Hi Barbara,
My name is Cynthia E. Pedder. I'm going to be 48 years old in May, and for the first time in my life, I like who I am and how I look. Prior to my surgery, I would avoid mirrors and windows, or anything that would reflect my image back to me.

I have been overweight for the majority of my life. When I was born I only weighed 3 pounds, 10 ounces. My mother had a bad fall when she was carrying me and I was born 3 months early. I was healthy and a perfect baby, but just tiny, and she was told that I would always be a tiny, scrawny kid, but that would soon be far from the truth.

When I was in grade school, I remember being the skinny kid, and I couldn't wait to weigh 100 pounds. At the age of 12, I not only hit 100 pounds, but puberty set in, and I just kept gaining and gaining. This began a life time of dieting for me.

My aunt put me on my first diet when I was 12 years old. I wasn't obese back then from what I remember, but back then the “Twiggy look” was in, and I was considered overweight.

I was the only one in my family with a weight problem. It was hard growing up in a family of people who didn't have weight problems, and for the most part could eat what ever, when ever they wanted.

I have been on just about every diet known to man, just like many others who have opted to have this surgery. I've even made up some pretty crazy diets, like just eating sunflower seeds, and drinking Mountain Dew. Well that didn't last long, because all the salt made my mouth sore. I lost 94 pounds with a diet center and thought my dieting days were over, but I gained it all back, plus some. I knew I needed this "tool" to help me not only lose the weight, but to keep it off.

I tried everything. I set goals that I would never weigh more than 175 pounds, then 200 pounds, then 225 pounds, and then 250 pounds. When I hit my heaviest, which was 254 pounds I gave up dieting, and just decided I was just meant to be fat. I believed I would remain morbidly obese, and probably die from it some day. So I set my goal to never weigh over 300 pounds.

Then I heard about the RNY procedure.  After reading about it and doing research, I knew it was my last hope. I wrote you an email in 2001, and told you how I was researching the RNY weight loss surgery. I ordered your book, and the Bari Bear. After a long fight with my insurance company and many appeals, I was finally approved to have my surgery a year and one week later. I wasn't going to give up when my insurance denied me, because I knew I fit their criteria. I was fighting for my life.

I had my surgery done laparoscopically on Sept. 4th, 2002. My surgeon was wonderful. I thought I would have to have the surgery done as an open procedure because I had several previous abdominal surgeries. So I was very happy and amazed to wake up and find out I hadn't been cut open.

I haven't had any complications from the surgery. The hospital where I had my surgery had a bariatric bed, which was nice and comfortable, and everyone treated me very well. I have been back to show my nurses that this surgery has worked for me. Needless to say they were quite shocked to see the new me.

I'm still in shock to see the new me! It all feels like a dream. It seems strange to say that I was morbidly obese, and now 6 1/2 months later I am in a normal weight range.

I was on many blood pressure medications, and was going to have to go on cholesterol medications. Now my blood pressure is great, and my cholesterol is perfect, and all of my lab work shows that everything is in a normal range. I have asthma, arthritis, and muscular joint pain, which has all improved with this weight loss I am now healthy, which was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to have this surgery.

I'm very thankful and grateful that I was blessed and got a new chance on life. I want to shout it from the mountain top. I was asked to teach our Bariatric Support Group Meeting twice, when the support group leader was ill, and I had a wonderful time.

Unfortunately, the surgeon who did my surgery can no longer do them, because the cost of his malpractice insurance tripled. He already pays a huge premium because he is a trauma surgeon. So for now, we no longer can have classes regarding the surgery, and he can't do any weight loss surgeries. We are still permitted to have our support group meetings, but only those of us who have had the surgery can attend, and all others will have to be turned away. It is such sad news, because we had more than 40 people who were awaiting surgery. My heart goes out to them, because I know this surgery can work, and can have such a profound effect on people’s lives.

Our last vacation was wonderful. I could keep up and go and go. I remember vividly how before my surgery I would end up in a wheel chair, and my family would have to push me around. I couldn't keep up, and my legs and feet would swell so badly. Although my husband is a wonderful man, who loved me literally through thick and thin, I no longer feel like I'm a burden to him and the rest of my family and I very much enjoy going and doing things now. I love mirrors and cameras, where as before I avoided them. I even like to weigh myself now, which is a first in my life.

I really believe support group meetings are a must, and wouldn't miss them for the world. I enjoy seeing the changes in others, and sharing what works and doesn't work for one another. It is such a joy to see the transformation that people go through.

I've lost 111 pounds in 6 1/2 months. I was wearing a size 24 and now I am in a size 8. My BMI was 42.3 and now I weigh 139 pounds and my BMI is 23.1. I feel wonderful and I now have a life.

I just had a tummy tuck to remove all the excess skin and a breast augmentation. I'm still recovering from it. Boy that was a rough two weeks, but today is day 19 since I the procedure and I am starting to feel good, and see the results. I'm thrilled and on cloud nine. I even had a makeover done and got my hair cut short. I'm a whole “new looking” person, but I am still the same in my heart.  I feel like life has just begun for me, and I like me now for the first time. I just had my dream come true. I finally got to shop at a Victoria's Secret, and bought cute matching panties and bras. That was something I told one of the surgery nurses that I wanted to do some day.

Thank you for letting me share my story. I hope it will inspire others, because I want people to know they can have a life. I would do this surgery again in a heartbeat, even though in the first few months, I felt weak, and wondered what I did to my body. Now I feel the best I have felt in my whole life.

Cynthia E. Pedder