减肥手术:拯救生命，改变生活

In December 2010, Grubbs made the decision to have 胃分流术 at 加州大学旧金山分校减肥手术中心, a life-changing step he wishes he'd taken years before.

现在他的理想体重是180磅, he says he has more energy and self-confidence than ever before. "If I hadn't had the surgery, I probably wouldn't be here," he adds.

你什么时候决定做减肥手术的?

My doctor mentioned it to me a couple of times, but I was working so much that I didn't have time. Then I got laid off and decided it was finally time. It took a long time to prepare – about six months. 我得有个心理侧写, lose a certain amount of weight and have a certain BMI, to be sure that I was healthy enough for the surgery. In the end, I was very thankful that I had to go through all of that.

你一生都有体重问题吗?

My weight has always been up and down, depending on what I was doing for work. I've worked as a bartender and cook in restaurant kitchens, 所以那段时间我的体重总是在增加. 我做建筑的时候，房子塌了.

As a sous-chef at a popular steakhouse, how do you cope with being surrounded by food all day? How do you resist popping a few french fries into your mouth while you're working?

My strategy is to eat what most people would consider a quarter of a meal, six or seven times a day. 有时候我会吃一些洋葱圈, but they're so few and far between that it has no bearing on my weight. And working on a kitchen line that's 130 degrees certainly helps keep the weight off!

I've lost so much weight that I'm now able to wear the clothes I was married in.

Was there a turning point, when you decided you had to have the surgery?

At the time, I was taking a pharmacy of drugs every day. About seven to 10 pills at night and four or five pills in the morning for my health problems, 都是超重造成的. I took different medications for 糖尿病高血压; 甲状腺问题.

One night I was watching TV and an infomercial about the 糖尿病 medication I was taking came on. 它警告人们注意这种药物的危险性. I knew you weren't supposed to take it for a long period of time, 我已经服用了五年了. I knew then that it was time I had the surgery and that I had to change my life.

Recent research has shown that bariatric surgery can cure Type 2 糖尿病 caused by obesity. Did your surgery "reverse" or cure your 糖尿病 and other health problems?

是的. My 糖尿病高血压; back problems and pinched nerve problems have all gone. 我已经慢慢停药了. 令人惊奇的.

手术还改变了你的生活吗?

Well, when I walk down the street now, my pants keep falling down – it's horrific! 不过说实在的, when I walked down the street before and caught sight of myself in building windows, 我想说-哇! 我是如此的高大. 这不会发生在我身上. I have so much more self-confidence and energy, and I'm much more comfortable with myself.

我的家人也受到了手术的影响. 我有两个儿子, 一个20岁，一个16岁, and I know they were just waiting for me to have a stroke or something. 我就像一颗定时炸弹.

你为什么选择在加州大学旧金山分校做手术?

My insurance company only allowed me to have the surgery at a certified "Center of Excellence,感谢上帝，加州大学旧金山分校是离我们最近的一个! 在场的每个人都很棒. 这是一次很棒的经历. I would recommend that no one go anywhere else for bariatric surgery.

你是个很棒的厨师，而且仍然热爱烹饪. Has it been hard to adjust to your new dietary restrictions?

I've heard horror stories from other people who had the surgery, how they were starving afterward. But I haven't had any problems because I can still eat just about anything. The main difference now is that I eat much smaller portions, and more often throughout the day. 我对此感到非常满意和舒适.

我仍然为我的家人做饭. My specialty would have to be my prime rib, twice-baked potatoes and corn on the cob. 这是我做的圣诞晚餐. 在我空闲的时候, I like to cook for charitable fundraisers for the New Men's Club of Galt [now called the Real Men's Club of Galt].

What advice would you give to other people who are morbidly 肥胖 and contemplating having bariatric surgery?

此刻 享未来? 它会改变你的生活. The surgery has been all positive – there haven't been any negatives for me.