Sue’s Story: “If I can do it, you can too.”
Procedure: Gastric Bypass, JourneyLite
Surgery Date: May 2016
Highest Weight: 350 lbs → Today: 149.6 lbs
Total Lost: ~200 lbs
Hi I’m Sue! In high school I weighed 110 pounds, but I never saw it—I only saw “not enough.” After my second child, life got hard. I went through abuse—physical, mental, verbal, and sexual—and the way I saw myself sank even lower. I became a single mom at 27, put myself through college, and started my first office job. Somewhere in those years, from 150 pounds to 350, I stopped being on my own side.
When my kids launched into their own lives, I decided it was time to reclaim mine. I chose gastric bypass at JourneyLite. The day of surgery I weighed 302 lbs. Within a year I was around 175 and, for years, I hovered between 170–180. Then, in October 2024, I saw 202 lbs on the scale. I started a prescribed weight-loss shot to curb cravings and jump-start progress. Today, I’m 149.6 lbs—below my dream goal of 150. At 52, I finally feel like a new person with real happiness in front of me.
What made the difference wasn’t just the surgery—it was changing how I think and what I practice every day. The sleeve of the stomach and the meds helped quiet the cravings, but the real shift was believing I was worth the effort and following a plan that works for me. When something starts working, your mindset changes. Momentum builds. You begin to trust yourself again.
JourneyLite was my constant. Before surgery, they answered my calls every day. During recovery, Dr. Curry himself called me every few days—most offices don’t operate like that. Years later, he still checks in, invites me to classes and support meetings, and reminds me I’m not alone. That kind of care matters.
What can I do now? I can fly without asking for a seat-belt extender. I can shop outside the plus-size section. I can walk into Victoria’s Secret without embarrassment—because things actually fit. I wear outfits that feel pretty and flirty, and I don’t apologize for taking up space in my own life.
If you’re reading this and debating: don’t give up on you. Let others doubt if they must—but don’t you do it. I waited a long time to choose myself. Getting gastric bypass at JourneyLite in 2016, then restarting with medication in 2024, helped me get below my goal and stay there.
If I can do it, you can too.
