Dana Estrada
"By the age of 30, I had tried every diet but still reached 320 pounds. Now, after undergoing gastric bypass surgery in March of 2000, I am at a slim 125 pounds. I have a new, healthy life.

William Elijah
William (Big Will) Elijah dealt with several tragic personal blows and had reached 544 lbs. Big Will explains: "June 2003 changed my life forever. I had gastric bypass surgery. I've grown to accept that I'm a stress eater and over the past ten years I tried and failed at losing weight and keeping it off. I had to admit to myself that I needed help. I noticed my life slowing to the point that the normal things of life were not the same for me anymore."

Holly Fletcher
Holly had self-esteem problems due to being overweight as young as ten years old. Her struggle with extra pounds continued throughout high school. She tried all the diets and pills and sometimes they would work for a little while. After having a baby, she realized that at 230 pounds, "I knew now it was time to get serious, as I needed to be around to watch my son grow up!" Her thorough research about gastric bypass and attendance at a LivLite informational seminar in Junction City, Kansas, convinced her that LivLite was the way to go. She spoke with one of the doctors about her strong desire to have the surgery and the doctor responded: "Holly, I will take wonderful care of you."

Michael Thibodeux
When Michael Thibodeaux's weight reached 466, his doctor urged him to consider weight loss surgery. His first reaction? "I thought I was copping out." Like every other patient, Michael had tried every diet. This was a last resort. "I had to do it."

Callahan Family
Sandra had reached 267 pounds after relentless rounds of dieting and using Phen-fen, which caused a heart condition. Missy, her 27-year old middle daughter, was a 299 pound divorced mother of two.

Dana Piele
"I am married with two teenage daughters. While they were growing up,I had no energy to keep up with them. Their lives were passing me by and I have missed out on a lot of time with them. I was always out of breath and it was difficult to do even basic everyday activities with them. I had been overweight all my life and was 10 lbs. at birth. At my heaviest weight of 288 lbs., I had open gastric bypass surgery in September of 2003. I have lost 115 lbs. so far and am down to a beautiful 173 lbs. I couldn't be happier! I would do this again in a heartbeat.

Tammy
Imagine losing over a hundred pounds and having the confidence to run for office in a local election! That's just what Tammy did much to her surprise and delight.

Tanya Newhall
"Now I can keep up with my kids and my husband. I now have two babies post-op and still maintain my weight loss.

Karen Dutton
Before surgery in September 2004, Karen weighed 325 lbs. Her co-morbidities included diabetes and knee pain. She had to take medications for both conditions. Since having gastric bypass surgery, she no longer needs the medications and says: "I have kept my blood levels in check by diet and exercise.

Blythe
"I was scared that I would die in a year," remembers Blythe Cooneyland. She weighed 361 lbs. when she was only 27 years old. "I thought about how I could have let myself get this way."

Kristin Duncan
"The world is a very cruel place to big people," says Kristin Duncan, a patient of the LivLite program in Oxford, MS. "I didn't notice it when I was big, but now that I've lost weight, I notice little things a lot more."

Robin Dumas
"I had been obese all of my life," says Robin Dumas, "and no one had ever believed in my ability to lose weight until I contacted LivLite." At six feet tall and a size 22, Robin wasn't someone who could just blend into the background. Now, she's a size 6 and she stands out in a crowd in the best possible way, as stunning as a model.

Patricia Miller
Like many patients, Patricia had been on one diet after another, but without success. Due to her excessive weight and arthritis, she had to undergo knee surgery. She continued to experience severe pain in her knees, ankles and lower back. Patricia says: "I was on medication for high blood pressure and migraine headaches, which I lived with nearly everyday. I was also on my way to having diabetes."

Pam Phillips
A young bride of 17, Pam Phillips weighed a mere 118 lbs. During her 33 years of marriage she grew to 350 lbs. Today, she weighs 155 lbs., having lost 195 lbs. since her surgery in February 2001.

Sharon Farley
Year after year, Sharon struggled with her weight. She says: "I have tried over-the- counter drugs, shakes, doctor's prescriptions, Weight Watchers and other supervised diets but nothing worked long term. I developed some health problems which required medications and have problems with arthritis in my knees."

Terry Bond
A very dramatic trip to the hospital ER changed Terry's life forever. For seven days, he was treated for vascular disease and diabetes due to his extreme weight at 317 pounds. He almost lost a leg. Several doctors recommended LivLite weight loss surgery to get his weight under control and prevent losing a limb. His family history includes loss of legs due to diabetes caused by obesity. He realized, "I'm down the same road in a couple of years if I don't do something."

Kathy Ruggero
I had been fighting my weight for 20 years and tried many diets. My job at a hospital allowed me to meet many patients who successfully had the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. I was tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds and decided that I wanted to enjoy my life again and would have the surgery.

Keisha Xicotencatl
At 29, months before my 30th birthday, I had made up mind that my life needed to start all over again. I had always prayed for a new body, if they could only come up with a brain transplant, I would just take any thin person’s body, I just wanted a second chance to start all over again.