Dedicated to helping very obese people with the choices and changes of gastric bypass (bariatric or weight loss) surgery through information and personal experience.
As far back as I can remember, my weight has been a defining, limiting, painful and self-destructive issue in my life. Today, as I celebrate my 55th year and continue to move toward health and lean fitness after a VBG Weight Loss Surgery eight months ago, I have lost 135 pounds (38% of my starting weight) and several feet worth of inches from my waist and other measurements. My obstructive sleep apnea is gone. My diabetes is totally controlled, and I no longer need insulin or other medications. And I'm walking up to three miles each day without pain. I've transformed from a "4X" to an "extra large" and can buy clothes "off the rack."
Each of these changes is a miracle and a gift. Although my recovery has been far more difficult than I ever anticipated, I'm still glad that I made this choice. I created this website to share information, resources, and my experience, fears, hopes, challenges and successes with others who are either considering this procedure, or living and coping with its aftermath.
I love my life. I love my wife and daughter, my family and friends, my life work, and the unique spirit and service I bring to this world. That's why I want to live a long and healthy life. My choice to have this admittedly drastic procedure is a positive and life-affirming choice for me. After careful consideration, I did it for all of the right reasons. It 's not about my appearance, other people's judgments, or even my comfort. It's about staying alive for the people and the endeavors that are important to me.
I'm not alone in choosing this extreme alternative. According to a June 10th, 2002 article in Newsweek, 47,200 individuals had gastric bypass surgery last year, and that number is expected to grow to more than 62,000 this year. Here's how reporters Joseph Contreras and David Noonan summarized the surgery in their article:
“The procedure reduces the patient's stomach, normally about the size of three clenched fists, by as much as 99%, to the size of a thumb. The surgeon detaches the esophagus from the stomach and reattaches it to the small intestine, creating a tiny pouch. Most surgeons attach an inflatable ring to this min-stomach to slow the flow of food to the rest of the digestive tract. Patients who have the operation feel almost instantly full after eating very little food, and they continue to feel sated for a much longer period of time because the ring keeps the stomach from emptying at a normal rate.”
Elsewhere on this site I have shared information about my lifelong struggle with my obesity, my journey to this choice point, my lifework, and helpful links to other resources. I have also created a series of newsletters — Through Thick and Thin — in which I share from my heart about my path to – and now from – my gastric bypass surgery.
I welcome your questions, comments and feedback. I encourage you to click here to receive my free newsletter, which will track my preparations for the surgery, my recovery and my coping with the dramaticchallenges it will create and lifestyle changes it will require. Most of all, I hope that this website, and my story and path, will help you to decide whether this procedure is right for you and to find and follow your own path to health, longevity, happiness and fulfillment of your purpose in this life.
Sincerely,
Glenn Goldberg
glenn@gastricbypasscoach.com
Click here if you have a "fruit and vegetable problem" to see if my solution (see Through Thick and Thin #19) will work for you.
Copyright ©2002-2003 Glenn Goldberg. All rights reserved.
Through Thick and Thin #20:
The Top Ten Reasons why Weight Loss Surgery is NOT “the easy way out”
For comfortable, motivational wear on your journey to a healthier life, visit the new store, Through Thick and Thin, at http://www.cafepress.com/gastricbypass today!
Contact us at contact@gastricbypasscoach.com.
Copyright ©2002 Glenn Goldberg. All rights reserved.