BEFORE & AFTER GALLERY

Patty W.

Procedure: Lap Band

Weight Lost: 108 lbs.

My Story: January 1st, 2011 I decided the quality of my life was going to change because you see, disgust is a very powerful emotion, especially when you have been feeling it over and over again about yourself. After 14 years of gradually putting on weight after what I reasoned to be an obviously acceptable thing to do after losing my son to leukemia, my brother to cancer, and then suddenly losing my husband, Ian, I couldn’t live with the worry on my daughter’s faces anymore especially as they had endured the same losses. These were the 3 men – the 3 loves of my life all gone.

After all, I survived these tragedies and isn’t that all that should be expected of me? Well, the answer is no. I need to be there, present, happy, healthy, a mother, a friend, an example – alive. It suddenly became simple. I was limping, breathing heavier, and just uncomfortable. I honestly thought the lap band was a cop out at first because I thought it showed I lacked the willpower to lose this weight by sticking to a diet and exercise regimen. This thought was lack of education and after learning more about it, I quickly learned that it is a tool that assisted me in eating right and exercising – just the “help” I needed and was too proud to ask for. 108 pounds later, I am the person I was before the pain, grief and loss – both mentally and physically and instead of carrying the pain around in pounds, I am carrying it the memories in my head and my heart.