Kathy's weight loss story
Kathy lost 135 pounds with weight loss surgery at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.
When I was young, I was always the biggest girl among my friends and at school. While I appeared to be an outgoing person, I would always try to stay in the background and not bring attention to myself. I avoided having my picture taken as much as possible and when one was taken I would be embarrassed because of my weight.
I cannot tell you how envious I was when I would see people engaged in physical activity. When I was overweight, there were times that just walking to my car would wear me out so participating in any type of exercise program was short lived.
Although I knew I was big, I didn't really try to lose weight until I was out of high school. For the next 30 years, I struggled to lose weight, often giving it my best only to have my success cut short by another weight gain, often adding on another 10 lbs to my already short but "pleasantly plump" frame.
Although I was aware that I was a big girl, I don't think I really believed that I was morbidly obese. I remember when St. Vincent Charity started to perform gastric bypass surgery, I felt that I was not big enough to have the surgery done. It wasn't until I was on medication for blood pressure and GERD and was diagnosed with a fatty liver that I started to get concerned about my health.
I remember the exact day when I decided to look into gastric bypass surgery. I was at my physician's office for a checkup and she mentioned that I had been consistently gaining weight over the last few visits. Out of the blue, I asked her what she thought about gastric bypass surgery. She told me that she thought I would do well and she would support me if I decided to pursue the surgery. This was the beginning of my second chance at life.
Since having the surgery, I no longer try to hide in the background when among friends or try to avoid having my picture taken. My self-confidence has skyrocketed and I am much more outgoing. I am now one of those people that I so envied, the joggers. I am happy to tell you that I now jog five miles at a time at least three to four times a week.
My hope is that by telling others about what I am now able to do since my surgery that I can inspire them to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Most importantly, I feel that I am the picture of good health. For the first time in my life, my lab results, including my vitamin levels, are all in the normal range. I am no longer on medication for blood pressure or GERD and no longer have a fatty liver.
I've made a tradeoff...instead of taking medications for medical conditions, I now take a lot of vitamins every day. This is one tradeoff that I can live with for the rest of my life.