Hope

19 months after surgery

64 pounds lost

Before surgery

Location: Jackson, AL
Age: 36
Weight lost: 64 pounds

Surgery date: 03/06/2008
Presurgery BMI: 47.7
Current BMI: 36

Hope's Story

Why I chose to draw the line against living with obesity

My weight has been an issue my entire life. I tried everything and nothing seemed to work. I did have successes at different times, but those just seemed to make the failure of the seemingly inevitable regaining even more bitter. I couldn't do it and be successful for any length of time.

Videos

Hope

Diet tracking.

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Hope

New way of life

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Hope

Progress tracking

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Although there's not one specific moment that sticks out as THE moment I decided to have weight loss surgery, there are several that I will never forget, which helped me decide to draw the line. One time my daughter came home from school with very hurt feelings because of my weight. I had taken something to the school that day as a surprise for her class, and one of the kids told her that her mommy was fat. Another time, when we were playing putt-putt golf on the beach, I realized that I couldn't get my ball out of the hole because I couldn't bend over to reach it. Things like that just added up on a daily basis, and they equaled pure misery for me. I started to think of excuses not to live my life. Sure, I went to work and I did all of the things that I was required to do, but I can't call it anything other than surviving each day.

When I first considered weight loss surgery, I was really scared—not so much scared of the procedure, but scared that it wouldn't work for me. I researched everything I could find on the Web about weight loss, and when I came across an article on gastric banding I immediately felt a hope that I hadn't felt in years. I knew, absolutely, that this was the way for me to go.

How my life has changed

I woke up from surgery that day with a new lease on life. It was almost like somehow, some way, I had gotten lucky enough to push that mythical "reset button" we all have wished for. I got to start over and I got a way to make good on all the "what-if-I-wasn’t-fat" dreams I had dreamt over the years.

There’s nothing to hold me back now. My limitations are gone. There are too many physical changes to even list. Of course, with the smaller me come smaller clothes. Physically, I can do so much more than I ever could before. I can walk up a simple flight of stairs now. I can even walk up that mountain and get that golf ball out of that hole on my own. Before my surgery there was never a thought that went through my head that wasn’t followed by "you’re too fat."

I’m not embarrassed to go to my children’s schools for fear of embarrassing them. I volunteer at functions, I join committees, I shop with friends, I act silly and goofy at Disney World and don’t care who sees. Basically, I am carefree and happy and I love it!

My health has improved so drastically. I no longer suffer from diabetes or asthma. I am no longer in pain when I move. I no longer take seven medications every day. None of that would have been possible without the REALIZE^® Band.

I have my responsibilities in this partnership in order to be successful, but I have a built-in partner. I’m not afraid of regaining the weight that I’ve lost because I know I have a tool to guide and help me.