Lap-Band | Gastric Bypass | Weight Loss Surgery | Denton TX | Dallas TX | Fort Worth TX | Dr. David Provost » Success Stories

Carol

admin — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:10:38 +0000

I have been struggling with weight issues most of my life. I have tried all kinds of exercise programs and eating plans, only to end up heavier after each attempt. In 2009, I began breaking out in a sweat with any attempt of physical activity and I would get out of breath walking up a flight of stairs. In addition, I had developed sleep apnea and I was having difficulty with bladder control when sneezing, coughing, and exercise. After months of research, I found Dr. Provost through a friend. I logged onto his website, calculated my BMI, and registered for a seminar scheduled for January 12, 2010.

Carol before and after weight loss surgery

After attending the seminar, I decided to consult with Dr. Provost on the Lap-band procedure. My weight had topped out at 260, which placed me in the morbidly obese category with a BMI of 40. In addition, during my visit, we discovered that I had high blood pressure. I had decided at this point to make a lifelong commitment to losing weight and keeping it off. My Lap-band surgery was February 22, 2010. I lost 18 pounds during my liquid diet prior to surgery and additional 72; reaching a 90 pound weight loss goal on September 17, 2010. I feel great; I no longer have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, difficulty with bladder control, or episodes of getting out of breath, and I can move around freely without breaking a sweat.

I credit Dr. Provost and his staff for much of my weight loss success; they make me feel a part of a wonderful family. To help keep me on track I try to meet with them twice monthly for an hour walk and an hour support group meeting on attitudinal healing. I have found that talking about things, I normally would not share with others, has allowed me to move forward in achieving new personal goals.

If you are considering weight loss surgery, I encourage you to do your research; any type of weight loss surgery requires a lifetime commitment to changing your behaviors related to food. The Lap-band procedure has been a great tool in assisting me with my weight loss.

Maryann

admin — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:47:43 +0000

I am a woman in my mid 50s with diabetes and liver disease. My doctor (a liver specialist at Methodist Hospital in Dallas) referred me to UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. After seeing my medical records, the doctors at UT chose Dr. David Provost as being best qualified to do my surgery. Unfortunately, at that time Dr. Provost was leaving the group and setting up his practice in Denton. I was then given the choice to go with another doctor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. I decided to follow Dr. Provost to Denton because it had already been indicated to me that of all the doctors in that practice, Dr. Provost was best qualified to perform my surgery.

I had Lap-Band surgery in September 2008. I have lost over 90 pounds since then, and I’m still losing. I owe it all to Dr. Provost and his team. Like you and everyone else, I have been on all the diets. With the Lap-Band, for the first time in my life, I’m in charge of the food. I control what I eat. I had medical reasons for needing the Lap-Band, but yes, I also wanted to look and feel better. There were those who suggested that I keep trying to lose – keep struggling as I had been doing for so many years. I’m not really sure what that would have gained me – except more weight and more frustration.

My advice to you: Don’t let others make you feel as though you are taking “the easy way out.” I don’t believe there is an EASY way. You still need to monitor what you eat. The main thing is to make good food choices – and Dr. Provost’s office will help you with that. After-care is as important as the surgery itself. What is so life-changing about the Lap-Band/weight loss surgery is that it is the first time in my life that I am in control what I consume.

Dr. Provost was the best choice for me, and for you, because he is the choice of other bariatric surgeons who realize that Dr. Provost is the best in the field of weight loss surgery.

Russell

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:40:34 +0000

After my weight loss, I move a lot easier and I don’t feel hot all the time. My feet don’t hurt even after walking around the Grand Canyon for six hours. It is also nice to go to a clothing store and have a bigger selection to pick from, because most stores never have a good selection in the big and tall.

Russell

Russell before and after weight loss surgery

Amberly

maria — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:00:28 +0000

I am a stay at home mother of 2 and had my lap band 3/13/09. Before surgery I had severe obstructive sleep apnea and no energy to play with my kids. In 10 months I lost 121 lbs with the lap band. I have a lot of energy to play with my children and my sleep apnea completely went away! I feel like a new person. Before surgery I hated shopping for clothes. There are not a lot of choices for a person who is 5’ 4” and 298lbs. Now shopping is not a dreaded experience. I never thought I would say this, but shopping is actually fun when you can go into any store and buy from the rack instead of having to get clothes altered. My confidence is a lot better and I feel like a new person. Dr. Provost and his staff are so helpful and so willing to help with any issues that you have. It feels like I have an extended family! For anyone who thinks that the lap band is easy or a quick fix, you’re wrong. It has not been easy. The lap band can help you control how much you put into your mouth, but not what you put into your mouth. There have been ups and downs but in the long run, I wouldn’t change my decision to get the lap band. It has totally changed my life!

