271-POUND LOSS CHANGES LIVES OF MOM AND DAUGHTER

At 293 pounds, Diann Moskowitz of Lancaster couldn’t keep up with friends or her husband. She couldn’t go shopping at the mall. Just walking to her mailbox was painful.

One day, Diann came across a friend who had lost weight as a result of gastric bypass surgery. This friend, who worked in the medical field, recommended bariatric surgeon Julie Ellner, MD, medical director of the Alvarado Surgical Weight-Loss Program.

Diann started researching the procedure and Dr. Ellner. Impressed by what she learned, she attended one of Dr. Ellner’s community lectures. It didn’t take long for her to make a decision.

“I decided to drive three and a half hours to San Diego and have the surgery with Dr. Ellner because of her professional manner,” Diann said. “I felt completely safe after talking to her.”

Diann’s focus shifted to her daughter. Megan Moskowitz, then 21, had been overweight all of her life. It broke Diann’s heart to know how the weight had caused Megan to miss out on so many high school activities.

“Once I saw the surgery was safe, I started looking at my daughter’s life and the pain she was in because of her weight. She asked if she could do the same thing, and I said, ‘Absolutely!’ How could I get this new life and tell her ‘no?’”

Diann and Megan discussed the possibility of having the surgery on the same day. Megan ultimately decided to wait a month so she could finish beauty school. Diann went into surgery in February 2006. Megan followed her in March.

Following brief stays at Alvarado Hospital, Diann and Megan recovered at home in Lancaster. Apart from periodic blood tests, no other follow-up care was needed. However, Dr. Ellner called—and still calls—once a month to make sure that everything was fine.

New Clothes, New Stores

Following the surgery, Diann had lost so much weight—141 pounds to date—she found herself shopping for new clothes at a regular department store. She was terrified. She felt that everyone was looking at her and thinking, “You don’t belong here.” But she did.

Megan, now 23, said it was especially hard to be an overweight young person and shop at the “fluffy lady store.” Now, she enjoys going to the mall, trying everything on, and fitting into junior-size clothing.

Last summer, Megan went to Hawaii with her boyfriend and his family. She went kayaking and climbed on lava rocks—just like everyone else.

“My life has changed drastically,” she said, adding that she has lost 130 pounds to date. “I never used to go out or do anything. I could barely fit in the seats at the movie theater or sit in a restaurant booth,” she said. “Now I just get to do what I want.”

Diane now enjoys shopping with friends and riding on the back of her husband’s motorcycle. During a recent trip to Washington, DC., she spent an entire day walking around to see the sights.

“No amount of words can express the gratitude we feel toward Dr. Ellner, her staff and the staff at Alvarado Hospital. Every day gets better and happier,” Diann said. “I have a happy, well-adjusted, 23-year-old well on her way in life. We have a special bond because we both know what we have been through, and we both see each other so happy now.”

To find out more, go to the surgical weight-loss program site or for a packet of information, call 1 (800) ALVARADO (258-2723).