Norman, 62, and Donna, 56, are engaged to be married. The two have something unusual in common: they each had gastric bypass surgery. Below you will find their stories about the experience.
Norman: I’d been overweight all my life, but as I got older this issue really started to have a negative impact. I had high blood pressure. I ended up needing quintuple bypass surgery. I had a stroke. Finally, I said, “I’ve got to do something.”
I had the gastric bypass surgery in the fall of 2012 and one year later I have to say I’m an entirely new person. My weight has dropped from 298 pounds to 193 pounds. My blood pressure is normal and my cholesterol is perfect. To me, it’s miraculous. I fought this weight issue for decades and literally it was killing me. Dr. Baranov was phenomenal. He was there for me every step along the way. The knowledge he had and the caring he showed me made a tremendous difference. Actually, it made the whole experience pretty easy. He truly cares about his patients. He’s just an exceptional doctor.
When I first started on this process I was nervous, but information is the key. Dr. Baranov began by going over every possible scenario. He gave me all the time I needed to understand everything that would happen. I felt completely informed.
There was no problem at all with my surgery. I was up walking around the very next day. And then for the first time in my life I felt satiated. I could eat three meals a day plus a snack. And the weight just kept coming off. My waist size has come down from a 52 to 38. To someone who is considering the surgery I would say, Go see Dr. Baranov and you’ll have nothing to worry about.
Norman is part of our "Results" campaign. Read more about his story, along with Donna's, below.
I spent a year thinking about whether to have the surgery. I just reached the point where I knew this was something I had to do. And what a difference it’s made. I’m free from all the drugs associated with obesity.
It’s been over a year now since I had the surgery and my weight is down 90 pounds. My body has been restored to what it looked like 15 years ago. My dress size is eight sizes smaller than it was.
All along I wanted to make an informed decision. After all, this surgery is life altering. I had worked to keep the weight off, but it was a constant struggle. And I have so many reasons for living a long life. I have a wonderful family.
Dr. Baranov is exceptional. He is the most capable surgeon that I could imagine. I totally trusted him. The dedication, caring and compassion he demonstrates is pretty remarkable. If you’re thinking about having the surgery, there’s something you should know: You really can have a whole new lifestyle. But if you are going to do it, do it for you.