[Decker]

I know...scary.

My name's Eric ("Hi, Eric"), and I had RnY back on March 22, 2004.

I've been big a long time. I played football through high school and college and was in decent shape for being big. Unfortunately, when football stopped, my eating didn't. So over fifteen years I packed on enough weight to get over a quarter ton.

I didn't see myself that way, though. I had excellent mental blinders that let me see myself as big as I was when I played football. Yeah, I was big...but I wasn't, you know, fat.

Then I had a friend have surgery and watched her live up to her end of the deal and get in terrific shape. I started to go to support meetings. I'll admit to my awful thought when I went to the first one: "Man, this is for fat people, not for me."

I probably outweighed the next largest person by 100 pounds.

I don't know what did it, but one day the blinders were ripped away and I saw myself for the 500 pounds I was. I wasn't happy at the revelation. I went from "Yeah, I'm a bit heavy" to "Good Lord, what happened to me" in about ten minutes.

Long story short...I researched and researched. I talked to surgeons, dietitians, doctors and psychiatrists. Eventually I decided I needed to do this. I was still healthy, but all signs pointed toward massive failures within five years. I didn't want to wait for that.

I educated myself on the risks and got approved through insurance. I got a date. I was ready for anything.

Except for what happened. (Don't worry, this is bad and good. None of the bad is due to the fact that I had WLS. Any surgery at all may have triggered this issue.)

This was my first surgery ever in 37 years. What I didn't realize is that I had a little genetic anomaly that makes anesthetic potentially lethal for me. They put me under. My surgeon performed a perfect surgery.

Then the fun started. Without getting too graphic, the muscles in my back...melted. That caused my kidneys to be in danger of shutting down. I woke up in the ICU in the worst pain in my life. I don't exaggerate.

I spent two weeks in the hospital being treated like a burn victim to flush the toxins out of my body and to keep my kidneys functioning. After I got out of the hospital, I literally had to learn to walk without having muscles in my lower back.

The good news on that: the muscles are back to 95%. Less than good news: the nerve damage is permanent. But it's not like I go around feeling things with my lower back.

What about the surgery? It's been perfect. I have not had a single issue in the nineteen months since. I reached my goal at 14 months, and have been trying to maintain ever since (staying within a few pounds either side of my goal).

With the results I've had, I'd go through the pain all over again without hesitation.

Now for the bragging:

Starting Weight, day of surgery: 478
Today's weight: 205

Waist Size, day of surgery: 64-66" 6x
Waist Size, today: 34"

Shirt Size, day of surgery: 6x
Shirt Size, today: Medium

Body Fat Percentage, today: 12.4%



That's about a month before I reached my goal.

And here's a series of pictures that shows my facial evolution through the last year and a half:



That's WAY more than enough about me.

Take care,

Eric C.

[CraigT]

Eric, I am so freakin proud of you bro... You have done awesome..... Maintaining the loss now is obviously the crucial deal. As you have probably learned by now you still have to do the eating deal, but the biggest thing is dealing with that great big grey lump between your ears.

Funny thing I have found, the more I work on the head, the less I have to THINK about doing te food deal. It just kinda happens.

Anyway senor, welcome aboard, and I really look forward to hearing more out of you.


Craig

[christyblue]

holy crap! eric YOU rock.you are a true inspiration...i am only 6 weeks out and you just proved to me that if ya want it it will happen...you are so very awesome.you just made my day as i said YOU rock!!!!
huggs
christy