….."Doc, I feel like I'm 20 years younger", "I haven't weighed this since I was in high school", "I wish I did this 10 years ago", "It almost seems like magic!":…these are some of the comments I hear from patients when they are about 4-8 months out from their surgery.
I have been hearing these types of comments for so long now that it has struck me that bariatric surgery is literally like a curious type of time machine…what do I mean exactly?
I assume most of you reading my musings in these newsletters have either had bariatric surgery or are thinking about it. In either case, you are someone who has experienced the ravages of morbid obesity first hand…. the aches, back and joint pains, difficulty climbing a flight of stairs without getting short of breath, not being able to play with your kids, or grandkids etc. You don't need me to tell you that the extra weight makes you feel like your 10 (or 20) years older than you really are.
And really, it makes sense if you think about it…if you are morbidly obese you are 100 (or more) lbs above your ideal body weight, over time this will wear your body down. Your body wasn't designed to carry that amount of weight, so of course, after several years of this your body starts to age more quickly than it should…. ifsomeone strapped 100 lbs to your back and told you to walk around allday, how tired would you be by the end of the day? If you are morbidlyobese that is what you are doing, literally everyday, carrying aroundan extra 100 (or more) lbs…no wonder you're feeling the way you do!
Now….Imagine being the weight you were in high school (or however old you were before you starting gaining weight), remember the energy and vigor you had back then? This is why bariatric surgery literally seems like a time machine….howgood will you feel when that extra 100 lbs comes off? How much extra energy will you have? I promise you will feel 10 (or 20) years younger!
This is why I always get thecomments I do from patients 6 months after their surgery. For many patients it really does seem almost magical, and it is a testament to the bodies ability to recuperate. A lot of the damage that gets done from carrying extra weight, amazingly, get undone once that weight comes off.
I will be having a free patient information seminar this Wednesday at my Millburn office (225 Millburn Ave, Suite 204, Millburn, NJ) starting at 6:30 PM. It is free and open to anyone who wants to find out more about weight loss surgery…feel free to invite anyone who is interested in reliving their youth!
Given the "magical" qualities of bariatric surgery and the technology involved in doing the surgery, I thought this quote by Arthur C. Clarke was appropriate, he is a science fiction write and the author of "2001:A Space Odyssey"
If you're like me, you probably grew up being told, "Finish everything on your plate!"