Cynthia

Certain similarities in their life stories are shared by many weight-loss-surgery patients: A body weight within normal range in youth; pounds put on during young adulthood with the arrival of babies or the development of a busy career; a physical exam that reveals high blood pressure and/or the beginnings of diabetes 2.

“I was a skinny kid,” says Cynthia, 45. “But after my second child, the weight just would not come off and went up to 250 lbs. There were a lot of diets and even diet pills that I tried, but I’d lose 15 lbs, and gain back 20. I was up to 259 when I learned my BMI was 40 and I was borderline diabetic. That really scared me.”

The power of Cynthia’s story lies in how familiar it is. Whether obesity is brought on by our over-stressed lives or the unhealthy content of today’s processed foods and the fierce advertising that makes resisting them so difficult, it is now recognized as an epidemic. Cynthia, who lives in Bridgeport CT, knew her life was at stake. Ultimately, she chose not to let herself be a victim. “I wanted to be around to watch my grandchildren grow up,” she says.

She signed up for the weight loss surgery seminar in Connecticut with Dr. Ehrlich at the hospital, where she works. Speaking of the process that led her to have her Lap Band, she says, “It was encouraging to see how Dr. Ehrlich gets to know each patient. He really cares about their progress. I learned that it would take hard work, which it did.” Thoughtfully, she adds, “But all that hard work to get the weight off is part of what motivates you to keep it off. It does for me, anyway. I still go to the gym about three times a week and though I used to love pizza and pasta and cook things my family loves, I eat very little of them.” The surprising thing, Cynthia says, is that she no longer even craves those foods.

An upbeat woman with a dimpled smile, it’s hard to imagine Cynthia 105 lbs heavier than she is — but that’s how much she’s lost since her October 2008 bariatric surgery in Connecticut. “I used to have low self esteem,” she says. “But I have to tell you, buying a new wardrobe was great. I used to hide from everybody. Now I enjoy going to church and socializing more. And I love it when people say, ‘Oh, Cynthia, you look ten years younger!’”