On July 30, 2003 I had open RYN gastric bypass surgery at Geary Community Hospital in Junction City, Kansas. Dr. Scott Stevens and Dr. Charles Boleman performed the surgery. They are father and son-in-law, and they perform every surgery together as a team. They are angels from God in my book. The day of my surgery, I weighed 424 pounds. Just sitting up in bed would make me short of breath. I had sleep apnea and I had to sleep with a CPAP breathing machine each night so I would not stop breathing and choke to death in my sleep. I had severe acid reflux and I was on a daily medication to help. I really could not do much but sit around because doing everyday things would be such a chore for me. I prayed each night that God would let me live one more day and that I would not die that night.

God granted me the greatest blessing. I was able to have the surgery and it saved my life. I was in the hospital for 3 days and I was at home recovering for about 4 weeks. Then began my life long journey. Now that a year has passed I have lost 172 pounds thus far. I have about 75 more to meet my goal. After a couple months from the surgery I no longer needed the breathing machine at night and I have not taken medicine in many many months. I am able to work out for 30-45 minutes at least 5 days a week and I lift weights 2 days a week as well. It is so hard to imagine how far I have come in just a year. From having a hard time breathing when I sat up in bed, to working out for 45 minutes, loving it and feeling great the rest of the day.

After my annual physical I found out that I am perfectly healthy now and I feel it too. I am ready to take life full-throttle. And I am loving every minute of it. I now have a life I never thought I would have. I am truly blessed beyond imagine.  Thank you to my mom, my dad, my family, my friends, Dr. Stevens, and his nurse Carla and the staff at Liv-Lite for coming with  me on the life-saving journey.