theresa.guth

I decided to have Lap-Band surgery at the age of 18. I was in college, gained the freshman 50, and needed a change. I dieted my entire life, but nothing seemed to work without me feeling hungry all the time. I was approved by my insurance for surgery, which was extremely important, mostly because I was getting close to being 300 lbs with bad knees (knocked knees with osteoarthritis). Basically, I was told I needed to lose a substantial amount of weight to keep my knees from needing to be replaced in my early 20s. The Lap-Band was my first and best choice - mostly because it can be removed if needed. Also the fact it can be adjusted was also a plus. It took me about a week to recover from surgery. Liquid diets are the worst, but they're worth it. Everything was worth it. It was hard at first, but now I'm at a point where I know exactly what can cause issues. Sometimes it can get hairy when one day I wake up and can't even keep water down. It doesn't happen often, but when it does I want to scream. But I would do it all over again if I had the chance. It was the best decision of my life. I had my surgery done by Dr. Ku at the Reading Hospital in Pennsylvania. He was a great surgeon, and the Reading Weight Management Center is a fantastic place. I'm still not finished my journey, but my surgery has helped me make a huge change in my life and kept me healthy.