Before & After Revision from Lap-Band to DS with Joni, losing 220lbs!
March 13, 2018Why I Decided to Have WLS
I've struggled with my weight my entire life. In 2006, I lost my favorite person in the world, my Mom. I comfort ate my way through that loss, and by the time I could cope enough to deal with the aftermath, my weight had climbed to 390 pounds.
It was in 2008 that I decided to have the Lap-Band. I was able to lose 140 pounds, but the weight did not stay off. I did the weight loss rollercoaster. I tried so hard to lose and maintain the losses. I tried Adkins, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, the Band, HCG drops - I tried it all.
Fast forward to April 2016. I flew to Cancun, Mexico on vacation, and was so uncomfortable during the 6-hour flight. I had constant knee pain, from arthritis in my knee, that my doctor explained was weight related. It made every single step hurt. Even after all of those diets, my weight had crept back up to 378 pounds.
I spent that vacation thinking about what an amazing life that I have, but that I knew it is going to be cut short if I didn't figure out how to lose and keep this excess weight off. That was when ObesityHelp and its members really helped me as I started researching.
First of all, I was so embarrassed to be reaching out when I'd already tried to lose weight with the Lap-band. It was at OH that I was told that I was not alone.
The Lap-Band is a tool, and I wasn't alone in needing a different, more powerful tool.
That is when I really started reading about what other options that I had. That is when I learned about the Duodenal Switch. (It's what I like to call "The Granddaddy of all of the weight loss surgeries"). It had the highest percentage of pounds lost. The part that interested me the most were the statistics of people maintaining those losses 10 years out. The more that I read, the more comfortable I felt like I was making the right choice for myself.
That is when I started looking for a surgeon. I read over and over again about this talented surgeon from Mexicali named Dr. Esquerra. He was known worldwide for being a surgeon that specializes in the Duodenal Switch. I spoke to several patients that had been to Mexicali Bariatrics and had Dr. Esquerra as their surgeon. I read over and over again about the excellent care that they received from Dr. Esquerra and his team. The more I learned, the more comfortable I became with my decision.
Before & After Revision from Lap-Band to DS
Total Weight Loss: 220 pounds
Surgery Type: Duodenal Switch
Surgery Date: August 2016
Surgeon: Dr. Antonio Esquerra
My Surgery and Post-Op Life
I had the DS in August 2016. My experience was even better than the positive ones I'd already read about. Each person that I came in contact with was kind, friendly, and supportive. The hospital was lovely and full of cutting-edge technology. In the states, I would have been released the very next day, to take care of myself. In Mexicali, I stayed in the hospital for four more days, where my surgeon, Dr. Esquerra, checked on me several times a day.
I left Mexicali with a packet of information of my new lifestyle that I'd need to be successful in losing and keeping the weight off. The staff at Mexicali Bariatric Center have been touch with me regularly, over the last year and a half. They have helped me to celebrate my successes. My wonderful life is even better now. I have so much more energy! I can walk for miles now, and do it pain-free!
Has ObesityHelp.com been a part of your journey?
I have gotten so much inspiration from the weight loss community. Being part of ObesityHelp and the YouTube community has made all of the difference in my weight loss journey.
Dr. Esquerra and the Duodenal Switch surgery helped me to go from weighing 378 to my current weight of 158 pounds. I am so thankful for my 220-pound loss! I shared my DS journey and recent plastics after massive weight loss on my YouTube channel.
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