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I had been overweight all my life. I remember going into my first year of middle school, I was about 12 years old and I weighed 199lbs. Growing up my diet consisted of mostly starchy foods like rice and potatoes and coming from a Hispanic family, fried and sugary foods were the norm and I would overeat.<\/span><\/p>\n To lose weight I tried many different diets like a low-carb diet, Jenny Craig, SlimFast and, of course, Weight Watchers. I even tried the white pill with the blue dots. Several times I lost 40 lbs or more but I would always gain the weight back and then some.<\/span><\/p>\n My daughter, Gabrielle, had weight loss surgery and being able to watch her journey was an eye opener. Her success in losing weight was part of the reason I made the decision to have weight loss surgery. The defining moment was whenI was diagnosed with a condition that made my heart muscles abnormally thick, called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM. At that point I found myself at 285 lbs. I was coming to terms with how unhealthy I got and I realized that I wanted to be here to enjoy my children and my grandchildren. I knew I had to do something soI took the leap of faith.<\/span><\/p>\n Without telling my family, I started doing my research on bariatric surgery. I wanted this decision to be mine and not feel influenced by anyone around me. After I decided for myself to have the surgery, I shared it with my family. Everyone was very happy and supportive and my daughter was bursting with joy. She told me that she knew that it was a great decision. <\/span><\/p>\n Gastric sleeve surgery allowed me to reach my first set of goals. I am still working on reaching my next level of weight loss. The work doesn\u2019t stop after the operation! <\/span><\/p>\n The doctors and staff of the NJBC allowed me to be very comfortable in the choices I made towards my journey. They are a vital part of my success. They are very kind and always available for follow-up or any questions. They always made me feel supported throughout my journey and I am so grateful for all of them, especially my surgeon, Dr. Thomas.<\/span><\/p>\n My life has changed dramatically and my health has improved. Not only is the number on the scale decreasing but I can do more activities with my grandchildren. I often find myself running after them. My self esteem is much better. I\u2019m enjoying my life again. Since I started losing weight, I love that I can now do something as simple as walking without being out of breath. I feel confident - so confident that I have even gone blonde! This has truly been one of the best decisions that I have made in my life - making the choice to LIVE!!!<\/span><\/p>\n I would absolutely recommend New Jersey Bariatric Center to anyone who is considering weight loss surgery. If you are looking to feel better, look better and just be better- it's for you! I would offer my assistance to anyone that is looking to speak to someone who has had the surgery in order to feel better with their decision. To anyone that needs to hear reassurance, I have added years to my life. Let\u2019s live! <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":29464,"template":"","story-tag":[46],"patientsuccess_stories":[39,38],"yoast_head":"\n