Bob Catalfano wants to know the future. It's been one year since he had his bariatric surgery.
He has lost nearly 110 pounds. But he wants to know if he'll keep it off. He thinks about it every day.
“I have a feeling this is a fight for the rest of my life,” the Auburn resident said. “This made it easier. Every place you go is constantly food.”
He's even in the food business. He used to own the three Dunkin Donuts in Auburn and Seneca Falls, and now he owns a deli in Cortland with his daughter.
Catalfano was the first patient Dr. Carl Weiss operated on after starting his practice in Auburn.
Catalfano quit smoking 15 years ago and gained weight. He lost 60 to 65 pounds with an exercise program. But then he hurt his back and was laid up for a year. He had high blood pressure. He grew to over 300 pounds. The avid hunter couldn't get into tree stands anymore.
His brother had open heart surgery in his 30s. His father died of a heart attack at the age of 35.
“I had to make a decision if I wanted to live or die young,” he said.
The first thing people want to know is if he's OK because of all the weight he has dropped off; some have worried if he's been ill. When he tells them he had bariatric surgery, people are glad he's OK but his actual decision gets mixed reviews.
“Some people thought it was great,” Catalfano said. “Some people thought it was the stupidest idea in the world. Some people said it wasn't worth the risk.”
The surgery did have minor negative consequences for Catalfano. He had to go back to hospital five times to have a scope stretch out his new small stomach pouch. And some of the stitches in his reconstructed digestive system were catching on food, so Catalfano had to have the stitches taken out.
“I knew I could have died on the table or have a blood clot,” Catalfano said. “You've got a good doctor though and his nursing staff. I had confidence in him.”
He walked two miles the weekend after his surgery. He worked a 12-hour day the Monday after his surgery. He is shooting in the master class for 12-gauge shotgun clays. He takes his daughter's dog for regular walks. He has lightened his dinner bills: he now nibbles a taste from his friends' plates and skips ordering an entree.
He is glad to have the bariatric support group to fall back on. He knows he can go the bariatric dietitian to work to reverse a mild weight gain.
He wants to the know the future, but he's enjoying the present.
“To have it gone in a year, year and a half, it's a whole new life,” he said.
“I have a feeling this is a fight for the rest of my life,” the Auburn resident said. “This made it easier. Every place you go is constantly food.”
He's even in the food business. He used to own the three Dunkin Donuts in Auburn and Seneca Falls, and now he owns a deli in Cortland with his daughter.
Catalfano was the first patient Dr. Carl Weiss operated on after starting his practice in Auburn.
Catalfano quit smoking 15 years ago and gained weight. He lost 60 to 65 pounds with an exercise program. But then he hurt his back and was laid up for a year. He had high blood pressure. He grew to over 300 pounds. The avid hunter couldn't get into tree stands anymore.
His brother had open heart surgery in his 30s. His father died of a heart attack at the age of 35.
“I had to make a decision if I wanted to live or die young,” he said.
The first thing people want to know is if he's OK because of all the weight he has dropped off; some have worried if he's been ill. When he tells them he had bariatric surgery, people are glad he's OK but his actual decision gets mixed reviews.
“Some people thought it was great,” Catalfano said. “Some people thought it was the stupidest idea in the world. Some people said it wasn't worth the risk.”
The surgery did have minor negative consequences for Catalfano. He had to go back to hospital five times to have a scope stretch out his new small stomach pouch. And some of the stitches in his reconstructed digestive system were catching on food, so Catalfano had to have the stitches taken out.
“I knew I could have died on the table or have a blood clot,” Catalfano said. “You've got a good doctor though and his nursing staff. I had confidence in him.”
He walked two miles the weekend after his surgery. He worked a 12-hour day the Monday after his surgery. He is shooting in the master class for 12-gauge shotgun clays. He takes his daughter's dog for regular walks. He has lightened his dinner bills: he now nibbles a taste from his friends' plates and skips ordering an entree.
He is glad to have the bariatric support group to fall back on. He knows he can go the bariatric dietitian to work to reverse a mild weight gain.
He wants to the know the future, but he's enjoying the present.
“To have it gone in a year, year and a half, it's a whole new life,” he said.
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Patrick wrote on May 21, 2007 7:50 AM: