As told by Kevin Munley...

     Until three years ago I lived a life plagued by constraints. Physical activities, social settings, career advancement…each of these areas constrained because I was, and always will be, obese. I say that I will always be obese because my genetic makeup predestines me to obesity, and unless I constantly obsessed over my diet and exercise routine, I would naturally store any excess caloric intake as fat and gain weight. The difference now is that I have a tool, a tool that allows me to control my diet and thus the outward physical signs of my obesity. This tool I have now is the LapBand.

     I was a “chubby” kid, a “stocky” adolescent and a “big-boned” young adult…basically society’s kind way of saying I was overweight. It did not matter what term was used; I fully understood what was being said about me, and more importantly, I heard loud and clear the silent comments regarding my size. These silent comments came in very subtle ways and changed as I aged.

     As a child I got that knowing pinch of the cheeks, the shaking of the head as I helped myself to seconds or thirds and the exclusion from the birthday party invite list. They didn’t know I was watching and understood, but food never judged me. As an adolescent I was the last to be picked for certain sports teams, the first picked for others, like football, that valued size, and the wall flower at school dances. Once again, food was my solace. As a young adult I came to expect rejection when asking a girl out on a date, job interviews cut short due to some “urgent” matter and annual reviews that resulted in less than average pay increases for well above average job performance. The cuts were deep and the scars thick, but food continued to be there for me.

     Despite these hard times, my whole life hasn’t always been gloom and doom. When I was 12 I discovered dieting and have been very successful with the process. What I never mastered, however, is how to keep the weight off. Over the years prior to my LapBand procedure I had lost in excess of 400 pounds, but on the day of my surgery I still managed to weigh 375 pounds. Even with the constant losing and gaining of weight, my resolve to diet never wavered. When I dieted I could live a more “normal” life and participate in some activities and be successful in some social settings. During one of these dieting phases I met my lovely and beautiful wife LeeAnn. She has been a true Godsend for me and has always supported me in everything I do. Lee and I have a daughter Hilairy, now 18, and between the two of them they have made my struggle with weight somewhat bearable and are my greatest joys in life. Although they have been understanding and supportive, I know that my weight has been a constraint on my relationships with them and in participating in activities when Hilairy was younger.

     All of this changed dramatically on August 26, 2004 when Dr. Paul Macik performed my LapBand surgery. I now consider this my second birthday and have a personal, private celebration on that day each year, minus the cake. The change in my life was immediate, dramatic and beyond my expectations.
From the moment I awoke from surgery I knew my life had changed for the better. I could feel the presence of the bands pressure on my stomach and knew that the constraints that had been placed on my life in the past were now focused internally and would be a tool for me to throw off the physical, emotional and professional constraints externally.

     My evolution process began slowly, but with each passing day I felt more in control, more alive and more motivated to live the life I wanted and not the life I had been forced to live due to my obesity. Part of the recovery process involved a 10-15 minute walk, three to four times a day. To be honest, I did not make 10 minutes, or even three times a day, for the first week. I was not discouraged, though, and I could see results every day. Soon I was able to walk 30 minutes, three to four times a day and then an hour twice a day and was feeling more energetic and more motivated than I had ever dreamed. About a month after surgery I had enough strength and energy to begin some small gardening tasks, like picking weeds for 30 minutes, three times a week, or planting some new plants for fall color. This progressed quickly and by spring I fired the lawn service, purchased a new lawn mower and have never looked back. I also ripped out an old and very mature section of my landscaping and built a new retaining wall and completely replanted the entire area all by myself. Something that would have put me in the hospital just six months earlier became a badge of honor that further fueled my desire to seek out and add new activities to my lifestyle.

     With my newfound motivation, I have tried several new activities including hiking, roller blading, ballroom dancing, snow mobiling and water tubing. Of these, I have adopted roller blading as a regular activity within my lifestyle and greatly enjoy the sense of freedom and joy that this new activity brings to my life. When blading I constantly catch myself experiencing a sense of disbelief that I am actually flying along with confidence and control of something I used to watch, in awe, my daughter do with great ease and flare. These experiences continue to enforce my new understanding that the only constraints on my life now are those that I apply myself, and I am actively working to remove all constraints in my thinking and attitude. I strive to live that “normal” life that I have dreamed of since my childhood where all things are open to me and all things are possible…and I am getting there!

     I pray now that the Lord will bless me with 47 years of life free from the constraints, both external and internal, that controlled my life and dictated my behavior and that I will be the best person I can be!

     For more information on surgical weight loss at North Fulton Regional Hospital, visit www.northfultonregional.com/bariatrics.

* This testimonial reflects results achieved by this patient. As each case is different and must be independently evaluated and managed, actual weight loss will vary. This surgery is designed for those with a BMI of 40 or greater, or 35 or greater with serious co-morbidities.

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