Patient Stories
Sutter Bariatrics Services
Cheri
Cheri’s primary care doctors tried to dissuade her from bariatric surgery. “They preferred a more natural approach to losing weight,” she says. “I didn’t disagree with that philosophy in general, but after more than 30 years of trying that approach – and failing – I knew I needed more help.”
Mary
Initially, Mary did not think she was a candidate for weight-loss surgery despite her doctor’s insistence to consider it. Mary was not as heavy as most bariatric surgical patients, but she was severely diabetic.
Michelle
After trying everything from Fen-Phen to Jenny Craig®, Michelle was ready for a different approach to battling obesity. She asked her doctor for options and was referred to a bariatric surgeon.
Shawn
As a firefighter, Shawn is used to making life and death decisions. But his decision to have bariatric surgery didn’t come so easily. “Of course, I wasn’t happy being overweight. It caused problems in my personal life and my professional life,” Shawn said. “But weight-loss surgery is a big deal, so I took a few months to seriously consider everything before committing to it.”
Jennifer
Jennifer first started researching weight-loss surgery a few years ago. “I was definitely interested, but was hesitant because gastric-bypass surgery seemed to be such a big deal. I’m a busy, single mom and couldn’t see putting myself through it at that time.” Years later, she learned of the Lap Band procedure while watching a reality TV program.
Scott & Laura
“I was ready for a change,” says Laura about how she felt while in her late thirties. “I tried everything to lose weight and nothing had worked.
Scott learned a lot about weight-loss surgery when his wife, Laura, went through it “I saw how happy she was. And her health problems, like high blood pressure, were under control. I wanted that, too. I needed that.”
Molly
Molly’s struggle with weight did not begin until she had her first baby. After her second child was born, she gained even more weight and took medication to deal with post-partum depression – medication which she later found out was a culprit in her battle with the bulge.
Rachel
“I cannot convey how emotional, trying and rewarding my experience has been.”
In March 2005, Rachel finally had her bariatric surgery. She lost over 100 pounds within the next year. Today, she is healthy and happy and states that she has evolved much over the three and a half years since her procedure.
