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Pete S.
I was always fairly attractive, and enjoyed skiing, biking, sailing and swimming among other activities. After high school I gained a significant amount of weight, and this weight would ‘yo-yo’ as I got older. It became much more difficult to lose weight, and somewhere along the line, food became ‘the activity.’ It became painful to do basic activities; back injuries, knee surgeries and foot pain made even basic walking very uncomfortable.
Since the LapSleeve® surgery, I have begun working out, swimming, walking and most importantly, ‘playing!’ I am in training for an 8-mile open water swim in Bellingham, WA, to raise money and awareness for weight loss surgery!”
This not only saved my life, but gave me back the activities that make life fun!
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Mark C.
I can tell you, with pure honesty, that since meeting the staff at Puget Sound Surgical Center, I became family.
The staff made me feel very relaxed and confident every time I was there. They connected me with an excellent nutritionist and people who were able to relate to my needs and cravings.
The weight loss tool that was given to me changed my life – I started to eat things that were healthier, and surprisingly, I enjoyed them! I couldn’t believe it!
Following Mark’s surgery, he has overcome a number of health conditions including obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension and degenerative joint disease. He is able to tie his own shoes after 15 years, has begun receiving promotions, and joined a fitness center cycling program.
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Katie M.
After a lifetime struggle with food, weight, dieting, emotions etc., weight-loss surgery was the choice for me. I hit rock bottom at age 27 and began to move forward with my decision. I researched and educated myself for almost a year prior to surgery, and had the LapSleeve® procedure at Puget Sound Surgical Center in Edmonds, WA.
I chose this program for excellence in the skill of surgeons, and its comprehensive nature. On top of that, I got the support I need to make it work correctly.
My pre-op weight was 287 lbs, and I was a size 24. After 6 months, I was a size 12! I am currently 160 lbs and a size 10! I am working towards gaining more muscle strength as my new goal. It’s crazy to think that I used to carry 130 extra pounds with me wherever I went!
My favorite things in life are tying my shoes, bending over, and not having BP meds. Oh yes, and also crossing my legs and LIVING my life – not simply being alive. I look forward to starting a family and being the mom my kids deserve!
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Amber M.
Before surgery I was very shy. I wanted to hide inside all day long. My husband and son are both very active and I always wanted to do what they were doing, but I just didn’t have the confidence.
Now that I have lost 97 lbs, I have gained that confidence, and am able to do things that I would have never done before. Exercising is no longer a “chore” like it used to be. I actually look forward to it now. I am now able to keep up with my husband and son at paintballing and hiking. Not only can I see the difference in myself, but my family and friends can, too. It feels so good to be active and healthy.
I never imagined being a size 6 in my life. I am still adjusting to not having to shop in the “plus size” section of stores anymore, or to the fact that I don’t have to try on every piece of clothing to make sure it fits.
Not only am I a patient, but I also work at Puget Sound Surgical Center. I love that I can relate with our patients on this personal level, because I have been through it as well.
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Cheryl K.
I was a previous patient of Dr. Landerholm so I already had
a good idea what kind of a surgeon he is. TERRIFIC! So when my health went on the decline two years ago, I found out that Dr. Landerholm had opened a whole new clinic and was doing weight loss surgeries. I had tossed around the idea of gastric bypass surgery for many years and it scared the heck out of me. Hearing about the program at Puget Sound Surgical Center and Pacific Nutrition & Wellness took away a lot of my fears. Weighing in at 438 pounds it was time for a change. I could barely move. I had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol; not long before my surgery I had a pulmonary embolism that darn near took me out.
Since then, almost 200 pounds are gone forever, diabetes GONE, blood pressure and cholesterol normal. I found out since surgery that I have an autoimmune disorder that makes me prone to blood clots so I will always be on medication to prevent them. But hey, I am alive and feeling wonderful! I won’t let that bring me down. Drastic diet changes take some time to get used to, but you have the help and support from the people at Puget Sound Surgical and Pacific Nutrition & Wellness. I have an active and happy lifestyle now – work out at the gym, swim and I walked in my first 5k last year. My next goal is to run one.
Last September I had my pannus (overhang of skin on stomach) removed; the freedom that this has brought me… my clothes, exercise, especially the self esteem. I have never in my entire life known what it is to be thin. I am not all the way there yet but I look forward to the day I make my goal weight; hoping to be there in the next six months. I don’t and will never regret having gastric bypass surgery. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and I can see it!
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Hillary T.
o matter how hopeless things may seem, a change IS possible. At 25, I felt old, sick, and tired. I was taking three medications, was very inactive, and felt I was missing out on life. Puget Sound Surgical Center helped me see that weight loss surgery was a realistic and healthy option; with their help, I realized I could achieve my goals and lost over 100 pounds after LAP-BAND surgery.
I’m so pleased with the care I’ve received at PSSC – the education, encouragement, and accountability they offer has helped me achieve the success that I have. Now I enjoy running and living an active lifestyle. I’m so thankful I’m able to experience life now!
