New Found Confidence
I'd played football and had always been athletic but suddenly found myself overweight. I weighed 461 pounds the day of the surgery, and had weighed 400-440 pounds up and down for the last couple years. I still golfed but my knees and hips were failing on me. I couldn't walk; I had to ride in a golf cart. I'd done Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, exercising, and had hired a fitness trainer, but it was so difficult to lose weight. So I decided to take a look at the surgery.
 

My primary care physician referred me to the Bariatric Center, with great praise. I spent the summer researching the surgery and other surgeons but kept coming back to the Bariatric Center because it wasn't just a surgery. The program had everything, including exercise physiologists.

I'd had no medical insurance for 15 years, so I paid for the surgery out of pocket. Because I was spending my own money, I did exactly what I was told - and I lost 225 pounds. I now weigh 241 pounds. I went from a 62" waist to a 40" waist. I did it because I wanted to be healthy. I love my wife and want to be with her as long as I can.

Now it's amazing! I'm enjoying what I didn't have a concept of before. I never thought I'd enjoy shopping and getting compliments, which are things I never cared about before. I have confidence now and off-the-scale optimism.