Patient Testimonials: Discover How Patients Describe the Surgical Weight Loss San Antonio Offers
Amber Rader
My name is Amber Rader, I am 28 years of age. In August of 2007 I was ill due to my gall bladder. I went to see a surgeon and I weighed in at 294 pounds. I was very upset when I saw how much I weighed. My weight has been an issue for my entire life but somehow I had never seen it. But here I was 6 pounds away from being at 300!! I cried my eyes out and thought of every excuse in the book but I finally talked to my doctor and he recommended a surgery one of his family members had. I had contemplated for YEARS whether or not weight loss surgery at BMI of Texas was for me I really thought I shouldn't have surgery because I was young enough to do this on my own... However, at 28 and weighing 294 pounds something wasn't working! It was me! I thought long and hard about surgery. Was it right? Was I mentally ready for the changes it would bring? Was I ready to take care of me and exercise and not diet but eat right for the rest of my life? I was! I made the commitment to go to a seminar but I wasn't sure on the procedure yet. After listening to the presentation I knew almost instantly that the lap band was the best choice for me. I knew I would learn about my body and eating right and I liked that I had to do work to make it work. I had my surgery on May 19, 2008 and I weighed 260 pounds on that day. As of March 2009 I am two months away from my one year anniversary and I weigh 170 pounds. My goal is to reach the 150 pounds I hope to be by May. I must say that Dr. Duperier saved my life.. Although I was not sick I was definitely heading in that direction. I am so thankful I had this procedure. For 15+ years I hated the person I saw in the mirror. I love myself now, I am so healthy and happy I sometimes don't know how to hold back my joy. This is honestly the best decision I have ever made and I strongly suggest the surgery to anyone who has ever battled with being over weight. It is not a fast fix its a life style change and a learning process and the most wonderful one at that! I am now the person God intended for me to be and that is a blessing!
Sandra McCandless Holt
I had my Laparoscopic RNY on Aug 9, 2004 at Methodist Hospital by Dr. Terive Duperier. One of the greatest gifts & decisions I have made in my life. I am 5’2” & when I started this journey I weighed 249 lbs-BMI 45.5. Today 4 1/2 yrs later, I am maintaining about a 95 lb weight loss & a BMI of 29. I feel wonderful, have energy, & a healthy future.
I have struggled all my life with weight. Growing up I was always active, playing tennis, softball, marching band & all ways outdoors-but heavy for my age. Even into adulthood I continued to play softball & do all my own yard work. As I got into my 60’s my health was beginning to show the effects of my weight. I was diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, & Heart Disease. When I had to have two Heart Stents-that was a real wake up call. My husband had passed away in 1999 after a long illness & I did not want that for myself or for my two daughters to go thru what I had done with my husband. Time To Take Care Of Myself…
This was not a decision I made lightly. I did a lot of research-read, talked with experts, & visited support meetings. I had already retired & had no idea that being 60 or over put you in another whole category, so I contacted my insurance-got all the information of what they would require. I knew what I had to do for myself & I was ready. I contacted NDWLS, went to a seminar and was paired with Dr. Terive Duperier-already knew Dr. Duperier, but that’s another story. Between the efficient staff helping with the paperwork & getting the necessary referrals, I was approved very quickly.
My weight loss surgery was very uneventful. I was off my Diabetes meds before I left the hospital. I had no problems, came home & started learning to “listen to my pouch” and live day by day. My blood-pressure meds have been reduced & my heart problems will always be there, but they are very much in control and I can look forward to a long life. The few small bumps in this journey were usually fixed with a call or visit to Dr. Duperier. I would hope that my story is not unusual & that most people have as smooth journey as I have.
I did not go into this journey in order to have make my life perfect. It will not make you more interesting or attractive to people or make all your dreams come true. It is a journey & you can improve yourself, but at the end of the day you are still the person you have always been inside. Support is very important-no matter if you get it from meetings, the internet, friends, family or from within yourself-just be sure it is the kind of support YOU need.
Some of my WOW moments-
- Cross my legs…
- Put on a hospital gown & have it cover you…Hooray
- Slide into a meeting late & no one notices you…
- Walk down the aisle of an airplane & fit in the seat comfortably-not have people praying that you are not their seatmate.
- Take a Cruise or travel & not have to worry about your accommodations or how far you will have to walk on this outing…..Just enjoy all of it…
- Keep up with your daughters walking from the parking lot to the Spurs games…
- Sit in your Plaza level Spurs seat comfortably…Go Spurs Go!
Samie Johnson
I had a few years to ponder the thought of the surgery. My husband was very overweight and was told by numerous doctors that he would benefit from the surgery. In 2001 my older sister and younger brother had the gastric by-pass, they said they would be the “testers” for the family. My husband had weight loss surgery in the fall of 2002. Shortly after his I started the process for myself, I had high blood pressure, acid reflux, metabolic syndrome, (of which I was on diabetic medication for this) I was not very active, my son was now almost 13 and I wondered when I could stop saying the weight was from being pregnant! Just when we were ready to file with the insurance to get approval, my husband lost his job, which meant we lost our insurance. So the path was now gone. In the meantime, I had four more sisters that had the surgery. And five in-laws that went through the surgery for a total of 12 people. Upon seeing their success, it made me want the surgery even more. In the late fall of 2004, I contacted the Doctor’s office to let them know that we again had insurance and they did cover the procedure. They re-opened my file. I was declined by the insurance in February 2005 due to not enough paperwork being given. So we finished my paperwork, the psyche evaluation, my appointment with the doctor and such. Then we re-submitted to the insurance company and it was approved. The only surgery date that was available was one month away… I grabbed it!
