Andrew's Success with Bariatric Surgery

"For most of my adult life, I struggled with my weight. I crossed over the 300-pound threshold when I was only a junior in college. From that point on, everything was a struggle- I’d sweat from the slightest physical exertion, fitting in spaces like a booth or airplane seat was difficult, and finding clothes that fit was always an ordeal.

As the years went on I kept getting bigger, which made these problems worse. My mom started asking if I had plans to lose weight, because my size was starting to make her worry. I knew she was coming from a place of love since no parent should lose a child, but I didn’t want to admit there was a problem.

Her worries became a reality on October 18th, 2020. My oldest brother Dan- who was in far better health than I was- very suddenly died. It took a few months, but eventually I realized I needed to make a change and that getting Roux-en-Y bariatric bypass was the best option. My mantra from that day on was “mom can’t lose another son; Nick can’t lose another brother.” It’s what gave me the motivation and the courage to move forward.

When I had my surgery in February 2022, I was 370 pounds, I was using a C-PAP machine, and was on 4 different medications. Since then I’ve lost almost 170 pounds, I no longer use my C-PAP machine, and am down to only one medication. I ran my first 5k in May of 2023, and first 10k in July of 2023, and now run a 5k for ordinary exercise multiple times a week; in the past, simply walking 1 mile seemed like a daunting task.

My life changed completely after my surgery, and it has been only positive. I have no regrets, and I recommend it to anyone who is struggling with their weight."