BEFORE & AFTER GALLERY

Mary M

Procedure: Gastric Sleeve

I have been dealing with being over weight since I was a child. I went on Weight Watchers as a teenager. I have tried most diets, fasting programs. I would successfully lose weight, but I always gained the weight back including more. My doctors have been trying to get me to have gastric surgery for years. In 2014 I finally worked for a company that would pay for gastric surgery and started the process with my insurance company. I went to my PCP and Weight Watchers so I could begin having PCP monitor my progress for 90 consecutive days. I filled out paperwork with three different WLS doctor’s and either received no response, or a bad response.

In August 2014, I went online to DFW Bariatrics, filled out paperwork and heard back promptly. My appointment was promptly scheduled and all my questions were answered. When I came in for my visit, I was walked through the process of what to expect from the insurance company and how the DFW Bariatrics team would coordinate. I met with an RN, a PA and a Surgeon. The flyer/pamphlet in the waiting room was the first I had ever seen that compared the four procedures side by side. I decided right then that I would have Inverted Gastric Sleeve so I could retain some of the nutrients from the food I eat. During the next month, the insurance company rejected me for surgery because the monitoring by my PCP was interrupted when I was sent to a cardiac specialist due to a weird reading on the EKG they ran. I started over the 90 day nutrition classes in January 2015.

In May 2015 the insurance company approved me for surgery. I scheduled my Inverted Gastric Sleeve surgery for Friday, October 30, 2015. Started the 4-week liquid diet on Thursday, October 1, 2015. Surgery went very well and I went home at 7:00 pm that same night. Best day of my life. I had no complications and very little pain. I used an ice pack for about a week and started walking laps inside my house 3 days after surgery. HW 338, SW 329, CW 275; 63 lbs lost at 11 weeks out. I have dropped 4 sizes so far. I walk 2-3 miles every day, I just started adding strap on wrist and ankle weights to strengthen and tone. I feel Great. I have been hot natured my whole life, but not any longer. It is so wonderful. I cannot say enough about how wonderful the doctors, nurses, pa’s and staff at DFW have been through this process.