10 years. 79 lbs.
I was 60 when I had the lap band. I’m 71 now. In a little over 10 years I lost 79 lbs. I didn’t do it for vanity, I did it because I wanted to live, because I wanted my health back and because I wanted to be around for my family. The way I was eating was killing me and it had to change.
In June of 2007 I had my first grandchild. The night we went home from the hospital I was on 14 prescription drugs for diabetes, blood pressure, neuropathy, etc. and I just looked at my small hand and the pills barely fit in there. I realized I was killing myself with these and I wanted to live at least 10 more years to be there for my grandchild. These days I only take one prescription drug now and it is eye drops for glaucoma, so not related to any weight issues at all. I have 4 grandchildren now and I want to live another 10 years. The Lap-Band weight loss surgery removed my excess weight and put me on a lifetime of wanting to be healthy. I still wonder how I ate all that crap I used to when I was abusing my body so much. Now I look forward to my Mediterranean salad I eat daily. The only “dessert” I have now is coffee with half and half and two sweet and lows which is my only sugar fix. I had diabetes for 20 years prior to the getting the lap band. Well, now it’s gone. My PCP took it off my chart as well as obesity. The neuropathy I have is caused by diabetes and bad circulation in my feet and toes. It’s not something that goes away – it’s incurable – but now I don’t have neuropathy pain anymore. My blood pressure has even normalized. Now I have stamina and a different overall view of looking at life.
I think since my first appointment with Dr. Davtyan, the best weight loss surgeon in Los Angeles, I felt hopeful knowing what the lap band could do, how the procedure was going to be done. He was very thorough. The day of the surgery and coming out of it, he came in and had this giant grin and I asked him why and he said he was excited because he know I had a new life coming. I lost 50lbs within the first 10 months and it seemed effortless. Since then, over the next three years, my way of looking at food changed as far as wanting to eat healthy. I lost so many of my cravings like for salt, but now I just can’t look at it the same way. I lost cravings for pastas and bread too.
It really new life, like the doctor said. Obviously, it’s made me a happier person inside. I was always a happy person, but not inside because of the failure of the obesity. I conquered so many things in my life, but I couldn’t conquer that. I tried every diet up to that point that there has been and of course I would lose weight, but it wouldn’t stay off and then I did it over and over. At my heaviest I was 233 lbs, now I’m at 152 lbs.
The staff have been here since the beginning, it’s been 10 years and they are still here. And they call me a minimum of twice a year, sometimes three just to check in on me. It’s like hearing from an old friend. They are sincere. There is affection from Dr. Davtyan. He really cares about happiness from his patients. He knows from his experience what’s ahead. The day of the surgery when he saw me smiling, I could just sense that he knew what’s coming for me and it’s true. It’s amazingly true. He’s special.
In late October of 08 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but after losing the weight I no longer use a cane or a walker. I’ve come out of stage 2 of MS and now I’m back to stage 1 (relapse and remit). If you know anything about MS, it doesn’t go back, it only gets worse, so my doctor thinks it’s amazing that somehow I went down a stage. Certainly, eating healthy and keeping the weight off has contributed to that. Dr. Davtyan truly is a lifesaver, don’t wait, go see him today.
Susan
