Before & After VSG with Elizabeth, losing 202 lbs!
May 9, 2017Why I decided to have WLS
Three years ago, I was 47 years old and the single mother of a 17-year-old son whose father had passed away a few years before. I was 400 pounds and living a life that revolved around my son and my work – from the relative isolation of my own home. Truly, the only reason I wasn’t seriously considering suicide was because I couldn’t do that to my son. My son was getting ready for college and I had pretty much given up on my life. I couldn’t see any future for myself. At 47 years old.
I think more than anything the idea of him going away to school spurred me to finally move forward with weight loss surgery. My first weight loss surgery consultation was when he was an infant – and I always held back because I didn’t feel it was fair as a parent to put my life at risk for something I thought I should be able to do on my own. Now that he was growing up I finally jumped and decided it was time.
Before & After VSG with Elizabeth
OH Username: ekmanifest
Total Weight Loss: 202 pounds
Surgery Type: VSG
Surgery Date: 4/14/14
Surgeon: Dr. Gary Belzberg
My Surgery and Post-Op Life
I had vertical sleeve gastrectomy on April 14, 2014, and have lost 200 pounds and now, at 50, every single thing about my life has changed, and I am happier than I have ever been. I could not have imagined how amazing my life would become. That has been about the weight loss, but it has also been about my involvement in the weight loss surgery community via YouTube, Facebook, and conferences like ObesityHelp and WLSFA. I actually hosted two panels at the WLSFA conference in Nashville and look forward to speaking at other events in the future.
And how has my life changed exactly? Well – I started working out immediately after I was released to following surgery so I am stronger and more fit than I have ever been. I had never traveled out of the country before, and in the last year, I have been to London, Riviera Maya, and Bogota – as well as to eight states. I have developed deep and lifelong friendships. I have fallen in love and had my heart broken and survived it. I have taken on new challenges in my work life. I launched a YouTube vlog that now has 1,500 subscribers and took over a YouTube show aimed at the weight loss surgery community called the Naked Truth and spend every Sunday interviewing other weight loss surgery patients, doctors, and other experts who I think would be of interest to the community.
I wake up each day with a joy for living that I’ve never known before and it wouldn’t have been possible – without weight loss surgery or this community.
How Obesity Help Impacted My Journey
I went to my first ObesityHelp conference when I was 4 months post op. There I met many of my YouTube favorites in person and it was this conference that helped me to develop some of the most important friendships in my life. I also heard a speaker who talked about the myths of weight loss surgery in a way that impacted my whole approach for the remainder of my journey. I have attended every conference since then – and look forward to this time to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and share in the wisdom of others. At the #OH2016 National Conference, I met Fabio.
Favorite NSV
I have had so many NSVs – and I continue to have them. Recently, I ran 20 minutes straight for the first time in my life. But my favorite NSV was actually a particular evening. My son is a musician. He had never invited me to hear him play his music before and one Saturday in February he did. I always felt he hadn’t invited me because he was ashamed or embarrassed of me. And I don’t know whether that is true or not, but I know that I would have felt extremely uncomfortable and come up with an excuse not to go at 400 pounds. So I went to this little guest house in Laguna and the room was crowded with people watching him. He played his guitar and sang these incredibly complex lyrics of original songs – and his audience sang along. Tears streamed down my face and I was so proud of him. He walked me to the car and told me how much he loved me and how happy he was that I had come. My heart was exploding with love for him on the way home that night – and there were a few tears too. It was just a moment I would have never experienced without weight loss surgery.
Share Your Before & After Success!
Celebrate your own Before & After WLS Success, milestones, non-scale victories, and inspire others! The OH team wants to hear from you to share your weight loss surgery journey. Visit our Before & After Submission page for details.
