“FISHING, FLYING AND A FUTURE…”

The Story of how Robert Starcher Embraced Life Once Again.

Everyday the average person wakes up in the morning and begins their daily routine. Many of us never think about how blessed we are to be able to begin the day knowing that at the end of the day we will have accomplished something, no matter how large or small that accomplishment may be.
 
Robert Starcher knows that life and the opportunity to experience it fully is truly a blessing.
 
“I had no quality of life,” Robert stated. “I was 375 pounds.  I was tired of other people having to do everything for me.  I was tired of sleeping 20 hours each day.  I wanted my life back.”
 
At 55-years-old, Robert was suffering from chronic knee and back pain, bone spurs, high blood pressure, diabetes, gout and was having an average of 383 apneas in only six hours of sleep.  His life was on hold and his future was questionable.  It was time for Robert to make a decision about who he wanted to become in this life and how he was going to make it happen.
 
“My wife and I were familiar with the Holzer Weight Loss Solutions before I made the decision to have surgery,” Robert explained. “I didn’t go into this decision blindly. I knew Holzer was the right choice.”
 
Robert’s daughter also had the surgery at age 36.  He and his wife, Linda were very supportive of her decision and attended support group meetings at Holzer with her in an effort to stay involved and encourage her progress. 
 
“After our daughter’s surgery, we were able to see first hand the diet changes necessary in order for the surgery to have positive results,” Linda stated. “We knew there were risks involved when she had her surgery and we knew Robert would face those same risks.  It was a decision we will never regret.”
 
After one week following surgery Robert had already lost 15 pounds.  After 26 days, he lost a total of 43 pounds.  As the months progressed, Robert knew he made the right decision and vowed to never gain the weight back.
 
In three years, Robert has lost over 150 pounds and has gained a life filled with activities, joy and most importantly a future.
 
“My life has changed in more ways than I thought possible.  I used to sleep for 20 hours a day. Now I fish for 15 hours at a time.  I used to sit in one spot and never leave the house.  Now I fly to Canada for fishing trips.  I’ll never forget the first flight I took to Washington State to see Mt. St. Helens.  It’s the little things that people take for granted that mean the most to me now.”
 
Robert not only enjoys fishing, he is able to walk his dog, sit in a booth at restaurants and can actually walk through the grocery store instead of riding a motorized cart.  Before surgery, Robert couldn’t stand for more than ten minutes at a time.  He couldn’t tie his own shoes.  He was virtually at the mercy of everyone else. Robert is no longer taking any medications outside of his daily supplements.  He has a clean bill of health and a new lease on life.
 
“I missed doing things that Linda and I used to do together. I see morbidly obese people today and my heart aches for them because I know how they feel. My granddaughter looked at me and said ‘Paw Paw, you don’t have a big belly anymore’ and now I can take her on fishing trips and do things with her that I never thought I would be able to do.  It’s an amazing feeling to walk by people and they don’t even recognize me anymore because I’ve lost so much weight. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”
 
Robert and Linda have learned from the extensive education and information provided by the doctor, dietitian and staff at Holzer how to eat healthy and still enjoy the things they love.
 
“We read labels now,” Linda explained.  “Robert can still enjoy eating the things he loves like pumpkin pie, cherry pie and banana nut bread, but we just make sure they are made with sugar substitutes like Splenda.  The staff at Holzer still help us make sure we continue to do everything right to make this life altering experience as successful for Robert as possible.”
 
Robert has quickly become one of Holzer’s number one advocates for the Holzer Weight Loss Solutions.
 
“The staff is awesome! They are like my family. I had a very special nurse in ICU named Devan.  She made all the difference following surgery and Dr. Canaday was very thorough in helping us understand that this surgery is only a tool; it was up to me to decide how I was going to use it.  My doctor told me I might have added ten years to my life just by following the guidelines the way I have,” Robert stated.
 
Robert’s waist went from a size 60 to a size 38.  His shirt size went from 5X to an XL and he was finally able to buy the leather jacket he had always wanted.
 
“It may not seem like a big deal, but being able to buy clothes right off the rack is a major accomplishment.  I sold all of my old clothes and actually made $300.00,” Robert pointed out. “It’s hard to find clothing when you’re as large as I was. It was hard to do a lot of things.”
 
Life has changed in countless ways for the Starcher family and continues to change all of the time. “I’d recommend this surgery to anyone who is serious about making the changes necessary to gain a future.  You have to sit down, gather the facts and make the decision to do it and follow through. Knowing what I do now, I’d go through it again in a heartbeat.”

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