Steve Scholar
Being 420 pounds dictated everything in my life. I wore the same pair of size-60 dress pants to work every day and arrived early to meetings so I could scope out where to sit. It was so embarrassing. I was suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea. When my knee went out, my doctor refused to do knee replacement surgery; he said because of my weight, the replacement wouldn’t last. Finally, I decided I had to do something.
My doctor referred me to Memorial Health Bariatrics. I explored all the options and chose gastric bypass surgery. It was the best decision I ever made. On the day of my surgery in 2011, I weighed in at 375 pounds. Within a week, my blood glucose levels were normal. A month after surgery, I had no more sleep apnea. My blood pressure and cholesterol numbers took a little longer to get under control but they are no longer an issue. Eventually, I lost 190 pounds and traded in those old pants for a trim size 32 waist.
My lifestyle has changed dramatically. Walking used to be a chore; now I walk two to three miles a day. My dog likes that. I work on my cars, swim with my wife, and I’m back on my motorcycle, which seems to go a lot faster now!
My family didn’t think I was going to lose as much weight as I did. I’m so glad I did it. Bariatric surgery probably extended my life.