Jan: Gastric Bypass

I have never been thin, not even in my baby pictures. In Tennessee where I grew up, they called me "chubby" or "chunky," because in the South, they're too polite to call you fat.

Right out of college and very young, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. At the time, my numbers were so high that my doctor advised me not to do anything until he regulated my medication and got those numbers down. That was my first chronic medication; I had hypertension.

In July 1999, I was diagnosed as diabetic. There is no history of diabetes in my family. I was absolutely stunned. My doctor put me on another medication. This was my second daily prescription.

During my first year of being diabetic, my blood sugars were wildly irregular, very unstable and all over the map. I didn't feel well that whole year. My doctor added a second diabetic medication, and I finally saw my blood sugars stabilize.

With medication, my blood work was beautiful, but only with medication. That brought my daily prescriptions to three different ones, five pills a day.

Within a short period of time, my cholesterol began climbing, and the result was yet another drug. This would be my fourth chronic prescription. But this one had bad side effects for me: severe fatigue and major joint pain. They tried three or four different meds, but all had the adverse side effects on me.

This final prescription became my turning point. I was so sick of taking all the medications and pills every day.

About this same time, one of my closest friends decided to investigate gastric bypass surgery for herself. She had her surgery in January 2007.

The surgery was very successful for her. The weight just fell off. I saw her through it all...the differences in her eating habits, diet and exercise. She didn't know that I was watching her for my own personal reasons. I was making mental notes of the whole process of her recovery and life changes. I witnessed all the changes in her: her health, her confidence, her looks.

She lost 90 pounds within the year. That's when I decided that I had to check out this surgery for myself. When I mentioned the surgery to my doctor, she gave me a great big smile and a referral to Dr. Woodbury in December 2007, and I had my own gastric bypass surgery in March 2008.

I lost 30 pounds before my surgery, and have lost 60 pounds since then, for a total of 90 pounds in less than a year.

I have since been taken off all of my medications. I am no longer diabetic or hypertensive. My blood work is textbook beautiful.

Everyone has his or her own reasons for wanting this surgery. With me, it was all my medications that made me look into it. I have met my own goal of getting off of all of them.

If I don't lose another pound, I would still be happy because I am off all medications, and I feel incredible! I am now a size 10. I don't think I've ever been a size 10, even in junior high school. I had to buy a whole new wardrobe!

I have been so fortunate in my journey. I have wonderful friends who have inspired and supported me all along the way, including the weight loss surgery support group that meets every month at the Wells Fargo Center. What a great group of people!

Dr. Woodbury has changed my life. No doubt, he has also extended it. Thank you, Dr. Woodbury!