Become a Success Story

Meet Kenny Shaw

For about a week at a time, Kenny Shaw puts in long hours in the oil patch. The work is exhausting for most of the men out on that rig. For 28 year old Kenny, at 349 pounds, the work took everything out of him Being morbidly obese, just walking from here to there left him winded. He was too large to fit into the safety harnesses and weighed too much to climb onto equipment.

“I just wasn’t able to do my job.”

His weight had affected his family life, too. He remembers being on a family vacation a few years ago in the Black Hills. They had planned to experience the grandeur of Mt. Rushmore on a helicopter tour. But that plan never got off the ground because Kenny exceeded the weight limit for the chopper.

“I felt so bad. It was all because of me and my weight that my family had to miss out on that experience.”

Kenny has been battling the scale ever since high school He’s tried other diets, lost weight, and put it back on. Then last summer, his wife heard about the Weight Management Program at Wyoming Medical Center. Even though the Lap-Band procedure had been available in the region for a few years already, Kenny said knowing everything is available right in his hometown made all the difference.

Because it’s a comprehensive program, Kenny’s weight loss journey was more than having the surgery to place the gastric band. Since the end of February, he’s been meeting with his surgeon, the Weight Management Program coordinator, and dietician to keep his weight loss on track. He credits the support from the Weight Management team and that of those who have gone through the program.

“The monthly support group has been a great help to me through this journey. They have all been there or are going through the program now. We share stories, ideas, struggles. It helps to know someone understands what you are going through.”

Having lost 115 pounds, his success on the scale may be impressive, but his greatest accomplishment is getting his health back.

“Before I started this program, my blood pressure was off the charts I’m now off my blood pressure meds. I have no back pain and no swollen ankles. I’m able to be more active with my family – to keep up with my kids.”

He’s found he also has much more energy on the job and he’s able to fit into the safety gear and do tasks he’s never been able to do before.

“Going through this makes me feel like I’m gonna live longer. Before this, I just felt like I was getting by, now I feel like I’m living.”

Learn more about the LAP-BAND System by attending our free seminars.