Eric W. was always active growing up.  A native of Tucson, Eric was on the football and wrestling teams at Sahauro High School his freshman year  and continued to play football after transferring to Sabino High School his junior year.  After graduation, his daily activities changed.  He wasn’t as active as he had been, was no longer playing sports and his weight began to creep up. Pushing it off as something that happens to everyone, he would try various diets, weight loss supplements and exercise to overcome the weight gain. These methods would work for a short time, but unfortunately he continued to gain weight. 

His niece nicknamed him “the couch potato” while others told him the best years of his life were already behind him. Eric also began experiencing health issues like hypertension, foot pain and sleep apnea.  Two years ago he was diagnosed with leukemia and he had a brain aneurysm in 2010. When one of his friends passed away, Eric had to miss the funeral because he didn’t have any pants he could wear that fit him.  

Eric decided enough was enough and that he could not put off a much needed change any longer. That is when he explored the option of surgical weight loss. Weighing 376 pounds, Eric decided to move forward with a gastric sleeve. 

Naturally, Eric was nervous about surgery.  Would it be successful?  Would it be painful?  Would he be able to adjust to the new daily habits after surgery?  Although he had concerns, Eric realized that the benefits of surgery far outweighed the risks and he decided nothing was going to hold him back. And it didn’t. 

The surgery was a success; minimally invasive, the pain was tolerable, and he was discharged within one day.  Within 3 weeks he was back to work.  It has almost been one year since Eric made the decision that saved his life, and he is now down to 191 pounds and counting. 

“This procedure has changed my life dramatically,” Eric says, “I went from a couch potato to doing 600 push-ups at the gym last week.” People’s perspective of him has changed; they see him differently and treat him better. He is off his blood pressure medication, his foot pain is gone and his sleep apnea is gone. Although it was initially hard to change his diet and eating patterns after his procedure, Eric knows it was worth it. He knows the best years of his life are not behind him. They’re yet to come.