Sammy 10-30

My story is not filled with too many twists and turns and frankly very common with someone who spent twenty-two years and two combat tours in the Marine Corps took its toll on my body, blown out knees and back led to a rapid weight gain just before and after I retired in July 2014 when I went from a stout 225 to 280 in just 5 years as my physical activity came to a screeching halt with little or no assistance from the Marine  Corps other than my way to a scale, so I retired. So soon after I graduated college in July 2017, I was referred to a  bariatric surgeon not by choice through my primary care physician to have my umbilical hernia repaired and not looking for weight loss surgery at all, in fact my doctor stated he would not have sent me to that doctor (Isn't that some BS), a new girl in the office sent me their and that PCM is now FIRED!!!!. However, only spending a short 5 mins with the doctor the surgeon laid out some options to repair a hernia. So I agreed to have the weight loss surgery to have it stitched vice having a mesh to repair a hernia. The best decision I have ever made, I blew through my pre-checklist to have the surgery within a month. Since the surgery, I have had my nerves in my back burnt to manage my pain and arthroscopic knee surgery and a painful injection in my knee, however, I still have another knee that needs the same surgery. Finally, in all, I am pleased with the results thus far and I continue to achieve my Master's Degree in Health Care informatics and able to workout again with little to no pain and enjoy being a positive influence on new and current weight loss patients like myself.