Weight Loss Success Story Mike Jantz

In May 2010, I made a life-changing decision to have gastric bypass surgery.

My family is very close, and there was nothing I enjoyed more than spending time with my three children and their families, but it was difficult for me to play with my four grandchildren due to my weight and poor health. As I was laying on the bed just before my surgery, I remember thinking, “What have I gotten myself into…” The surgery went well, however, shortly after I developed a few complications. After a few months, my complications resolved and I realized I had made the best decision I could have made!

Three years later, I am enjoying every minute of my life! I especially enjoy playing with my grandchildren, all six of them. When I consider the position I was in before my WLS, I realize that, if it were not for my surgery, I may never have had the chance to meet my youngest grandkids. Now I look forward to the future and even more grandkids, and I am ready and able to play all day with them! Given the choice to do it all over again, even with the complications I had, I would do it in a heartbeat.

People may tell you that WLS is the “easy way out” when it comes to weight loss. They are all-out wrong! There’s no such thing as an easy way to lose weight! Long-term success with weight loss requires a lot of effort and willpower. That being said, I feel that WLS was the best way for me to lose weight and become healthy.

When you start your journey, you will learn about the types of foods you should avoid and the types you need to eat to lose the weight and maintain good health. Some of the foods you will no longer be able to eat may be some of your favorites. For me, I considered my obesity a disease that was seriously affecting my health, much like cancer. It’s true: The treatment was to give up something I really enjoyed. But it game me something so much better. Life.

Are some of your favorite foods worth your health, or worse, your life?

While I was preparing for my WLS, I was told that afterwards I may find some foods that, while technically were OK to eat, may not agree with my new stomach, and some foods may taste differently than they did prior to the surgery. I’ve never been a “vegetable person”, and I’m not miraculously converted into a full-blown veggie lover, but I have found that I enjoy a much wider range of vegetables now than I did before my WLS.

Prior to my surgery, I had type II diabetes, I had significantly reduced lung function, and I had to use a CPAP machine at night. I couldn’t even walk 50 yards without needing to sit and rest! Since losing my weight, I have been able to eliminate all medications for my diabetes, my lung function has returned to normal, and I no longer need to use my CPAP machine! Now, I can easily jog a hundred yards! I knew I was overweight before my surgery, but it wasn’t until I lost 100 lbs and saw my health drastically improve that I truly realized just how overweight and sick I had become!

I’m from NW Oklahoma, and when I first considered WLS I did what many people do and searched the Internet for surgeons in Oklahoma. The first doctor in my search results was Dr. Walton. Dr. Walton used to be in Enid, so I recognized the name, and knowing he was local was reassuring. As I educated myself on WLS, I found that Dr. Walton’s approach made sense to me. Dr. Walton and his staff have been extremely supportive and friendly throughout the whole process of my weight loss journey, and I consider many of them like friends now. I actually enjoy going back to the office for my check-ups!