Amanda

Procedure: Gastric band, then gastric bypass
Weight lost: 135 pounds

I had tried everything over the years to lose weight, from exercise programs to Jenny Craig to Weight Watchers, but they didn’t work. I also suffered from a variety of health problems including pre-diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome and depression. The final straw for me was when I went to an amusement park and was asked to get off a rollercoaster ride because they couldn’t close the bar.

I had been treated for other health problems before at Rose, which is why I decided to go to Dr. Michael Snyder for the gastric band procedure. During that first year I lost about 100 pounds. I then had some complications with scar tissue and had to have the band removed. I didn’t want to risk regaining the weight, so I had the gastric bypass procedure. After that, I lost another 35 pounds.

My husband and I have always wanted a baby, but after not conceiving for so long, we had given up. After losing so much weight, I felt that I was more ready than ever for a child and we began discussing adoption.

Shortly after, I started getting exhausted for no reason and had difficulty tolerating food. My doctor ordered an ultrasound to rule out bypass complications, and instead I got a huge surprise—after struggling for so long with fertility, I was pregnant!

I believe that it was losing those last 35 pounds that allowed us to conceive, and today I have a beautiful baby boy!