More Testimonials

Before	After

Growing up I was always the big kid that bullied people, probably before they could make fun of me, but had friends that I still have that have stuck by me to this day. I was always the token BIG guy in our crew. I always struggled with my weight but used football to keep it in check. After some college I got a full time job but kept up the BIG guy eating habits and partied a lot. It was an up and down battle that I never seemed to win. Then my life changed. I met my wife in an online chat room December 1997. This was before all the MATCH.COM hype. We chatted online for about a month before I even sent her a picture of myself. I was afraid she would stop talking to me because of my weight. When she finally got the picture I sent she said that I was cute and wanted to meet me in person. We started to date and I always told her I had struggled with my weight. No matter what I weighed, she stood by me. After about 7 years of dating I asked her to marry me. She helped me do a complete 180, I stopped my binge drinking and smoking and tried to be healthier. Before we got married I lost weight to look better in our wedding pictures but put it all back plus more since then. I started to really feel the effects of the pounds once our baby girl Mailee was born, I became more sedentary and my doctor at the time said I was a time bomb waiting to go off. I had Sleep Apnea, borderline hypertension/diabetes/high cholesterol and circulatory issues in my legs. My family has a history of cardiac issues and things weren't looking to bright. I tried changing the way I lived but I felt I didn't have enough time. The past lifestyle I lived had done its damage. I felt if I didn't do something soon, I wasn't going to be around for my family. I didn't think me dying would be fair to my wife or daughter. Plus I wanted to be around to punk those boys who wanted to date my daughter. I researched WLS and have always toyed with getting it done but didn't know how to go about it. I asked my doctor and he referred me to a lot of online information. That's when I found Dr Billy. I emailed past patients of his, found their testimonials, and even looked into his whole background. Originally he wasn't covered by my insurance but in November of 2006 he became a participating provider. That's when I signed up for the seminar. Very straight forward and to the point, its everything I wanted to hear so I decided to go for it. After the barrage of tests and dropping about 35lbs on my own pre-op I got my surgery date of December 19 2007, right before the holidays. I figured if I could survive all the holiday parties I could make it through anything. I was a bit scared the night before my surgery that I might not make it out, but my family and I knew it was a risk that would be worth it. I woke after surgery and the rest is history. Dr Billy's and his office staff have been great. The support and knowledge they provide has been awesome. The aftercare program is very thorough, which includes support groups, exercise classes, informational seminars,etc. You have easy access to the nurses on staff if you just have a general question or concern and can also work with their dietician to set up an eating plan for your own situation. But the thing that Dr. Billy's office has taught me is that you are 110% responsible for all of your actions. They can provide you with all the tools in the world, all the support, knowledge, help, etc but you have to use those tools to not just lose weight but to change your life. This surgery is no easy way out, its up to you on how you want to use this tool once you get it done. Personally I have had my challenges and still do everyday. I am now learning, since my weight is starting to stabilize, that this is a life long process but I embrace it and love the results so far. As far as the results I currently float between 195-205lbs at any given time and maintain about a 10%-12% body fat ratio. I haven't had any major complications since after the surgery and currently have no co-morbidalities present. I work out about 5-6 days a week. My regime includes weight training, 3-5 mile runs every other day, and lately Mixed Martial Arts training. I am currently studying to be a personal trainer and hope to go back to school to become a registered dietician. I know this surgery isn't a magic cure but it has helped me achieve things I could not have done without it. I just thank God, my family, friends and Dr. Billy's office for supporting me through this and I know now that I have a chance to be around longer to be a better husband and father. Everyday has its challenges but I take them on, one at a time.

Before	After

May 28,2004. This is the date I reclaimed my life. At 56 years old I weighed...are you ready for this....424 pounds. After much research and attending support groups for 3 months I opted for Lap-Band surgery. It's been over 5 years now and I lost 250 pounds and the great thing is I am maintaining this weight loss for the first time ever! I could not have achieved this miracle without the guidance and support of Dr. Billy. Any time I doubted myself he was there boosting me up. Any time I took a mis step he was there redirecting me. He helped me keep the end goal in sight. This is not so much about looking good as it is being healthy. With high blood pressure, sleep apnea,arthritis and asthma I had a pretty miserable existence. I was in constant pain and could barely get around. Life was going on around me. After losing about 100 pounds then blood pressure, asthma and arthritis medication went away. After losing 250 pounds I now at 61 years old do anything I choose. I am the fittest I have ever been in my life. Banded living has allowed me to control my hunger, learn how to enjoy eating again, and I have a permanent solution to my weight problem. I can travel with no seat belt extenders, I can breathe, I can walk, I can swim laps for an hour. I am back scuba diving and riding motorcycles. I can get down on the floor and play with my grandkids. I can ride bikes with them and take 20 mile rides up Pacific Coast Highway on my bicycle and enjoy the beauty around me. Today I did push ups for the first time....on the floor....I wake up every morning excited to start the day and grab every minute that life has to offer. I am so grateful to Dr. Billy and his staff for the support they have provided to me on this journey. Visit Sandi's blog at http://www.sandibandedliving.com

