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Mary Holsten

I spent most of my life eating, dieting and hating myself in the process. I used food to block out the emotional and physical pain in my life, and a lifetime of gaining and losing weight resulted in Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol and the inability to maintain any level of physical activity for a sustained period of time.

The decision to proceed with getting a Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass in July 2009 -- as a last resort to my constant struggle to lose weight -- was the best decision I have ever made and if I had the choice to do it again , I would do it in a heartbeat.

The post-surgery recovery was very easy and relatively painless -- I had the surgery on a Tuesday and was able to go back to work the following Friday. The only pain I really felt was the pain associated with my digestive system moving the gas bubbles though as it started to work again. The actual surgery site and the incisions never hurt and they were very well taken care of by Dr. Macaron who did an excellent job.

My weight loss has been dramatic over the last year -- I weighed approximately 220 lbs at the time of my surgery and one year later I am down to 130 lbs -- a weight loss of 90 lbs. My weight loss was very steady throughout the year so my body was able to bounce back from the weight loss relatively well.

What I love about having my surgery is that it has finally enabled me to successfully control my food intake and my portions, something that I have always struggled with. I eat a small amount of food and I am satiated for a few hours -- and it has finally freed me from my constant binging. The surgery is not a miracle solution -- I still have to watch what I eat -- but it has been a wonderful aid in finally helping me lose the extra weight that I have struggled to lose all my adult life.

Currently at 130 lbs, I continue to monitor my food to simply maintain this weight -- which I have never before reached in my adult life. Overall, I would highly recommend the surgery and Dr. Macaron to anyone struggling with weight for whom conventional weight-loss methods have been unsuccesfull.
As a benefit of the surgery I have since been able to stop five medications that I was on prior to the surgery. I have been able to resume participating on a more regular basis an activity that I love - Country Line Dancing.

Before	After

"When you’re willing to change your whole life, the changes will last your whole life." - Amy Fasano

For many people, weight is a life-long battle. For me, it was a battle I just wasn’t winning. I tried many different approaches to weight loss, including a variety of diets, and working out in a gym five days a week. Every time, and with every approach, my weight always plateaued. At 5’ 4”, the consistent plateau of 200.7 pounds was not something I could live with, literally or figuratively: by age 30, I was borderline hypertensive and taking five different asthma medications each day.

After I turned 30, I knew I needed help. I turned to my mother, an Operating Room nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital. She helped me research options, which led me to Dr. Shady Macaron. Talking to Dr. Macaron was like talking to a friend. It can be difficult to talk about weight, but Dr. Macaron’s wonderful bedside manner made it easy and comfortable. Together, we decided that gastric banding surgery was right for me.

A year after surgery, I am down nearly 100 pounds from my highest weight. My blood pressure is excellent, and I no longer need most of my asthma medications. I am careful about what I eat; I know, now, what feeling good feels like, and I know that if you eat well you feel well. I learned that I enjoy hiking and running, and can do both without the stress on my knees that the extra hundred pounds brought.

Gastric banding surgery is the best thing I ever did for myself. And with Dr. Maracon, I was in very, very good hands.

Before	After

This is the happiest I’ve been in a long, long time. - Sharon Del Bianco

Weight became and issue for me as an adult; in high school I was relatively thin. As my weight changed, so did my health, beginning with the onset of diabetes 10 years ago. By early 2009, I was taking insulin and pills for my diabetes, I was being treated for high blood pressure and arthritis in my knees, and my thyroid was borderline inactive. I knew I had to do something, and I knew I couldn’t do it by myself.

 My endocrinologist explained that for my health to improve, I needed to get my weight under 150 pounds. I read a pamphlet for lap band surgery in her office and thought it seemed right for me. She referred me to Dr. Shady Macaron. Together, they changed my life.

 It has been just over a year since my surgery. I have lost 87 pounds and am off all of my diabetes medications. The arthritis in my knees no longer restricts my activities. In fact, I walk four miles on a track four to five times a week. Overall, I feel great!

 Dr. Macaron is a fantastic surgeon. When people who haven’t seen me in a while comment on how good I look, I always credit Dr. Macaron. When I tell him that, he says it is not what he has done, but what I have done that has changed my life. I know that I couldn’t have done it alone, and that he is the one who helped me get to where I am. For that, I will always be grateful.

Before	After