So here’s the story…
My whole life was dictated by the number on the scale. That number defined so many things about me. I was physically unhealthy, and the weight took over my life. I had always been big, but at my lowest point, I weighed 380 lbs. I had many health issues, including Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, CKD, asthma that progressed to COPD, and I even had a month-long stay in the ER due to Legionella pneumonia. I was 26 and spent 7 days in a medically induced coma in the ICU. I almost lost everything, including my life. My special needs son was only 7 at the time and also had to endure the trauma of that experience.
At that point, I knew that bariatric surgery (WLS) was the solution. It took many years to jump through the hoops that insurance companies put in place. I had many changes happening in my life due to my health. Trying to navigate work, solely support my son, and manage his disability was extremely difficult. I had to change jobs over the years as well. Because of that, every time I got through more than half of the process, I had to start over again with different insurance. It was so frustrating, and it made me want to quit many times.
As my son grew older, his condition began to improve. He became more self-sufficient and excelled in school. After six months, I finally managed to navigate the challenging insurance process. It was my time at last! Although the wait was long, it allowed me ample time to research and learn as much as possible. By the time of my surgery on 10/04/23, I had reduced my weight to 336 lbs. I underwent VSG surgery, and it went very well.
Now I am in maintenence. I currently weigh 165lbs. I do have some excess skin (that I hide pretty well, if I say so myself) that I will need to have removed eventually. If I had that removed, I would probably be down about 15lbs or so. That means I have lost and kept off 215lbs. I am thankful every day for a fresh start. I have transformed my body, my life, and my mental health.
I want to help those that are going through the process. My journey was emotionally and socially isolating. I didn’t personally know a lot of bariatric patients, and sometimes people judged me for having surgery. Even people I thought were really good friends. A lot of people think it’s the “Easy Way Out”, but this journey has been anything but easy. It takes a lot of mental strength and discipline to be successful.
I am building a community of strength and support to help you succeed and find happiness. I have created products designed to assist patients at every stage of surgery. I help you track your surgery progress and navigate the emotional journey. Both physical and mental transformations occur, and I want to support people going through the process.
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This blog is for You. All of the tips, tricks, info, and insight that I have is contained in this blog. I also make new posts regularly, so check in once in a while to see what’s new!