Before	After

I am in great shape and great heath, because on August 16, 2006 I began my Lap-band journey with Dr. Billy, as my surgeon and head coach. Dr. Billy is a highly skilled, renowned surgeon. Equally important however, is that he and his staff are also completely committed to aftercare and the long term success of every patient. Dr. Billy�s practice is built around arming us, as patients with all the tools we need to succeed for the long-term. It is obvious that Dr. B loves what he does and is great at it. He is both passionate and compassionate, and has keen listening skills. I have battled obesity as long as I can remember. I vividly recall the pain and embarrassment of being weighed in my elementary school gym, praying that the school aide would not announce my weight for everyone to hear. I started dieting at the age of 10. My days were defined as good or bad by what I ate, and how my clothes fit. I have been on every diet you can think of; I took diet pills for years; I cannot remember a year when I didn�t gain or lose at least 40 or 50 pounds. My hunger never went away. For me, dieting was like holding my breath, eventually I had to come up for air. The irony is that except for my battle with weight, I�ve been successful at everything I�ve ever attempted. With the help and support of a great team, including my �head coach� Dr. Billy, I learned how to use this amazing tool. I have finally won the battle with my weight. I have been maintaining a healthy normal weight for nearly 2 years now. I am now the fit girl at the gym. I am the active mom at school, I am the confident presenter in business, and I am a more loving wife, because I no longer carry the burden of my weight on my body and in my heart. I am a different person today, and I love �Banded Living�. I have no doubt that I will be able to maintain a normal weight for the rest of my life. My only regret is that I didn�t find Dr. Billy and get this tool earlier. Thank you Dr. B! Visit Gloria's blog at http://www.gloriasbandedliving.com

Before	After

My dad died at age 49, my sister had a stroke at age 33, to say the least I was terrified that could end up being me. My whole life I have been over weight, struggling with this diet and that diet only to gain all the weight I did lose back and then some. I am an emotional eater, and was headed back down a path of destruction. At my heavest in life I weighed 280, the day of my surgey I was 240lbs. I just couldn't believe that I was meant to be the girl who can't even walk around a level office without getting out of breath and sweating like crazy. Everything was so much effort, even just cleaning my house, I had high cholesterol, and acid reflux so bad that I was on medications, I tried every diet known to mankind, nothing worked and the more I failed the bigger I got. I talked with my wonderful husband Matthew and told him how unhappy and un healthy I was and that I wanted to be around to grow old with him, so we decided to see if I was eligible through our insurance. They denied me saying that my comorbidity factors didn't qualify me, so after some time we decided to pay for the surgery, my thought was some people buy and invest in a new car and I was investing in my health and myself.. Sept 29, 2008 was my surgery date and I say it was the day that Dr. Billy gave me my life back.. I I know that I have to work hard at this and I did, I lost 111lbs in 1 year, I went from weighing 240lbs to 129lbs. I now can do all the things I enjoy and things that I never thought that I could do, and I know that I'll be around long enough to enjoy everything and anything.

When I first decided to have the Lap Band procedure done, I was apprehensive. All other attempts to lose weight had failed. Even after a lot of research, I learned that the surgery was still not going to be an easy answer. After a lot of talking with my husband, we decided to use the money we were saving to by our first home to pay for my surgery. We decided that we would rather I “Be healthy in an apartment, than to die young in a house”. I know die young sounds harsh, but the truth of the matter was that each visit to my doctor revealed some new ailment associated with my obesity. It started with high blood pressure, proceeded to an echo cardiogram that showed an enlarged heart, and on toward pre diabetic blood sugar levels. Even as I was doing my pre-op tests, I evolved completely to type 2 diabetes. My menstruation cycles were unpredictable, and being a newlywed wife, I knew that we would want to have children soon. I knew that I did not want to deal with a diabetic pregnancy. And I did not want to have a child until I could be a model of health for them to learn from. I had to do something. After all my research, I still knew that it was going to take a lot of work on my end to make the surgery successful. All other diet attempts had failed. What would make this attempt any different from the others? What made this attempt different from all the rest? It was Dr. Billy and his amazing staff. They have support groups, and aerobics classes. They have all the tools any personality type would need to be successful. All I needed was Dr. Billy’s no nonsense manner to keep me on track. Every 6 weeks for the first year after my surgery I went to my follow up visits. These were invaluable in keeping me on track. Dr. Billy always gave me something new to focus, or work on. I had the surgery April 28, 2008. I have lost over 90 lbs. since my surgery date. I have 30 lbs to go to my goal weight. Honestly, I am happy where I am at now. I still have high blood pressure, apparently that’s just genetic for me, but my blood pressure is finally controlled. My blood sugar levels have gone back to normal. That’s just what this surgery did for me. My entire family has benefited from my surgery. My husband learned what healthy portions look like and he has now reached his weight loss goal of 30 lbs. By me learning what and how to eat and passing that knowledge on to my family members, we have all reached goals for fulfilling the lifestyles we want. My husband and I are now proud owners of our first house (you would be surprised at how much less you spend on food), and are working on starting our family.