Bobby's Weight Loss Story
Weight Lost: 98 lbs.
Comorbidity Resolutions: Resolved Type 2 diabetes and lipids; discontinued three medications
Surgery Type: Gastric Bypass
I didn’t like what I had become. I would look in the mirror and think 'Boy, you look just terrible.' I would get up some mornings and say, 'I don’t feel like getting up.' I just wanted to stay in bed or get in my chair and do nothing. It was just tough to carry that much weight around all the time. If I did any kind of exercise or play any sports, my back would just kill me the next day. I was just miserable.
Bobby's Full Story
Right out of high school, I started gaining weight, but I was playing sports – softball, flag football – and the weight wasn’t much of an issue because I was in good health. When I turned 40, I quit playing softball, and I was gaining probably five to 10 pounds a year. It got ridiculous.
It disappointed me that I couldn’t get out there on the field. If I did, my ankles hurt, and my knees hurt; and the next morning, I hurt all over. Life was not as fun or as enjoyable as it should have been. Type 2 diabetes runs in my family, and all of the sudden my sugar shot up. I didn’t watch it like I should have, and it started to become a real problem. I needed to be real careful about what I consumed, but I wanted my sweet tea, pies and cakes. So life became miserable.
I didn’t like what I had become. I would look in the mirror and think, 'Boy, you just look terrible.' I would get up some mornings and say, 'I don’t feel like getting up.' I just wanted to stay in bed or get in my chair and do nothing. It was just tough to carry that much weight around all the time. If I did any kind of exercise or play any sports, my back would just kill me the next day. I was just miserable.
I would make some pretty good jokes about myself sometimes. It was my defense so that other people wouldn’t make fun of me. I let them know I knew I was overweight by joking around quite a bit about my weight. But when I was alone, I hated the image of what I had become. I knew it wasn’t a very good example for others. I wanted to lose weight, but I felt it was almost a defeated cause. I could lose weight, but keeping it off was tough.
I tried sugar busters. I tried counting calories several times. Counting calories everyday, trying to figure out how many calories you were eating was not easy. I finally just gave up. I would try to watch some of the stuff I would eat, but I would always give into southern-fried foods. It is tough when you grow up in a family that enjoys eating, to go home for celebrations and not indulge. Many times I would lose weight only to gain it back as soon as I attended a family or church gathering. If someone gave me sweets, I would just say, 'Let’s eat and enjoy it.'
My wife is a registered nurse. My health worried her. My weight worried her. I had Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. She was concerned, and I began thinking about having weight loss surgery. My sister had the same surgery in 1993 and lost 150 pounds. She kept it off and has actually lost some more. I began talking with my sister and others who knew what I was going through and made the decision to have weight loss surgery. I knew I was going to have to do something drastic.
As I talked with them, they encouraged me. My wife came home one day and asked, 'Have you ever considered gastric bypass surgery?' I told her I had, and she said we needed to go to a seminar. I told her I would love to go.
After attending Dr. Scott’s educational seminar, I realized this is what I needed and decided this is what I am going to do.
I had gastric bypass surgery on April 20, 2009. My highest weight was 282. Today I weigh 184 pounds, and 98 pounds later, I feel wonderful. I can do things I didn’t know I could do.
Before, I hated exercise, but now I enjoy golf, walking and jogging. I even have run two 5Ks.
After my surgery, I had to change my golf swing! I had swung around my stomach for so long that all of the sudden my swing changed. Before when I played golf, I would get back to the cart and be glad to sit down. Now I want to walk to the next hole. I am in the best shape I have been in probably since I was 30 years old, and I feel better than I have felt in probably 40 years. Because of weight loss surgery, I am living a more active, productive lifestyle.
Three months after surgery, I was able to stop taking medications for high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Now, I look forward to blood tests so I can say, look how much I have improved. Now I don’t take any prescription medications.
I was out walking one day, and my shoe came untied. When I was overweight, I would have looked for something to put my foot up on so I could still breathe when I bent over. I couldn’t find anything, so decided I’d just hold my breath. But, as I bent over, I didn’t have to hold my breath. That’s when it hit me: 'Wow, I didn’t even know I could do this.'