"Many people get stuck on numbers, but it’s really about getting healthy."  Christopher Rush

“I am 33 years old and I had gastric bypass surgery in May of 2005. This hard but necessary decision truly saved my life. I was 406 pounds with a 62-inch waist. If it was not for Dr. A. Aziz Richi, his staff and the wonderful staff of Saint Mary’s Hospital, I don’t know if I would be alive today.

This is not a diet you can go off of. With gastric bypass surgery you learn to change how you think about food and how you eat. Many people get stuck on numbers, but it’s really about getting healthy. I joined a gym and go six days a week.

If you are considering gastric bypass surgery, do your homework. Get the facts. Then make your own decision. There is not one day that goes by that I regret making mine.”

Before	After

"I never believed it until I lived it myself: the weight just melted off!"
Lori Martin

“I was literally handed a new lease on life on January 25, 2006, thanks to Dr. Richi and his team. One year earlier, I was struggling with diabetes, high blood pressure and a cholesterol level that was considered ‘dangerous.’ I was taking separate medications for all of the above. I was constantly exhausted from sleep apnea. But the health issue that affected me most was neuropathy in my feet due to the diabetes and severe pain in my knees due to the excess weight. I was hitting approximately 250 pounds and finding it increasingly difficult to walk. An everyday experience liking going grocery shopping was excruciatingly painful.
Needless to say, with all of the health issues, depression was also starting to settle in. I had literally tried just about every diet known to man over the past 20 years and failed miserably at each. I had finally accepted the fact that this was how I was going to have to live and most likely die.

Then a friend of mine from work told me her doctor recommended she meet with Dr. Richi about gastric bypass surgery. I had heard about the surgery and even read a little about it, but was not convinced it was for me. One thing I knew for sure was that something had to change drastically and permanently. The cycle of losing weight just to gain back 20 pounds with each diet was more than I could bear physically or emotionally.

I met first with Gloria from Dr. Richi’s team. She was very informed and made me feel very comfortable right away. She also took care of all the insurance information. (I would not have known where to begin.) I was referred to an orientation where Dr. Richi spoke in detail about the surgery, exactly what it entailed and what to expect. The support continued as I met wit the nutritionist, Carolyn, and Dr. Goldstein. I felt very confident this team would be the answer.

My surgery itself went without issue for me and within two weeks I was back at work. My new life had begun: I was not only eating a lot less but also completely different types of foods and no sweets. I was able to start walking due to my knee pain subsiding after a loss of a mere 20 pounds. I have heard people say what I am about to say, but I never believed it until I lived it myself: the weight just melted off! It really did. Don’t misunderstand. This is not a magic pill. It took exercise and controlled eating. I still sometimes crave certain foods. But now, I have the control over my appetite that I never had before. I also have the added incentive of going from a size 24 to a size 4 in a year and five months.

The support provided by the nutrition groups as well as the psychiatric groups have been a major part of my success. Most important, however, was the fact that no more medication is needed for my diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which has been controlled since the surgery. My neuropathy is still an issue but the hope is that it will get better in time. I have lost half of my former self and cannot remember the last time I felt this great! I will never go back to my old way of life. I have finally learned it is just not worth it! I am worth the hard work, the exercise, the occasional hunger pain because it all adds up to a healthier, happier me. How do you begin to thank someone for saving your life? Because that is exactly what Dr. Richi and his team did for me. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!

Before	After

"I started to feel like a kid again. I was finally able to ride a bike with my children."  Michael Collins

“I have had a battle with my weight since birth. At the age of 5, I weighed 100 pounds. At the age of 13, I was 200 pounds. And at the age of 39, I weighed my heaviest: 424 pounds. I had tried all kinds of diets, was somewhat successful but always gained the weight back, plus some. So I started to research my options.

I had high blood pressure, was a borderline diabetic, out of breath constantly, had sleep apnea and my knees and back ached constantly. On Labor Day weekend 2003, after reading an article on gastric bypass surgery in the Waterbury Republican, and then discussing it with my family doctor, I decided to change my life and have the surgery. I went to a seminar given by Dr. Richi that explained the procedure. From there, he had me meet with a nutritionist, psychologist and his nursing staff. Just before Christmas, they decided I was a good candidate for the surgery and the proceedings began.

On January 1, 2004, I weighed 424 pounds. Dr. Richi and the nutritionist recommended that I lose some weight before surgery, to prove that I was ready to change my way of life. They sent me for a series of health screenings and I had my final pre-surgery consultation on February 12, 2004. I weighed in at 403 pounds, so surgery was scheduled for February 16. After surgery and a successful stay at Saint Mary’s Hospital, I was sent home with a package on learning how to eat all over again.

I followed Dr. Richi’s post-surgery program diligently, meeting bi-weekly with the nutritionist and psychologist. By July 1, after losing approximately 100 pounds, I was off my blood pressure medicine, I didn’t have to sleep with oxygen for the sleep apnea and was no longer a borderline type 2 diabetic.

I started to feel like a kid again. I was finally able to ride a bike with my children. I actually enjoyed exercising again, riding my bike and walking around my neighborhood. My ultimate goal was to get below 250 pounds. By September at the monthly nutritional meeting, I weighed in and celebrated at 249 pounds. On the one-year anniversary of my surgery, in February 2005, I weighed an unprecedented 197 pounds and almost fainted. Now, three and a half years later, I have maintained my weight of 197, by sticking to Dr. Richi’s program. I am thankful for having my life back and in great health, which I attribute to Dr. Richi and his staff.”

Before	After

"I am now in control of my hunger, my portions and my life."  Carla Larocque

“After many years of battling obesity with many failed diets, the Lap-Band surgery has changed my entire life. Being overweight not only affected my health, I was ashamed of how I looked. I was unable to enjoy life to its fullest because being overweight was a constant anchor. Not only did I suffer from my own emotional battle of not liking myself, I also faced the stigma that goes along with being overweight in our society. It was not just my physical appearance being altered, but also my emotional and mental well-being. Now, 13 months later, 131 pounds lighter, and having from a size 28 to a size 10 I face each day with joy! I love life and love the new me inside and out. I am healthy and have learned how to eat healthy. My social life has improved because I am not ashamed of what I look like. The Lap-Band procedure is the best tool I have ever had in helping me battle obesity. I am now in control of my hunger, my portions, and my life. Thanks to the Lap-Band procedure, Dr. Rubenstein, Dr. Richi and his staff, I am now a happy, healthy person.”

Before	After