New Jersey Gastric Bypass Success Stories
Like most people, it took me a long time to decide to have gastric bypass surgery in New Jersey. I had lost weight on Weight Watchers many times, only to gain back what I lost plus about another 50%. I had tried other weight loss programs with limited and temporary success. I decided to give up and just be fat. If I could avoid the scale, I could deny the problem. I thought of myself as being just over 200 pounds, but I kept having to buy bigger clothes. One day at the doctor’s office, the scale read 310 pounds. I discovered that I could no longer wear Lane Bryant’s largest size—28. My snoring was so bad that no one would sleep in the same room with me, and I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. My blood pressure, which had always been good, had started to creep into the danger zone. Any exertion at all would cause me to become very out of breath, and I was experiencing periodic episodes of back pain and acid reflux. I could no longer deny the problem.
I began to talk to other people who had had gastric bypass surgery in New Jersey, all of whom were very positive about their results. My primary doctor was very supportive. I originally considered a different surgeon, but my primary doctor said I should go to one of the surgeons from Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery for my gastric bypass surgery in NJ because of their greater volume and experience with this type of surgery. Ultimately I chose Dr. Alexander Abkin because of his excellent reputation and I liked his direct communication style and his sense of humor.
Like most people, I worried a lot about the risks. I’d heard that statistic that one in two-hundred people dies. The problem with this statistic is that it makes you think you can avoid the risk by not having the surgery. This really isn’t true since remaining morbidly obese also carries a major risk. I also decided that nothing in life is risk free, including things I do every day without a thought, like driving my car up and down I-287.
I had my gastric bypass surgery in New Jersey on January 12, 2004 at Morristown Memorial Hospital. The surgery and immediate recovery were easier than I expected. The nurses on Jefferson-1 were great, and I was given medication to control the pain and nausea. I spent two nights in the hospital and went home on the third day. I was able to take care of myself at home. I felt well prepared for all of the adjustments after the surgery because of the teaching I received from the nutritionists and the pre-op class at the doctor’s office. The hardest thing for me was giving up Diet Coke. Even though the first few months were difficult, once I realized how fast the scale was dropping (31 pounds the first month) it was all worth it.
Now that I am more than two years post-op, the life-style changes have become a routine part of my life and I am enjoying the benefits of having gastric bypass surgery in New Jersey. Most of the medical problems I had before my surgery are gone. The first time I was able to fly on an airplane without the seatbelt extender, I wanted to stand up and make an announcement. Things that most people take for granted are now major victories: being able to bend over and tie my shoes, to sit in a booth at a restaurant, to cross my legs, to climb a few flights of stairs, to sit in a chair without worrying about breaking it. And having many people each day tell me how great I look ain’t bad either.
