Testimonials

If you would like to submit a testimonial, please use this form.

Before	After

Hi! I got my band on May 12, 2006. Its beyond the best decision I ever made. I had been chubby my whole childhood, then I was 125LBS at 15. Then gained 80LBS throughout highschool and peaked out at 214LBS. I tried diets, excersize. But at 19, my back & feet were killing me, all I wanted to do was sit down after a day of work. Eating was my life, it was my everything. Everything revolved around me eating. Thinking to myself. "Do I need to eat more for lunch so I wont be hungry in a few hours" and "I'll need to bring all these snacks cause i'll definatly be hungry". My head was always in the fridge, my hands were always pushing the buttons on the microwave. I got the surgery when I was 19, I am now 20, going on 21. I have not yet reached my goal weight- but I'm getting very close. The pictures above are before at 214 & the half-way after (I was around 156 in those pictures) I am now 141LBS. My goal is 125LBS. Overall, this has been the best thing thats ever happend to me. I'm lucky to have the support from my parents and boyfriend to get this surgery. I wouldnt of had it any other way.

---

^Top^

Comments About Northwest Weight Loss Surgery:
Great. No. Great. Most are bandsters. Nothing. They are number 1. Alot. Yes. Honestly. 10 of 10. Both.

---

^Top^

Personal Comments:
9/24/04 I have a date! I am scheduled October 14th with NWWLS! I am getting the Band. I am so excited :) 12/30/04 I am down 28 lbs and have had one fill.


Comments About Northwest Weight Loss Surgery:
Everyone at NWWWLS and Evergreen hospital were very kind, warm and helpful. The procedure was explained well and I felt confident in their abilities.

---

^Top^

Personal Comments:
I had the lap-band on 10/25/04. Self pay.

Comments About Northwest Weight Loss Surgery:
My first impression of the Northwest Weight Loss Surgery office was very positive. The staff offered me all the info I was seeking and were very friendly, unlike some other surgeon's offices I called. Since having surgery, my opinion has not changed. The first year of aftercare is included in the surgery fee. I would rate Dr. Montgomery very high for his surgical expertise, bedside manner and office efficiency. I believe he and Dr. Watkins are leaders of outpatient lap-band surgery in the Northwest, which is why I made the decision to have them, perform my surgery even though they are a 5 hour drive away from me.

---

^Top^

Personal Comments:
I'm very happily married to the love of my life. We each have 2 children from a previous marriage, 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandsons. I enjoy sewing, home decorating, painting, gardening, and our grandkids! We live in the country on 2 1/2 acres of mostly woods overlooking the shipping lanes of Puget Sound about 2 hours west of Seattle by car and ferry.

Comments About Northwest Weight Loss Surgery:
Friendly and very Informative. It's just grown. He even called me at home the evening of my surgery to see how I was doing! Office staff is knowledgeable and very helpful. Aftercare is considered essential. Invited to support group, told about the web site support. First post op visit was scheduled 1 week before surgery to insure I'd be seen in a timely manner. Frankly. I adore him! Would go thru it again in a minute!!! Both are wonderful.

---

^Top^

Personal Comments:
After being overweight my entire adult life, I am determined to solve this problem once and for all with Lap Band surgery. I was never willing to have a gastric bypass -- just too much tinkering with the plumbing for my comfort. But the Lap Band seems like a reasonable solution, and I'm excited about making this big change in my life. I'm the mother of 4 grown sons, and they are all very supportive of this decision, as is my wonderful husband of 32 years. Update 10/15/2004: I was successfully banded Sept. 20, 2004. My recovery was fairly unremarkable, with very little pain and no nausea or vomiting. I went back to work 2 weeks later, and have steadily lost about 4 lbs. per week, for a total of 15 lbs. so far. My first band adjustment will be around November 1, and I'm looking forward to a little more restriction and help with my portion control.

Comments About Northwest Weight Loss Surgery:
After attending Dr. Montgomery's very informative presentation at a seminar hosted by his practice, I had the impression that he was empathetic, competent and genuinely interested in the long-term health of his patients. During the initial pre-surgical consult, he spent over an hour and a half with me, discussing the Lap Band procedure and other options, outlining risks and benefits, and making sure I understood that I would be ultimately responsible for the success of this procedure. As my surgery date neared, I had another meeting with him and he again made sure I had all my questions completely answered. They sponsor after-care support groups twice a month, and also ensured that I had a behavioral analysis prior to surgery. His staff is extremely helpful and friendly and yet still professional. I'm also impressed with his surgical skill, as I'm nearly pain-free after only 4 days. With a previous laparoscopic procedure, I was still in pain after 2 weeks!

