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Mark Mason

Mark Mason
Posted on: 02/13/2018

At 6-feet-5-inches tall, I’ve been a big guy all my life; but when I hit 451 pounds, all those years of overeating began to take a toll. I was on a lot of medications and I had two back surgeries and two knee replacements. When it looked like one knee had to be replaced again, my doctor got serious. He said I had to get rid of the extra weight or I would be facing the same surgery again a few years down the road.

He suggested bariatric surgery. I thought about it, prayed about it for a while. I’m a family man – I have three grown children, a 7-year-old and two stepchildren. I want to be healthy for myself and my family so I can enjoy them.

I went to one of Dr. Whipple’s information sessions and he and his staff put my mind at ease. In 2011, I had gastric bypass. So far, I’ve lost 175 pounds and there is definitely a difference in how I feel. I’m not taking nearly as much medicine and I have a lot more energy.

Now I love it when I see people for the first time in years. I’ll walk by them and they won’t say anything – they don’t know me! They can’t believe it’s me.

I encourage anyone who is considering bariatric surgery to just do it. My daughter’s doctor recommended that she have weight-loss surgery too. She was scared, but when she saw my results and that I was doing so well, she decided to have the surgery. I’m glad I can go through it with her.

Mark Mason
Posted on: 02/13/2018

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