Success StoriesHome > Success StoriesSometimes the best way to learn about a medical program is to hear what patients have to say about it. Here are “Success Stories” from some of our weight management patients … Beth and Bob
The biggest thing for me was that I hadn’t been able to buy clothes in a store for so long. I had to buy through special catalogs. In June, after my surgery, I bought a pair of jeans at a local store. At the beginning of November 2009, I tried them on and they fit me! It’s an amazing thing to know I can walk into a store now and buy clothes. I have more to go, but this gives me the motivation to keep going. Bob and I thank Dr. Benbrahim for the opportunity to improve our health and quality of life. This is probably one of the best and most important things we have done for ourselves.”
John "I was very surprised at how the team approached my condition. The support they gave me was outstanding. From the start, they explained everything in detail and what I should expect. Once I was on the floor, they gave me the best care. They were always willing to go out of their way to make me feel like I was the only patient they had.”
Ivette “I was never a big eater, but I was gaining weight on a weekly basis. I was working very hard to lose the weight, so I was very discouraged. I’d already had back surgery and knee problems. I had trouble sleeping. I had asthma and reflux disease. I was diabetic, too. I wasn't even 40 [years old] yet, but I could see that I was looking at a death sentence. When I went in for my consultation, they were great. Dr. Benbrahim answered all our questions and really put us at ease.”
“Life is good!” “I am a 59 year-old male who has struggled with obesity for the majority of my adult life. In March 2008, my weight exceeded 300 pounds for the first time. Daily, I was taking two kinds of insulin and two different pills for Type II Diabetes, two pills for high blood pressure, two pills for high cholesterol, one double-strength pill for fluid build-up in my legs and a pill to control acid reflux. In addition, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and eventually began using a CPAP machine every night. Every type of physical exertion caused me to huff and puff. I came to the realization that I was not going to live much longer if I did not make a serious change to the way I lived. I attended a seminar put on by MidState Medical Center’s Weight Management Program. I liked what I heard, and my surgery was performed in late October 2008. The procedure was a textbook success. When I began, I was 304 pounds. I am now in my ninth month since surgery and I weigh less than 190 pounds – a loss of over 110 pounds. My diabetes was totally resolved … I have energy and mobility that I haven’t experienced since I was a very young man. I went from clothing in the 3X size to medium shirts and 34-inch waist pants. Life is good!” Kathie
My divorce was a major turning point for me. My husband admitted to being repulsed by my size and didn’t find me even sexually desirable. After 27 years of marriage, that was a real blow to my ego. Fortunately, I had a great primary care doctor. He said: ‘Kathie, things are not good. We have to do something for you.’ He didn’t just add another medication to the pile. He said, ‘There’s a great surgeon I’ve heard good things about, and I think he might be able to help you.’ The rest is history. I sat with Dr. Benbrahim, and, if my daughter hadn’t been with me, no one would have believed that he told me that if I didn’t do something soon, I probably had about 10 years to live. He explained gastric bypass. He said he could put me in the ballpark with the bat and ball, but I had to hit the home run. His program and team of professionals are great. Their support, guidance and education are ongoing. Surgery isn’t a short cut, or a quick fix. This is a life change: A commitment to me, myself, and I.
I am 5½ years out and have not gained any weight back, which can sometimes happen. I was taking around 12 medications for my co-morbidities, but since my surgery, I am off all the meds. It took almost a year for me to actually see what had happened to me. About 9 months after surgery, I knew all the clothes were smaller, but I can honestly say that, when I looked in the mirror, I could still see ‘the fat me.’ It took a long time for the visual of myself to catch up to my body." |
“My husband and I had been heavy for years. When I had my first child in 1988, I had a hard time taking the weight off. Then I had another child and kept gaining more weight. I tried different programs with little or no success. I got to the point where I had to do something. I met with Dr. Benbrahim and immediately felt that he could help me. He was kind and understanding. I opted for gastric bypass surgery. After telling my husband about my choice, he decided he wanted to meet with Dr. Benbrahim as well. We both chose to have gastric bypass surgery. We were fortunate to have each other to lean on. Between us, we’re now down a total of almost 260 pounds.
When we started on this journey, we were both on high blood pressure medication. We were both diabetic, and Bob had high cholesterol. Now, we’re off all of our medications, which is amazing! Our medical problems have been resolved, and even some bothersome body pains have diminished. 
“Having dealt with obesity all my life, I can tell you it is about humiliation, discrimination, and for me, lots of depression, loneliness and frustration. I had no concept of eating properly. To lose weight was to not eat at all. For me, the weight loss games started in the late ‘60s, with amphetamines. Then there were the diets … the low-fat diet, the low-carb diet, the cabbage soup diet, the low-calorie diet, the grapefruit diet, diets with well-known names ... some worked better than others, but only for short periods.
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Meet patients who struggled until they had weight loss surgery |
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Ready for the next step? |