I was scared to death for the next month. I could not get it in my mind that it would be ME in the operating room instead of my husband. I drove to San Antonio, from the Houston area the night before my surgery date. Dr. Duperior told me from the get go that I would be staying in the hospital for an extra day due to the fact that I lived out of town. He wanted to know why I chose the full gastric by-pass instead of the lap band. I told him that I was the 13th in the family to have it and everyone had had the gastric by-pass, I did not want to be a guinea pig for the lap! He stated: enough said! I had the surgery on Wednesday June 22, 2005 weighing in at 245 lbs with a BMI 40, the heaviest I had ever been! The Doctor came to visit me the next morning and told me that everything went beautiful! On Friday he came to see me and told me that I could go home, he said that everything was going well. I was a bit surprised as he told me I would be in the hospital 4-5 days! He said I could stay longer if I wanted, but that he would let me go home. I called my Mom and I was gone by noon! :) I hate hospitals!
Weight loss surgery has changed my life for the better. I lost 105 lbs within the next seven months, it just melted away! It was hard to buy clothing, as when I finally reached a size 12 I figured that this was the smallest I would get, I bought new clothes for work, and then the next month NOTHING fit! I went from a size 20-22 to a 4-6! My health is much better; I am no longer on any prescription medication, only my vitamins & calcium. This past summer 2008 I did have to go through IV infusions for iron, and take large doses of calcium as my body was not absorbing either one. I did this for 3 months, and since have been doing just fine. People that I have met since having surgery do not believe me, I have to show them my before & after photos, of which I still carry them with me.
I am able to eat just about anything that I want, just in small portions. I try very hard to stay away from sugar, as it makes me sick.. I also still follow the rule of not drinking for one hour after meals. (It is hard but worth it!)
In March of 2008 my husband and I divorced, and through this process I found out that he felt I had lost too much weight and had gotten too skinny for him. Yes, my husband went through the same procedure, and actually has gained about 50% of his weight back. We are still friends.
I am able to work a lot more, travel more and go the extra mile with my job. I love being able to do this!
If I had to go back and make this decision again, I would most definitely do this surgery! I have had a few friends have the surgery after finding out that this is how I changed my life. I feel comfortable talking about it to anyone that wants to know more. I really would not do anything differently; I had a very good experience with this surgery. I love Dr. Duperior!
The message that I would have for anyone looking into this surgery is “just do it for you!” It will be worth it!
Estella Bitney
In 2006 during a routine visit to my family doctor, he told me that it was very likely that I would not live another 8 years unless something was done about my weight. I had been obese my entire life and had severe obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and joint issues. Combine my health issues with a familial history dating back to 5 generations of obese women; it was obvious I had to find a way to gain control of my health through controlling my weight.
I researched several options and several surgeons and selected Dr. Duperier. To date, I have lost 140 pounds and am still losing. Of greater significance is the fact that I no longer suffer from severe obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and most of my joint issues have been resolved. I am testing for my First Degree Black belt in Taekwondo in 2009. I thank Dr. Duperier for giving me the gift of life through God’s blessings.
Diana Sanders
If you would like to learn more about weight loss surgery in Texas with renowned bariatric surgeons at BMI of Texas, please call us to learn about your options.
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Diana Sanders
Date of Operation: April 11, 2007
I knew that I was over weight and had many problems because of it. I had already had Cardiac Bypass and I had severe heartburn with small bleeding ulcers that caused me to be anemic. I was referred to Dr. Duperier from my Gastroenterologist because of my very large Paraesphogeal Hernia. Dr. Duperier explained that he could do surgery on this large hernia but because I was so over weight it would just come back. He asked me if anybody had ever told me that I would be a candidate for Weight Loss Surgery. I told him no, but I had thought about it and that I had a few friends that had the surgery and they were doing so well. I went to one of Dr. Duperier's Seminars and there were about 200 people there. Very informative. I decided to have the Lap RNY but my insurance would not pay for it. So I financed it because I knew that my quality of life was bad because of my obesity and I felt like I was dying. I had even hired a trainer to work with me 3 times a week for 3 months and I didn't lose any weight. Dr. Duperier did the Lap RNY and corrected the large Hernia and Wow, I have no more heartburn or reflux and I was able to get off half of the medications that I was taking. The date of my surgery I weighed in at 240lbs and I am now 143lbs and feel wonderful, with so much more energy. Dr. Duperier and his staff were wonderful and Dr. Duperier still calls to check up on me from time to time.
Brenda Ross
Date of Operation: November 25, 2008
My experience with Dr Duperier was totally positive. Don't think I wasn't afraid or hesitant but I had utmost respect for my Doctor and I think that is the beginning of the positive process. You will hear negative remarks but I didn't let that stop me. I did my research too. I called everyone I knew that had the surgery and researched online both negative and positive before making a decision. Dr. Duperier was the best choice for me. I honestly had no second thoughts after meeting with him. I was in a size 18 when I had the surgery and now I am in a size 6, in just 6 months! I followed every suggestion I received from Dr. Duperier and I was a success. I can breathe better, my feet and legs no longer hurt, acid reflux is gone and I couldn't be happier. I had my surgery on the November 25th, a Tuesday, left the hospital on Thursday and went back to work the following Monday. Everyone was amazed but I felt great. I am writing this because I know how you are feeling and it made me feel better to talk to someone that had been there. You are in very good hands with Dr. Duperier and he is cute too!
