HOPE Success Story: Johnnie Figueroa
Johnnie Figueroa lost 132 pounds in the first year after his surgery.
“I restarted my life a healthier, thinner, happier Johnnie.”
I wasn’t always an overweight person growing up. At the
age of six I began to put on weight. I am not sure why it happened
but I always knew that something needed to be done about it — I
just didn’t know how to make it happen. Up until high school I
dealt with harsh criticism from both family and other children
my age. I wanted to be more than just the “fat kid.” I wanted
people to know me for who I truly am; however, my insecurities
with my weight held me back from showing people the real me. By sixteen
I reached my highest weight ever—314 pounds and a BMI of 49. Over
the years, I worked hard with the support of my mother to lose
weight: specialized diets, meetings with dieticians, prescribed hunger
suppressants, exercise programs, etc. But nothing worked. Whenever I
lost weight, I ended up gaining back more.
Emotionally and physically
frustrated, I knew that I needed to do something. My mother
picked up on my frustrations and began to do some research. She came
across the NYU website and discovered the study for obese adolescents
to have the lap-band surgery performed. We decided to attend the information
meeting. I was notified that I would be a good candidate for the study
and after long discussions with my mother we agreed to go through with
the surgery. I understood that sacrifices would have to be made like
the twelve-hour round trip drive to and from New York City and frequent
absences from school, but the positives outweighed the negatives.
“I restarted my life a healthier, thinner, happier Johnnie.”
My surgery date is almost like a second birthday for me— it marks the date that I restarted my life a healthier, thinner, happier Johnnie. I have lost a total of 132 pounds in my first year. It took time to adjust to the band but with a little patience, I have grown to accept it as a part of me. Since the surgery, there have been many changes in my life; the best would have to be my health. Simple, everyday things that others take for granted like walking up a flight of stairs are significant to me because as an obese person I couldn’t do it. My sleep apnea has cleared up for the most part and the social aspects of my life have also improved. I feel more happy and able to create and build on strong relationships with friends.
The most unexpected result of the lap-band is that it has helped me prepare for my future career in the culinary arts. Next year I will begin my freshman year at Johnson and Wales University studying culinary arts. My weight loss has inspired me to create lighter and healthier dishes. When asked if I would do the surgery all over again the answer is always going to be the same: yes.