Mandy T.

My weight stopped me from living my life. I couldn’t do the simplest of necessary tasks. Tie my shoes and bend over to pick something up off the floor. Stairs were a nightmare. Walking the shortest distance was a struggle. One of my MOST embarrassing memories was having to get off of a theme park ride with my 12 yr old daughter because the harness would not latch. I was devastated. I was embarrassed for myself, but I was even more embarrassed for my daughter. I hated the way that I looked, and I hated shopping. I only shopped for clothes when I absolutely had to. Then I had to mentally prepare myself for all of the negative emotions I knew I would feel: frustration, regret, sadness, helplessness, and hopelessness. I was destined to be obese for the rest of my life. The only real medical problems were herniated and bulging discs in my back, bad knees, borderline high cholesterol, and sleep apnea. I was missing out on times with my family and friends, and I was so depressed.

For a few years, I had considered having surgery, but honestly, I didn’t believe it would work, and at the
time, I didn’t think that we could financially afford it. Still, then at my heaviest, I was having difficulty doing day-to-day things necessary to live. I broke my wrist, which made it even more, difficult to do something necessary, and I knew if it weren’t for my weight, I would be able to do these things, so I decided to look into the surgery. I am so glad that I did.

Dr. Doucette, the dietitians, and the staff were wonderful. Macey (dietitian) was a lifesaver. Whenever I had questions, she was there, and she always answered right away. She gave great support and guidance.

I go to the gym now! I absolutely love it. As a 43-year-old, I had never stepped foot in a gym, and after my surgery and after I had lost about 40 lbs or so, I could walk a distance and not be out of breath. I have more energy than I have ever had. I could do the day-to-day tasks that I needed help with before now on my own with no problems. I enjoy shopping now, and I can do things with my daughters that I could not do before.