Before

After

I first noticed that my weight was a problem: As a child

Tell us in your own words how your weight has affected your life:
I have been the ‘fat’ kid my entire life and really thought it was just the life I had to live. As a kid I was often teased and bullied because of my weight from being called names to even having a can a Fruitopia thrown at me during high school. Doctors often told me to lose weight but never gave me adequate tools to do so. As I journeyed through adulthood my weight began to pile on and I saw no end in sight. I dealt with severe knee arthritis and needed both of my knees replaced before I was even 30. After Covid I developed asthma and I eventually got to the point where I literally felt like I was slowly dying and that’s when I knew I needed to once and for all make a change!

Tell us how surgery, balloon, or medication has helped you get control of your weight issues:
I started my journey with the medical weight loss program where I learned to make good food choices. I also personally went to counseling to address my emotional issues with food, which definitely has impacted how I look and feel about food. When I decided to have surgery I wanted a tool to help me keep the weight off. As a former yo-yo dieter I was able to loose weight but I could never keep it off. Between the added knowledge and my new tool I have lost and kept 202 pounds!

Tell us about the support you have received from the team at JourneyLite and how it has impacted your success:
The support from JourneyLite has been incredible! The dietician’s are there whenever I have questions about food and vitamins and they have been so supportive. The nurse practitioner’s are amazing and so supportive and personal. And the care I received from Dr. Curry is top notch. He laid out a plan for me but also valued my opinion. He walked me through my goals and next steps and he even regularly follows up with me.

What’s one thing you can do now that you couldn’t before you lost the weight:
I’ve never been one to do any type of races, but since my surgery I have completed several 5K’s and even one 10K. In fact this past January I walked a 5K every day for the entire month! Before surgery walking to the bathroom would get me out of breath.

Optional Comments:
My life has changed so much because of my experience with JourneyLite! When I went to Disney this past May my husband celebrated me by doing a series of photo shoots to celebrate me! It’s so important to celebrate the small victories like fitting in a normal sized seat to the huge victories like being under 200 pounds!