A Lifestyle Change

Personal Reflection by Bariatric Surgery Patient – Amber Ergle

Hello my name is Amber Ergle. I am 40 years old and happily engaged with one teenaged child. I had the gastric sleeve on December 16, 2021, at Princeton Baptist Medical Center with Dr J. Matthews. When I started this journey, my weight was 408lbs. I was on a diet for a year before my surgery and lost 56lbs. Since my surgery I’m down 83.3lbs which in total brings my weight to 269.5lbs, which is 139.3lbs lost.

I chose Dr. J Matthews because of his outstanding background and amazing bedside manner. He is very informative and one thing that will always stick in my mind was right before he took me back to surgery he was standing beside me and said a quick little prayer to help calm my nerves. Princeton was my choice of hospital because of the Accredited Bariatric Center they have and the ladies in the Bariatric center are very knowledgeable and a great asset to the hospital.

My original goal is to get to 200lbs by March 2023, which I am working to accomplish by having the surgery and using the information and new lifestyle changes that I learned during my journey.

The hardest thing I struggled with the most was getting my liquids in and not being able to eat with my kid. I also had little to no energy for the first six weeks and struggled with some depression. Once I got past those initial first few weeks and got on solid foods, things got a lot better and I started to have more energy and began to feel like myself again. I also started working out by the third month post-surgery with the approval of my doctor. Before surgery I couldn’t walk far without being out of breath, now I’m walking a mile in 20 minutes or biking 3 miles in 30 minutes. We even went to Disney and I was able to do stuff I’ve never been able to do before.

If you are thinking of having this surgery, my best advice is to realize its more mind over matter, and to make sure you have a good support system around you. This is not an easy or quick fix, it’s a total lifestyle change that you have to work hard for and have a lot of dedication.

When people ask me if they should do it, my response is yes! I put off having this done for 10 years and wished I would have done it sooner. Also, I tell people to never give up or get discouraged if they only lose 5lbs a week because slow and steady wins the race.

“This testimonial reflects the results achieved by this patient. As each case is different and must be independently evaluated and managed, actual results will vary.” Bariatrics/Surgical Weight loss Criteria: "Weight loss surgery is generally designed for those with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 40, or equal to or greater than 35 with serious comorbidities. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding with the Lap Band® is also FDA-approved for weight loss surgery in people with a BMI of 30 to 35 who have at least one obesity-related condition. Weight loss surgery is considered safe, but like many types of surgery, it does have risks. Consult with your physician about the risks and benefits of weight loss surgery."