the Lap-Band procedure
myself.
Since I have had the procedure, I eat a lot less. The Lap-Band has really worked
as a tool for me in controlling my eating and hunger - I'm still able to enjoy the
foods that I loved before, but now my eyes are more in sync with my stomach. I'm
losing the weight in a very healthy and controlled manner. Losing the pounds as
I have and knowing that more is going to be able to come off in a healthy way, I
know I'm going to be able to help with my daughter's wedding and be able to walk
her down the aisle. Before the Lap-Band, I don't know if I would've been able to
do that.
In just under one year and just a hair shy of 50 pounds lost, my life has changed
dramatically. I feel so much more energetic now having lost weight! I'm been able
to play with my 3-year-old daughter more - I don't feel joint pain and I don't feel
worn down as I chase her around the house and help her learn about the world around
her. The jokes of "here comes fatty coming down the street" are going away. I can
sit in airplane seats and I don't worry about a chair breaking underneath me. I
can also wear clothes that I haven't been able to wear for 4 years and I can shop
at normal stores. It has been a complete boost to my self-esteem and ego. I even
feel taller and have a bounce in my step!
Today I look around and I see that there are a lot more guys out there in the situation
I was in. Less than one year ago I was one of them, but now I'm on the road to being
down to a healthy weight and a more energetic life.