Dr. Cywes sauntered into my life last May through coincidence; divine intervention if you may. I was a month away from traveling to Mexico to have a gastric sleeve operation, watching the scales trek ever so close to 4-0-0. I don’t know if I feared death or those three numbers more. I coach soccer, and joked with the president of Jacksonville Youth Soccer that next year I would be a different man. Lucky for me, this man knew Dr. Cywes. Before I could get to my car Dr. Cywes was on the cell with me discussing options and looking for ways to keep me from going to Mexico. What struck me the most was this was at 10:00 at night. Here, a doctor was discussing health solutions with a stranger in the dead of night. We agreed to meet, and Dr. Cywes met with me for over two hours, after his patients the next day.

I was hooked by his dedication to the science of weight management, and his uncanny ability to worry more about my internal happiness than my actual health. I met Jody and Amanda, two women that are part of the Dr. Cywes family. I saw how everyone worked towards the same goals, and I have felt since day one that everyone I have met through Dr. Cywes genuinely cares about my success. This family atmosphere, challenging me to be the best Todd I can be, really makes the entire surgery process a breeze. They were there step by step, even calling on the day of the surgery to make sure I had everything accounted for.

Well, as success stories go, I elected to go with the plication surgery with a lap band. I really didn’t want the lap band, but Dr. Cywes encouraged me to consider the band with plication and it has been a good tool along the way; though I have only had one fill and still don’t long for another. I’m not going to lie, the first few days were rough, but I scoured the Internet enough to know what was coming. However, on day 5 the sun rose anew and my new life began. I sit here today, writing a testimonial, weighing in at 289. That’s a 2 at the beginning of that number!!! I never thought I’d see the two hundreds again. I still have more weight to lose, but I am as happy as I remember being, and enjoying the ride.

And here are the results:

I no longer have diabetes issues, nor have to wear the sleep apnea mask I called my friend for years. I don’t need thyroid medication, nor any of the other medications that I was slowly increasing every time to the doctor’s office. I played basketball with my brother for the first time in probably 15 years… and won!!! It wasn’t pretty, but sometimes just playing the game is worth it. I play with my children on the floor. That sounds like a little thing, but those are sometimes the most profound changes I notice. I have gone from bursting at the seams of 4x shirts to 2x that are a bit baggy, and I can shop in the general population racks at the mall. I don’t crave anymore, and thanks to the continued guidance of Dr. Cywes, I am learning to fill my life with activities that I enjoy. Probably the best benefit is that my wife no longer harps on my impending death, and we are planning a long, happy, activity filled life.

Thank you, Dr. Cywes, Jody, Amanda, and countless others for everything you have done to put me back on the right track. Though surgery is expensive, it is worth every penny to feel, even for a week, like a normal human being again. I can’t wait to get on the soccer field, or shoot hoops at school; to hit and get hit in competition again. My life is quickly returning and the death sentence I thought I had has been stayed. I am new to this side of the fence, and confidently write this testimony without the old fear of gaining it all back. I am a new, old man.