Gary James, Doberman TJ Get Peppier after Gastic Bypass
If TJ could talk, he'd tell you plenty has changed since his master, Gary, had gastric bypass. In the eight months since Gary's surgery, everyone seems a lot peppier. Gary is 140 pounds lighter. Mary Ann has lost 20 pounds. And surely best of all, in TJ's opinion, he enjoys a one-mile walk every day - a treat for a three-year-old Doberman!
Call it the "ripple effect" of gastric bypass. It's not unusual for the entire household to reap the rewards of surgery.
In the James household, the ripple began as soon as Gary returned home from his three-day stay at Good Samaritan Hospital. "I came home with a new attitude. I joined a gym. And I started eating smaller, healthier meals five or six times a day." His new lifestyle inspired wife, Mary Ann, to make a few changes, too. They're both gaining energy as a result.
A 'Petrifying' Decision
Gary's decision to lose weight was an easy one. Sixty-three years old, 440 pounds with a family history that kept him awake at night. "My dad was one of 12 boys. None of them lived to be 70."
Deciding to have gastric bypass, however, wasn't easy. "Surgery petrified me!" he says. "Dr. (George) Kerlakian assured me I would be fine, but even the morning of the procedure I was prepared to die." Today Gary is thrilled that he faced his fear. His CPAP machine is collecting dust in the closet, his blood pressure medication has been halved, and he recently saw something he hasn't seen in 30 years - "the number two as the first digit on my scale," he laughs.
Recovery and Redemption
A former Big Mac fanatic, Gary still yearns for his favorite pre-surgery meal whenever he sees the golden arches. "But I know it would make me sick so I just forget about it." He's happy to have lost his desire for other junk food favorites like cupcakes and candy. Exercise has become routine. He and TJ walk a mile daily, and Gary works out at the gym at least twice a week. "I can easily go up and down the basement steps without stopping halfway to catch my breath."
Gary's biggest payoff lies at Kings Island, the site of one of his most embarrassing moments: "Being told in front of dozens of people that you have to get off the roller coaster because the safety bar can't latch - it was humiliating."
"But that's in the past. Now, I can hardly wait to get there!"