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Jeni
Listen to your doctors! They are a wealth of info who have
made it easy for me to change my lifestyle and habits! Exercising is the #1 thing next to water and protein. Just do it and then it ecomes a part of your routine and a natural thing! I lost 100 pounds in 19 weeks!
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Kat
I was never given the knowledge of proper eating habits and fast food became a normal eating routine in my life. Food became something that I became consumed with and everything revolved around it, while making breakfast I was thinking of what to have for lunch. Around age 20 I noticed my weight really had taken a turn for the unhealthy. I was morbidly obese with several medical problems. My
knees would give out on me, my ankles hurt all the time, I wouldn’t have a period, I had heartburn all times of the day, I snored so loud that my boyfriend slept in the other room, I had high blood pressure and trouble breathing along with horrible migraines daily. All this and more at the age of 20! Being tired of my life going downhill, I began educating myself on healthy eating and an active lifestyle; I tried many diets, with short-term success, but the hunger and weight would always come back, along with a little more.
I woke up one day with the realization that this is it, that there’s only one shot at this life and I can either enjoy the ride and live it to its fullest at my highest potential or I can stay the way I am. Sick of my weight holding me back from life and keeping me in the house due to sheer embarrassment, I asked my doctor what I could do. He suggested I visit Puget Sound Surgical Center for a seminar on weight loss surgery. Going to the seminar was my first time meeting the staff at PSSC. My first impression of the whole setting and staff was that I was welcome; they actually cared about ME as a person and I was not just another patient. They were quick in helping me figure out the insurance info I needed to gather and answered every question I asked. After submitting all the paperwork my insurance needed, I called PSSC EVERY day; they knew who was calling just by my voice.
When the call came in for my approval on the sleeve procedure time seemed to have frozen; I began to cry. I knew that the surgery would be able to give me the life that I see everyone around me enjoying, yet I couldn’t because my weight was keeping me from doing anything a normal 24-year-old could do. The weeks leading up to surgery were stressful, as it was my first time ever having surgery and I was scared. For some odd reason, on the morning of surgery, when you would think I would end up feeling the most scared, I walked into the doors of PSSC and I had a feeling of being calm and ready. With those feelings I knew that I was definitely ready and was doing what was best for me.
I healed quickly and had no complications. At my weigh-in after only a short week, I had lost an amazing 23 pounds, and there was no slowing down or stopping there because, only four months out, I have lost an incredible 92 pounds. My life has changed in so many ways; I can go out with friends and meet up with people I went to high school with because I don’t feel like the “fat chick” anymore. I can do daily exercises without pain to stop me. I can buy clothes that fit me and my age range. I have confidence in myself and know that I can and will accomplish anything. Every health issue I had before has now diminished! No more snoring, no more knees giving out or ankles hurting; the daily migraines have gone away along with the high blood pressure. I firmly believe that being sleeved saved my life and helped me find out who was hiding under all those layers.
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Treena
After a 30+ year struggle with my weight I have found my“magic pill!” I have been on EVERY diet known to man, and had managed some short-term losses, only to slip back into bad habits and gain back more than I had lost! After researching the surgery, I met with the wonderful team from PSSC and began my transformation!
My surgery was March 11, 2011; to date I have lost 52 pounds and gained my self esteem back! My energy level is through the roof. I no longer crave the junk food I used to, and the best part is the ability to feel “hungry” and then “full!” Food is not entertainment or comfort, it is fuel and life has a gas tank. My stomach has a limit! Thank you to all at PSSC!
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Dave
I have been overweight for several years with high blood
pressure and type 2 diabetes. I was taking several
medications daily and giving myself insulin shots twice
daily. I got to the point of knowing I would not be around
in five years if I did not do something about the weight.
My surgery, the LapSleeve®, was on February 10, 2011,
everything went extremely well and recovery was very
easy. Five months later I had lost 85 pounds and was at
my target weight. I have been able to maintain my weight
without any problem.
I now weigh 161 pounds and feel great; I have more energy and can now do the things I have been missing. Today my list of medications is minimal, mostly vitamins, and I no longer need insulin. This surgery was the best thing I could have done for myself!
Nancy
My name is Nancy. With the help of the Lap-Band procedure, I have lost 50 pounds so far. After trying every diet program and weight-loss pill, I would lose weight just to gain it all back and more. The frustration of having to buy increasing large sizes of clothes, and concerns about my health, led me to investigate weight-loss surgeries. For quite some time, I watched videos and researched liposuction and bypass surgeries, and then a friend suggested I check into Lap-band, which led me to Dr. Billing at Puget Sound Surgical Center and Pacific Nutrition and Wellness.
The food education and emotional support I received before, during and after my surgery have been a big help throughout my weight loss. I am confident that this program, along with regular exercise at the Lake Stevens Curves with Helen Knutson, will help me continue to successfully meet my weight-loss goals and establish lifelong habits to maintain my success.
