Today I am pleased to call your attention to three fine gentlemen who are dedicated to the lifelong success of WLS patients. All have achieved and sustained significant weight loss by way of surgery. All are compassionate and concerned individuals reaching out to the WLS community to share their experiences and nurture us along in our journeys. Please take a moment to visit their sites – I think you’ll enjoy what they have to offer.
Positive Coaching
Positive Coaching is Jeff Cadwell’s site. He is three-years post-op and down 165 pounds. He specializes in coaching individuals through the decision making process to have weight loss surgery. His approach is non-judgmental with emphasis on finding joy in life. Jeff conducts support groups and has worked closely with men teaching them to accept WLS as a positive step toward better health.
He recently told me, “In my experience, our society dictates that men should always be in control, and they are less of a man if they are not. During some confidential conversations, I have had more than one man say to me that it would appear that they were weak or more importantly, that they failed. I, then attempt to, reframe what the surgery is all about. People have the surgery to improve their health, which will then improve their confidence.”
Morbid Obesity: How I Dealt With It
Richard Varney has the site “Morbid Obesity: How I Dealt With It” – and he has dealt with it fabulously. He underwent gastric bypass in January 2002 when he weighed 514 pounds. He has since dropped 340 pounds: his pictures are remarkable. His site includes pre-op and post-op content and a particularly meaningful letter for WLS spouses. I am specifically impressed that he speaks about his abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) as few men are willing to talk about this skin removal procedure.
Richard is active in the WLS community. “I manage this site of mine plus one site for help and support for weight loss surgery with over 2,000 members all across the country. I go by the name of Rex on my MSN site. There's a link to it from my personal website. I also manage a site for the York, PA support group.”
Renewed Reflections: Loving the New You
Craig “Big T” Thompson focuses his site on life after weight loss surgery and the mental issues that go hand-in-hand with obesity, weight loss and weight gain. He has a thoughtful philosophy about him and a pragmatic sensibility without the coarseness of Dr. Phil. Be sure to take time to read his articles – I found a lot of me in his words and I think you will enjoy and identify with Craig as well.
After his surgery in 1997 Craig explains, “Within one year, I had lost nearly 200 pounds. But I had only treated the symptom. Like taking aspirin for the headache of a brain tumor, the problem seemed to go away, but the cause of my insanity was still lurking beneath the surface.” Visit his site for more of the story.
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