Laura L. "Life after surgery is beyond my wildest dreams!" Surgery Date: October 2009 Surgery: Gastric Bypass What was life like before your surgery? Before surgery I was very unhappy with almost everything in my life. And I was unhealthy.  I was not able to play with my children. I always had to take the elevator because walking up even a small flight of stairs would leave me out of breath. Also, I had a very limited selection of clothes to choose from. All I ever did was eat and sleep.  I had no motivation to do anything else. Before I had my surgery I felt ashamed to go out in public, as I did not want people to stare at me.  I was constantly on and off depression medication.  I had a very negative outlook on life. It was very rare to see me smile. In all I recall some 35 attempts at weight loss. Looking back, the amount of weight I needed to lose seemed insurmountable!  I knew that even if I lost 40 pounds I’d still be left with 80 pounds extra. I would never be successful just dieting to health. What led to your decision to have the surgery? I made the decision to have surgery because I could not lose weight on my own. I had a gym membership. I went every other day for at least an hour.  I did that for 8 months and no weight loss.  I ate properly (at least what I thought was proper). I worked with my family doctor. Nothing worked.  I got into a very depressed state and I got heavier. Then I made the decision to look into gastric bypass. How was your experience with Barix? My experience was AMAZING!  From the staff at the front door, to the nurses holding your hand in recovery, it was wonderful.  They knew who you were without having to look at a chart.  They were the best, most down-to-earth hospital people I have ever met. The clinic itself was great!  It was nicely decorated. It didn't feel like you were stuck in a hospital.  I was actually sick after surgery and was not even able to keep down my water.  I made the decision to stop taking the pain medication because I thought that that was why I was sick. This nurse came in and I told her I was in pain and she said to take some medication.  I told her no, because I was not able to keep my "food" down.  She said, "Now, dear, you don't need to be a hero.” I thought that was very special. How has your life changed? Life after surgery is beyond my wildest dreams!  I can run and play with my children.  I can play with my teenaged brothers and their friends. I can go out and dance. And I'm not in any pain.  Not only can I walk up stairs, I can run up stairs! I can go shopping with my sister at normal stores. I have so much self- confidence now.  I go out in public all the time because I love the way I look and I love to show it off.  I am constantly smiling. I am proud to be who I am.    (P.S. I wore a bikini for the first time in my life and looked great in it!) What would you tell someone considering Barix:   I would advise anyone considering this surgery to trust your health care to those wonderful people at the Barix Clinics.