BEFORE & AFTER GALLERY

Tanya R

Procedure: Gastric Sleeve

When I met a former DFW patient that was so incredibly happy with her results in March of 2014, I began thinking that maybe, just maybe, I had found the tool that would finally help me lose the 90 lbs. that had crept in to my life over the past 12 years. I had just seen my PCP who had told me “Tanya, you really need to do something about your weight, you are close to pre-diabetic range and it is only going to get worse.” This was 4 months before I first walked in to DFW.

I didn’t understand my relationship with food but during the 7 months prior to my sleeve surgery, I discovered that ending my food addiction was like ending a long term love affair. Food dictated my life. If I was going out first question was “where are we going to eat?” I wasn’t active with my children because I couldn’t keep up. I huffed and puffed just walking from the parking lot to my job my hands and feet swelled every time I spent any time in the heat. I was simply tired of my weight dictating what I could do with my life.

I was approved and had surgery on December 11,2014 and it was like a rebirth. I has never lived a healthy lifestyle and other than going on countless “diets” I had no idea how to eat healthy. The pre-surgery nutrition classes taught me to think about my food and how to give my body what it needed to be healthy.

Surgery was the first thing I have ever truly did for myself. My husband was not on-board with it out of concern for the risks of the surgery and post surgery, it has taken him time to understand how committed I am to being a new and better me!

I have lost just over 60 lbs. but I have gained self confidence and I finally don’t cringe when I see a picture of myself. I have three children, ages 22,20 and 16 and it saddens me that my weight kept me from taking pictures with them. I am definitely making up for that now because I feel like I am in control.

Some say WLS is the easy way out and though it is a wonderful tool, it is still work. But, it is work with a purpose and work with so much reward! I have even gotten my family on-board to eat healthier and to realize the eating healthy makes you healthier!

I have gone from a 2x shirt to a large and from size 18/20 pants to a 12 and my journey is not over yet as I am 30 lbs from my goal. I have averaged 10 lbs a month since surgery and to many that may not sound different than non-WLS journeys but it is sustainable weight loss that won’t come back because I was given the tools of surgery and knowledge to be successful.