At 34, Tony was prepared to die. His doctor had given him about six months to live. "I could barely tie my shoes and get into my truck. My greatest fear was that I would have a heart attack while driving my truck far from home and possibly kill someone else in the process."

Tony fought being overweight for years, until a near-fatal accident required a 3 1/2 month recuperation period. He gained a huge amount of weight and gave up fighting. At his heaviest, Tony weighed 521 pounds and wore size XXXXXXXL shirts and 66" waist pants.

"I separated myself from my family. I wouldn't go to my kid's sporting events because I wouldn't subject them to the humiliation of having a dad who takes up two seats in the bleachers.

"I had no idea what to do. I remember how desperate, distraught, and hopeless I was." One day, while sitting in a garage waiting for his truck to be serviced, he saw an ad for Barix Clinics. The woman in the ad was talking about missing out on family life. "I said to myself, 'That's me.' I wrote the phone number down on the only piece of paper I had -- a candy wrapper."

Surgery at Barix Clinics was the beginning of Tony's dramatic, steady loss of 284 pounds. Now, exercise, sports, and helping at home are part of his daily routine. "I've regained the kind of relationship I should have with my family. Today, I'm helping coach my son's flag football team. Tomorrow, I'm going to my daughter's soccer game. Barix gave me back my life."