---

^Top^

Personal Comments:
I am looking to end my battle with my weight. I have been 100 lbs over weight before and kept it off for maybe 3 to 5 yrs (although really just gained back slowly). I have a desire to be healthier and maybe even be off my many multitudes of medicines that I take now, so I really believe are weight related. 7/22/04 I am one year post op now and have around 60 to 65 lbs off. YAY! I have never experienced and easier time of weight loss in my life, although it's been slow (as I knew it would be with the Lap Band)I feel like this time it is going to be permanent. Love my Band!

Comments About Northwest Weight Loss Surgery:
Dr Watkins is a wonderful compassionate surgeon with an excellent staff. He is very busy and has a nurse practitioner do most of the follow up and fills. As I had no complications, there were only 4 times that I have driven over to Kirkland to have adjustments to my band. They have monthly support meetings but because I live too far away, I was never able to take advantage of that. I understand they are very good. Anyone that lives remotely close to the Seattle, Washington area should consider the benefits of having surgery and after care done locally and to consider Dr Watkins. I rate him and his office a 10 and highly recommend him to everyone.

---

^Top^

Personal Comments:
I have been fat all my life. My whole family is the same way. I first really became aware of it when I was in 3rd grade and I went through the rest of my school life hating myself and wishing it were over. I didn't diet when I was younger - I didn't know what that was. My parents and my grandmother always had food in the house and it didn't occur to me until junior high what this food was really doing to me. I just figured - for whatever reason - I was fat and everyone else was thin. I spent years wishing and wishing I was skinny and not until I was 28 did I really start accepting myself as I was. I did OK for awhile, have a good job, own my own home, have a wide circle of friends I enjoy, but I want more. And I want to avoid the health risks that are associated with being so over-weight. I'm just ready for a life-change. UPDATE 10/11/04. I was banded one week ago today (10/04/04) and so far, so good! Some pain at the port site during recovery but no problems other than that.

Comments About Northwest Weight Loss Surgery:
I have been very impressed with the entire staff of Northwest Weight Loss Surgery (www.nwwls.com). They were very quick to schedule my initial consultation and follow up appts with the surgeon, etc. They were familiar with my insurance company and employer and knew that it would be covered 100% so I was able to schedule everything, including the surgery date, in 2 days. Dr. Montgomery was very thorough with all the information and was quick to answer any questions I had (even commented that I had done my research pretty thoroughly!) and made me feel at ease. Because I am considered at the skinny end of the scale (I've never been skinny and weigh 280!) we were confident with a basic physical and did not need an entire battery of pre-op testing. I'm very excited about moving forward with this procedure (the Lap Band) and changing my life. Special thanks to Dr. Montgomery and his staff for helping me get started!

---

^Top^

Comments About Northwest Weight Loss Surgery:
My first impression of Dr. Watkins was that he is a very caring and genuinely nice person. He hasn't changed since I have met him. The office staff at NWWLS is wonderful. Everyone is very helpful and nice, and they are all very supportive. It's like being with a group of friends. There isn't anything that I didn't like about Dr. Watkins or the staff. Both Dr. Watkins and Dr. Montgomery are very understanding and they try to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible while discussing as touchy of a subject that obesity is. The program is very structured and so is the aftercare. The only way to be unsuccessful is if you absolutely ignore the directions that are given to you by the doctors and the staff. I would rate Dr. Watkins at 9.5 out of ten. His and Dr. Montgomery's surgical competence and bedside manner are both great.

---

^Top^

Personal Comments:
I was banded 5/26/04 by Dr. Watkins in Kirkland WA, had my first fill 7/8/04 and so far lost nearly 40 pounds...I watch my diet carefully and don't eat food that isn't good for me(mostly) I exercise regularly 3 to 4 nights a week for about 1 1/2 hours each time and I am dedicated to my new healthy life... I own a small excavating company and both my sons work with me, one had the band installed the same day I did and he's ahead of me in his pursuit of weight loss, the other just lost 35 pounds on his own and we are all doing fine. It is the end of October 04 and I am down 73 lbs...that’s 3.65 lbs per week, if work hard at it exercising, watching the foods I eat and keeping up on my vitamins.. I am on course to be to my goal by March of 05, I will report back on that progress.

Comments About Northwest Weight Loss Surgery:
Dr Watkins and his staff were all very helpful through the entire process, from the first questions to the continued post op follow up and fills.. I wouldn't think twice about putting my life in his hands in any operating room.... the aftercare help is always available when ever I choose to use it... I’m afraid I can't balance this critic with negative info…I was completely satisfied with everything about these people...I guess I could say I’m not too crazy about the monthly support groups. But mostly because it a 2 hour drive and most of the people are women who I have little in common with and none of whom I want to discuss some of the issues with weight and weight loss

---

^Top^