Success Stories

On being overweight

When I was severely overweight, I was depressed. I always took a back seat to others. I didn’t get to experience a normal dating life like other people because I felt inferior, self-conscious and ugly. I always dreaded social situations and tried to avoid them at all costs.

As for my health, I had no energy and was always tired. My cholesterol was out of control. And then I was diagnosed with diabetes at age 40—the same age my mother was when she was diagnosed.

Diabetes diagnosis

My mother’s having diabetes was a HUGE impact on my life. In July 1977, she was in a diabetic coma. I remember her in a pressure suit wrapped up like a mummy. From that point on, I visited my mother in the hospital more times than not. She went legally blind, losing the ability to read, drive, and watch TV…all the things she loved. I saw her go into a nursing home for rehab, get rail thin, and go on dialysis. I remember waking up early in my dorm, going to the nursing home and driving her to the dialysis center. I also remember spending countless holidays in the hospital, and her passing away on New Year’s Eve after a long, horrible fight. Watching her suffer certainly changed my life.

For my mother, there was no help. But for me, there was an alternative, and I was absolutely going to take it. I was not going to suffer as my mother had. Two months after being diagnosed with diabetes, I had the gastric bypass surgery.

No diabetes now

Three months after my surgery, my first blood tests came back normal—and I wanted to dance and tell everyone. And my blood sugar remains normal today. Because of everything my mother went through, it’s like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

On maintaining results

Through gastric bypass surgery, I lost 104 pounds. (Two years later, I’ve regained 2 pounds.) My cholesterol and blood pressure are normal. I could not have imagined ever feeling as good as I do now.

Nutritious eating is still a daily task for me. I eat no white processed foods at all; no white bread, rice, or potatoes. And I do not eat any sugar or any food made with real sugar; I eat foods with artificial sweeteners only.

I also weigh myself every day to keep myself on track. The scale is my main tool; it tells me how I need to eat to maintain my weight on any given day.

Impact of surgery

For the first time in my life, I have my health, confidence and eating all under control. I now like myself, which enables me to love others. The surgery did not change who I was; it only enhanced who was hiding inside behind all that weight. The surgery opened up the world to me…I feel like nothing is impossible anymore. I am no longer afraid, and I no longer feel the need to hide or be ashamed of who I am.

And the clothes…they are great. I LOVE buying fashionable clothing; buying my first pair of jeans—real jeans—was the best feeling ever. It’s great just to feel comfortable in your own skin and not feel self-conscious about everything you wear.

Words of advice

To someone considering gastric bypass surgery, I would say DO IT—and never look back. Your health and well-being are priority number one.

But I would also be sure to note that this is not for the light of heart. The surgery is not a magic fix; it is a tool. Do not think you are going to lose the weight and go back to your normal way of eating. This tool needs you to adjust it and work with it continuously.

*At time of interview, over 2 years post-surgery