Brian E.
I will wear the clothes I want.
"I couldn’t fit in seats. Getting on the bus was a nightmare. I couldn’t shop for clothes just anywhere. All those seemingly small things were a huge problem. So I made a choice. The team at Redefine helped me lose the weight and regain my confidence. Now all the little things just aren’t a big deal."
What were your reasons for taking the leap to weight loss surgery?
Walking up a flight of stairs, chasing the bus and buying clothes. My wife and I both chose to have weight loss surgery. Mainly, we were not healthy enough to conceive, carry and raise a child. We were not healthy enough to see them grow. I made it my goal to get into a better position to have and raise kids.
What was the biggest life change for you after gastric sleeve surgery?
There's so many. How I look after surgery. The reaction I get when people, who haven't seen me in a while, don't recognize me. Buying clothes at places that didn't carry my size before surgery. Sleeping without back pain. The tingling in my leg is gone and my prediabetes is going away too.
Since surgery, what have you been most proud of?
I'm proud of my discipline. I'm proud that I haven't had bread, a burger or soda in over a year.
If you could share one thing with potential patients thinking about taking the leap to surgery, what would it be?
Have a partner or support group that will keep you honest. In a lot of ways we feel guilty, like it was easy, but it has been hard. We'd take lots of medications and supplements, but life was harder and we were unhappy. We are happier now and things that were hard or embarrassing, aren't anymore.
We would go to an Astros or Texans game and had bruises on our legs due to seat size. Now, I don't have to hope that two seats are available on the bus. Before surgery, I would be exhausted and sweaty on a photo shoot. My weight loss has made my job easier to manage.
