May 2008: BMI 60, Weight 338lbs

August 2009: BMI 41, Weight 234lbs

Weight loss to date: 104 lbs. and still losing

My name is Becky and I’d like to tell you how the Lap-Band procedure has changed my life. Like many people, I’ve been overweight since I was a child. I grew up very shy, with no confidence and very little self-esteem. I married at age 17 and had four children in just over 5 years. With each pregnancy I gained additional weight as I focused more on my children and less on myself. After 17 years of marriage, my husband died and I fell into a deep depression. I let myself go, reaching my heaviest weight of 350 pounds. I could have been heavier but the scales in the doctor’s office only went up to 350. I was taking 3 blood pressure medicines, stomach meds for reflux, joint meds for knee and foot pain, anxiety medication, and was diagnosed with sleep apnea, requiring the use of a CPAP machine when I slept.

As the years went by, my children would voice their concerns about my health, telling me I needed to do something before they lost their only remaining parent. One day my grandson asked me to sit down on the floor and play with him. It broke my heart to tell him “I can’t get down on the floor. Grandma is too big.” That was the moment I knew I had to do something.

I started my journey in late 2007 by attending a Lap-Band seminar in north Georgia. I walked away feeling that those doctors were not interested in helping me as a person. They seemed to be more interested in the money they could make from me. Months later, I went to Albany for a seminar. I met Dr. Bagnato and had the opportunity to talk with him about my medical history and fears. I left that seminar with the feeling that Dr. Bagnato genuinely wanted to help me and see me succeed.

I had my first surgical procedure with Dr. Bagnato on April 24, 2008. I had to have an EsophyX procedure in order to repair my esophageal flap after years of damage. On May 19, 2008 I had the Lap-Band procedure done. I cannot tell you it was the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but it was definitely the best decision I’ve ever made. At first I was scared to tell anyone that I’d had the procedure done because I was so afraid that I would fail. Now, almost 120 pounds lighter, I tell everyone because I’m so proud of what I’ve accomplished. I’ve gone from wearing a size 30 to a size 16/18. I’m down to one blood pressure pill and I’m hoping to come off that soon, likewise for the CPAP machine. Not to mention the fact that I’m free from reflux and joint pain!

My friends and family tell me that I’m like a new person. I have finally gained the self-confidence that has been missing all these years and I feel a new respect for the simple things in life. I wake up every day wanting to live and enjoy my life to its fullest potential. My love and thanks go out to my children and their spouses for believing in me and loving me no matter what. I also want to thank Dr. Bagnato, his staff and the Bariatric Institute for their guidance, help, and encouragement throughout this journey. But above all else, I want to thank God for keeping his arms around me, steering me in the right direction, and showing me that with faith all things are possible.