John West's Surgery and Weight Loss

In August of 2009, John West weighed 330 pounds. He was unhappy and uncomfortable. At 46 years old, he no longer wanted to ride his bike, or walk his dog. He couldn’t even tie his own shoes.

After visiting with his family in Rhode Island, John decided something had to change. His father was also morbidly obese, and it made John sad to watch his dad struggle. He saw himself heading down the same path and decided that night after a discussion with his wife that it was time to do something.

The next day, John called the Surgical Weight Loss Center at Lahey Clinic. He was already a Lahey patient and had heard good things about the Center. Going in for his first consultation, John remembers being extremely anxious. The team at Lahey quickly put him at ease, however, and he decided to go through with laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery.

The lap band procedure involves an adjustable band placed around the upper stomach. The band is attached to an access tube, which is laid across the abdominal wall under the skin. By inserting saline into this tube through a port—a process known as "filling"—the band can be tightened and loosened depending on your weight-loss progress.

For John, the lap band procedure was a huge success. One year later, he’s lost nearly 100 pounds and feels great. Friends who haven’t seen him in a while don’t even recognize him. And not only is John riding his bike again, he’s doing sprint triathlons!

Gastric bypass patient, John West“When I started out on this journey a year ago, I set a goal for myself: I wanted to finish a sprint triathlon. Now I’m signed up for five. I’ve already done two—and I bettered my time by ten minutes in the second one. I plan to continue bettering that time with each one.”

John enjoys coming back to Lahey and seeing the weight loss team during his monthly band adjustments. He sometimes schedules his appointments to coincide with the Center’s initial consultation groups, so he can share his inspiring story with others considering weight loss surgery.

“The band has changed my life. I’m happy. My wife is happy. And the care and support at Lahey is unbelievable. If you are considering a surgical weight loss procedure at Lahey Clinic, it’s never too late. Pick up the phone. You won’t be disappointed.”



Original Published Link John West's Surgery and Weight Loss

#46YearsOld, #GastricBandSurgery, #HugeSuccess, #RecognizeHim, #Unbelievable, #Weighed330Pounds #WeightLoss

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