years old and my weight had climbed to 360 pounds. I did not notice it at the time, but my overall health was in bad shape. I have worked for a towing company in Fort Myers since the early 1980s. Big trucks, wrecks, the Florida sun and being more than 150 pounds overweight are not a good combination.

Food addiction is and will always be my problem. I had tried many different diets--you name it I tried it. Some worked for a while, but I failed at all of them. I knew I needed to do something about my weight. In February of 2008, I reached my all time high-- 380 pounds.

My primary doctor knew about my struggles and recommended Dr. Moses Shieh. I made an appointment with Dr. Shieh and told him my story. Dr. Shieh suggested the LAP-BAND. Dr. Shieh even gave me his cell phone number in case I had a question, which made me know that I could trust him.

I started going to the group therapy and learning from other people who had the surgery already, and I met with a nutritionist to learn how to eat properly. Every little step I took was a learning process.

I had my surgery on Nov. 11. After checking in, I felt very comfortable. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in recovery. As the anesthesia wore off, I had no major pain. Hours after surgery, I noticed a feeling I could not explain. I was no longer hungry. It was the best feeling ever!

Less than three months after surgery, my primary care doctor had discontinued most of my medications. I joined a gym, took on larger tasks with my free time and my productivity picked up at work. I even started the process of joining the Florida Highway Patrol Auxiliary. This required me to take a physical ability test that without this surgery, I would have never ever passed.

As of June 2009, I have lost 135 pounds! I have gone from size 52 pants to size 40-42. My shirt size went from 5XL to large. My memory is better than I ever thought possible, but best of all I have energy now! I feel so much better not only about my physical body, but my overall attitude toward life.

I wish you all the best on your journey.
Rich Pascarelli

For more information about bariatric surgery, click here.

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