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Good Health Is a Family Affair
Weight loss procedure inspires a healthy lifestyle for Autumn Garvin and her family
PHOENIX – (Nov. 22, 2011) – Most mothers will tell you that being a mother of young children can be tiring. But 29-year-old Autumn Garvin will tell you that being an overweight mom of young children is flat-out exhausting.
When she weighed 312 pounds, Garvin said she was, “literally too tired to be a mom. I would play with my kids for five minutes and then need a break.”
One day, she suggested to her son that they lay down for a nap before leaving to pick up her two older children from school. Her son shot her a disgusted look and said, “Mommy, don’t be lazy!”
“That moment was such a wakeup call for me. I would never want my kids to be hindered — or worse yet, embarrassed — by my weight problems!”
Weight had been a lifelong struggle for Garvin, and she finally decided it was time to do something about it.
Approximately two years ago, Garvin underwent the laparoscopic gastric banding procedure, performed by Eric Schlesinger, M.D., FACS, a board-certified bariatric surgeon and the medical director of the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital. During surgery, Dr. Schlesinger placed an adjustable silicone band around the upper portion of Garvin’s stomach, creating a smaller upper stomach pouch that limits food intake.
Since having surgery, Garvin has lost 110 pounds (and counting), and is finally able to keep up with her three children, now 12-, 9- and 7-years-old. She feels better, has more energy and is healthier than ever before. And she is now able to teach her children healthy habits by demonstrating them first-hand.
“I try to do something active every single day. I walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes and lift weights three to four times each week.” And she is able to complete physical tasks that she never thought possible.
“Last Thanksgiving, I walked and jogged a 5K race. And I can finally jump on the trampoline with my kids! It means so much to me to be able to lead an active lifestyle, and share that way of life with my family.”
With the health and future of their family in mind, Garvin’s husband underwent the exact same gastric banding procedure with Dr. Schlesinger two weeks after her surgery.
Now, she and her husband enjoy the fact that they can go to the movies and sit comfortably in the theater seats, and take their children to Disneyland and ride the rides with ease. They also ride bikes as a family, and are very active outdoors.
“Good health has most definitely become a family affair,” Garvin said.
Note: Autumn Garvin is currently an employee at the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management.
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