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Lap Band Surgery: August, 2008
Weight Loss: 100 lbs.

Video Transcript:

Dr.B: When did you have your surgery?
Betty: August the 12th, it was a year ago.
Dr. B: Wow, so your only about 15 months after surgery?
Betty: Yes.
Dr. B: How much weight have you lost?
Betty: A little over 100 I think.
Dr. B: Wow you look fabulous
Betty: Well thank you, I’m 60 years old. I feel better than I have for the last 20 years
Dr. B: That is something
Betty: Yeah I sure do.  I can get out and go and do things, it’s just like I’ve had my life back.
Dr. B: How has it changed your life?
Betty: I’m able to get out and do things that I wasn’t able to do before, I couldn’t hold out. I can get out and hold out and walk I can get out work in my yards. I have more energy for life you know, I have a better outlook. I’m just not as depressed. When you are fat for a while you’re kind of down on yourself you don’t figure there is a way out  – but you gave me a way out.
Dr. B: I’m glad you took it. You did a great job.
Betty: I’ll tell you what it has been a lifesaver to me, it really has.  Problems are gone.
Dr. B: I was just getting ready to ask you about that. How are your health problems?
Betty: I was a very bad diabetic, I was talking insulin on a sliding scale during the day a number of shots and at night I was taking 40 units of Levemir,  plus 3 different pills. I’m off all that.
Dr. B: Off all of it?
Betty: Yes and I’m also off all of my blood pressure medicine. I’m just doing wonderful.
Dr. B: That is so exciting to me. It really is exciting. Because you look great and I can tell you when I know your diabetes is gone and your high blood pressure is gone, that really is great. Goodbye diabetes!
Betty: That’s right. I tell you what of course now even when I am eating all the foods that I do eat I always check the sugar level in it to make sure I’m not getting any more sugar than I should be getting anyway. It’s been a lifesaver physically, mentally, and socially. I have more clothes than I’ve ever had in my life. I’m a shopaholic now. 
Dr. B: Good. Whatever turns you on right!
Betty: But I’ve got to stop that and get it under control!
Dr. B: How about getting your fills? How often do you go?
Betty: I go every 4-5 weeks.
Dr. B: Is it hard to get fills? Fairly easy?
Betty: It’s easy it doesn’t hurt it doesn’t take but a little bit, the staff is so nice they’re like family. They really encourage me when I go.
Dr. B: Good. The surgery itself, how was the outpatient surgery it?
Betty:  It was fine; I’ve not had any problems. I’ve done really well.  I would recommend it to anybody. A friend of mine he has just recently had it done. He’s lost 50 pounds and he told me I had this done when I saw what it did for you. That made me want to go have it done, and he is also doing really well.
Dr. B: That’s why I wanted you to come here, because people really need to hear from other people.
Betty: Yeah. Well I tell you it’s worth it. When you get handed back your life, to where you had a life that you haven’t had for like twenty something years, you get out and do things. My kids are proud of me; they are just amazed, they make me feel really well. They say mama you look like the old mama we had.
Dr. B: That’s great, makes me feel good hearing your story. So what are you able to eat what you want or not as much? Or are there foods you have to stay away from?
Betty: Beef is a little problem for me, but fortunately tuna fish which has a lot of protein I am really well with that. I eat a lot of fish, protein shakes, and vitamins. But you don’t want to eat a whole lot. I like seafood and I do ok with that. Recently had an oyster roast and I couldn’t keep but three down, and I normally eat the whole pile, but I had eaten earlier. It’s nice to be able to sit down and eat normal.
Dr. B:  Yeah. Let me ask you this, this is kind of an odd question, do you have a sense where food may have been controlling your life then after your now in control of the food.
Betty: Yes.
Dr. B: It kind of flips right?
Betty:  It flip-flopped it did because now it’s like you said I have control over the food instead of it having control over me. There are foods that I used to crave and I don’t anymore which is good because a lot of it was sweet. And I didn’t need that as a diabetic. The diabetes was controlling me because I couldn’t control my appetite. And now I’m in control of it and over it and done with it. It just seems really good.
Dr. B: It is remarkable.
Betty: It saved my life and a lot of money on prescriptions.
Dr. B: That’s great. Well congratulations and thank you so much for taking the time to talk.

*Surgical weight loss results vary between individuals depending on initial weight, existing medical conditions and adherence to prescribed treatments. Speak to Dr. Bagnato about the results you can expect.

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