Amberly

Before Surgery

After Surgery

Lauren

maria — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:57:19 +0000

I’ve loved food for as long as I can remember. I’m the youngest of four children, so we always had a lot of food at the table. I was never “the fat kid” at school, but I was always at least 20-30 pounds heavier than my classmates. My weight spiraled out of control when I was in college. I left high school weighing 180 pounds. By my 2^nd semester of freshman year, I weighed over 200. My weight kept getting higher. I had tried and failed at the Atkins diet, and I was successful at Weight Watchers, where I lost 16 pounds. I eventually got off track, and gained back all of that weight and plus some. My weight constantly yo-yoed. I’d get down to 240, and then go through a depression where I’d get up to 260. When my father passed away in February of 2008, I lost weight from sadness and grief and weighed in at 230. By the end of the year, I ate through my pain, and ended up at over 280 lbs. I’d avoid getting on scales or looking in the mirror. I hated what I saw. I finally decided to look into getting the Lap Band in November of 2008. Dr. Provost held a meeting that explained the procedure, what to expect before and after, and helpful tips about keeping the weight off. He explained that obesity is a disease that is treatable. I contacted my insurance company, and by the beginning of 2009, I was approved for the surgery. My surgery date was scheduled for March 30^th, 2009. A lot of people tried to talk me out of it, but I was determined to use this tool to lose the weight. Pre-surgery, I weighed 283. Today, I weigh 185. I feel better physically and emotionally. I get on the scale frequently now to track my weight loss, and I love what I see when I look at myself in the mirror. The Lap Band saved my life, and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

Before Surgery

After Surgery

Karen

maria — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:23:23 +0000

First of all, I would like to say that Dr. Provost saved my life more than once.

Before surgery I had tried every diet imaginable. The list is too long and probably quite similar to everyone reading this. One thing I did try that I have not seen listed in anyone else’s testimonials is getting wrapped in Saran wrap from the arm pits down. This was a 1960’s approach to sweating the fat off. It didn’t work any better than the fad diets.

I remember going to my brother’s field day at his elementary school with a broken foot in a cast. His teachers offered me a lawn chair since I had failed to bring one. I knew I shouldn’t try it, but did anyway. Sure enough, it broke. I was humiliated!

The last time I flew, I had to ask for an extension for the seat belt. I was told, rather loudly, that “as soon as they were finished demonstrating safety precautions using the extension, they would give it to me.” Again, humiliation! I could list more situations like this, but I am sure we all share those unfortunate stories.

I knew that I had to do something. In the early ‘70s I had my stomach stapled. I only lost 30 pounds. I never regained the 30, but I could not move the scale down any further without the low- calorie, starvation diets. Well, we all know that those work for a short time and when we eat food again, back it comes tenfold.

I have other health issues and they weren’t yet endangering my life expectancy, but I knew it was just a matter of time. Luckily my insurance started covering WLS. I was one of the first to sign up. I went to many doctors. Most wouldn’t touch me due to the previous surgery, but ALL recommended Dr. David Provost. I am so glad they did.

My revision to a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in October 2008 went well. I did encounter some complications a few weeks later. This is the second time Dr. Provost saved my life. I had emergency surgery, but I lived and I continue to thrive.

I love visiting his office. The staff is knowledgeable and supportive. They are always positive and celebrate my weight loss with me. My calls never go unanswered. I do not live close to his office, so I have difficulty attending his support groups. I have scheduled appointments on the days of his groups and have participated in their walking. It was fun.

I feel it is extremely important to go to support groups and I attend monthly meetings in my area. I log my food daily to make sure I am getting all of my nutrients from food and supplements. I know that this will be something I must do for the rest of my life and I am willing to do this knowing that my lifespan has been lengthened considerably!

P.S. I just flew again and guess what? I was able to put the regular seatbelt on with lots of length left over!

Karen

Before Surgery

After Surgery

Jane

maria — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:58:00 +0000

My initial surgery, a gastric bypass, was performed by Dr. Provost in April, 2000. At that time, I weighed 325 pounds. I had both high blood pressure and diabetes. Although I initially had some complications, I eventually lost almost 150 pounds. The high blood pressure and diabetes disappeared. For the first time in my life, I looked and felt normal. Over the next 4 or 5 years, I slowly began to put weight back on; mainly because I ate things I wasn’t supposed to, and drank high calorie drinks. Dr. Provost suggested the possibility of a lap band procedure, which at that time, I don’t believe he had ever done on a gastric bypass patient. I trusted his judgement completely, and agreed to a second surgery. The lap band was just what I needed to regain control of my eating habits. I have lost the weight that I needed to lose, my health remains excellent, and I would highly recommend this surgery to anyone who has gained weight after gastric bypass.

Before Surgery

After Surgery