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"After my second child was born with a rare genetic syndrome, I was very
depressed. As he was born with paralyzed vocal cords, among numerous
other anomalies, he did not have the ability to eat or drink. Therefore,
he was fed with a feeding tube from his birth to 3 years old. During this
time, I felt so guilty for being able to eat normally; I fed my guilt and
fear for my son with food. Eventually, I was 150 pounds overweight.
After my third child was born, I tried to lose weight and keep it off, but
nothing seemed to work. I was on a life-long roller coaster ride of
starvation, deprivation and disappointment when the diets failed.
Finally, after some health problems, I decided to do something positive
for my health and longevity. I was tired of going to bed with the last
thought in my head spinning around what I was going to find to wear to
work for the next day and waking up worried about my weight, and how I
looked and felt. My self-esteem was plummeting, along with my health. I
had no serious health issues, but I knew my body couldn't hold out forever
with all of the extra weight. After doing research on bariatric surgery,
I decided to go to an informational seminar and find out what Gastric Banding
could offer me. Since my insurance didn't cover this surgery, I
had to decide if I wanted to invest thousands of dollars on bariatric
surgery. After some time and support from my husband and family, I made
the surgery a priority and the commitment to change my life for good.
Now, 155 pounds lighter, I feel I have a new lease on life. I can do
things I haven't been able to do in 20 years! I am more active and find
my self an active participant in my life again. Having this surgery and
the support of the team at Columbia Bariatrics is undeniably the best thing
I have ever done for my health. It's still a lot of work to stay on
track, but most good things in life are worth the work! I would recommend
this surgery to anyone who qualifies for the program and wants to achieve
lifetime healthiness."