Patient Testimonial – Pam Davis

For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with my weight. I was the heaviest child in my first grade class. First day of first grade, a little boy greeted me by saying, “Good morning Chub Chub.” I heard that greeting every day for the next 12 years. Once I hit my teen years, every year when school would let out for the summer, my mother would put me on a diet, so I could, “be a whole new person when school started back.” Except, why did I need to be a whole new person? Why couldn’t I be the same person, just weigh less? Beware the lessons you teach and the messages you send to your children by your words and actions.

As a young adult, I gained a significant amount of weight with two pregnancies but vowed not to worry about my weight until it affected my health. At 35, I had to admit it was affecting my health. I had high blood pressure, reflux, joint pain and hadn’t gone upstairs in months because of how out of breath I became after climbing a flight of stairs.

In 2001, I had laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. My reflux was gone immediately. When I left the hospital I was already off of one of the blood pressure medications and the second medication was gone within a couple of months. I had not a single complication, no vomiting, very little nausea, very little pain. I kept asking myself why didn’t I do this sooner? If I had undergone surgery back in my 20s, before I had my boys I feel like I could have participated more in their fun and have played with them instead of watching them play.

Before surgery, I would: drive for hours to find the closest parking spot avoid going out not wear shorts or a bathing suit feel like I was suffocating if I had to walk up the slightest incline pay more for Titans tickets to be in the club level where the seats were wider never think about running anywhere for anything

After surgery, I: park wherever there is a spot am comfortable going out with my husband or to work events by myself wear what I want when I want run (actually a really sloooowww jog) for fun can sit in any seat I want

Please invest the time in yourself – go to a seminar to learn more about surgery. If it’s the best fit for you, do it.