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on November 9, 2006 3:47 pm
My name is Cathy Wilson and I had RNY Lap surgery in 2001. I've lost 147 pounds. In addition, I also lost my diabetes, GERD, sleep apnea and arthritic conditions of my joints and spine. I went from a size 26, 3x to a size 4.
What I've gained is beyond what I ever thought I would have in my life. Currently, I am on Staff with ObesityHelp and a Support Group Program Specialist for the ObesityHelp Support Group Leader Program. I am very honored to be part of ObesityHelp due to the commitment and dedication of the organization to its members and the bariatric community. I love my job! I get to assist members in many ways, and provide support to members and support group leaders of ObesityHelp. One of the most rewarding parts of my roles with ObesityHelp is being involved with members and getting to know them very well. I enjoy getting to see members change from their surgery process and have a full life again. The connections and friendships I have with members is very fulfilling. Please feel free to e-mail or call me through ObesityHelp.
Also, I am the support group leader of three local support groups, assist in the coordination of a monthly pre-op seminar and staff a post-operative panel for the seminar. I assisted in holding a local Make Your Life Over Seminar for members in my support groups and any bariatric pre or post-op. It was so much fun and a great success. We are looking forward to doing it again twice a year.
I've also been employed with one of the most gifted bariatric surgeon and his very comprehensive bariatric program that is nationally well respected. I was involved with his practice, surgeons and obtained a solid foundation as a post-op that I will always be grateful for.
I was also featured in a marketing program for the bariatric program of the hospital where I had my surgery. I got to do television commercials, was photographed for brochures and newspaper advertisements. It was a WOW Moment of a lifetime. I was very honored to be in this role to represent the excellence of this hospital in such an exciting way.
I had a close friend that had surgery in 1999. I was supportive to her but the surgery was not for me. It seemed too drastic and I knew I could lose weight on my own because I'd done it a hundreds of time in my life. I attended a conference and heard Carnie Wilson speak. At the conference, I also saw a graphic of what an enlarged liver of a morbidly obese looked like. After the conference, I was slightly interested in weight loss surgery. As I watched my friend lose weight and get healthier, my interest grew. I was tired of living my life through what I ate, what I didn't eat, what I weighed, my size, and the day my next diet would begin. When she maintained that weight successfully, and a friend died of sleep apnea from his morbid obesity, I knew I wanted to pursue it for myself.
I used ObesityHelp to research the surgery, and surgeons along with their programs. I attended four different patient information seminars for various surgeons. I wanted to be certain of my choice as I knew this was my last chance at my life and health.
Today, I would do the surgery every single year if I had to in order to enjoy the life I have today. My surgery has allowed me to stop living a life centered around food but to make new, healthy lifestyle changes that have given me a rewarding and fulfilling life for not only myself but my family as well. I never knew life could be this great and it only gets better and better.
Since having my surgery, I've become a licensed private pilot, walked the 3 Day/60 Mile Breast Cancer Walk, walked in competitive races, travel to New York on the set of Good Morning America to watch my bariatric surgeon boss be interviewed by Charlie Gibson, made close healthy friendships, love being a wife and mom like never before surgery, did television commercials and a professional photo shoot, model in a fashion show, and had countless WOW Moments of my own and share in WOW Moments of other bariatric post-ops.
My favorite shirt that I love to wear sums up how I feel: "Life Is Good"!!!
Be the first to leave a comment.What I've gained is beyond what I ever thought I would have in my life. Currently, I am on Staff with ObesityHelp and a Support Group Program Specialist for the ObesityHelp Support Group Leader Program. I am very honored to be part of ObesityHelp due to the commitment and dedication of the organization to its members and the bariatric community. I love my job! I get to assist members in many ways, and provide support to members and support group leaders of ObesityHelp. One of the most rewarding parts of my roles with ObesityHelp is being involved with members and getting to know them very well. I enjoy getting to see members change from their surgery process and have a full life again. The connections and friendships I have with members is very fulfilling. Please feel free to e-mail or call me through ObesityHelp.
Also, I am the support group leader of three local support groups, assist in the coordination of a monthly pre-op seminar and staff a post-operative panel for the seminar. I assisted in holding a local Make Your Life Over Seminar for members in my support groups and any bariatric pre or post-op. It was so much fun and a great success. We are looking forward to doing it again twice a year.
I've also been employed with one of the most gifted bariatric surgeon and his very comprehensive bariatric program that is nationally well respected. I was involved with his practice, surgeons and obtained a solid foundation as a post-op that I will always be grateful for.
I was also featured in a marketing program for the bariatric program of the hospital where I had my surgery. I got to do television commercials, was photographed for brochures and newspaper advertisements. It was a WOW Moment of a lifetime. I was very honored to be in this role to represent the excellence of this hospital in such an exciting way.
I had a close friend that had surgery in 1999. I was supportive to her but the surgery was not for me. It seemed too drastic and I knew I could lose weight on my own because I'd done it a hundreds of time in my life. I attended a conference and heard Carnie Wilson speak. At the conference, I also saw a graphic of what an enlarged liver of a morbidly obese looked like. After the conference, I was slightly interested in weight loss surgery. As I watched my friend lose weight and get healthier, my interest grew. I was tired of living my life through what I ate, what I didn't eat, what I weighed, my size, and the day my next diet would begin. When she maintained that weight successfully, and a friend died of sleep apnea from his morbid obesity, I knew I wanted to pursue it for myself.
I used ObesityHelp to research the surgery, and surgeons along with their programs. I attended four different patient information seminars for various surgeons. I wanted to be certain of my choice as I knew this was my last chance at my life and health.
Today, I would do the surgery every single year if I had to in order to enjoy the life I have today. My surgery has allowed me to stop living a life centered around food but to make new, healthy lifestyle changes that have given me a rewarding and fulfilling life for not only myself but my family as well. I never knew life could be this great and it only gets better and better.
Since having my surgery, I've become a licensed private pilot, walked the 3 Day/60 Mile Breast Cancer Walk, walked in competitive races, travel to New York on the set of Good Morning America to watch my bariatric surgeon boss be interviewed by Charlie Gibson, made close healthy friendships, love being a wife and mom like never before surgery, did television commercials and a professional photo shoot, model in a fashion show, and had countless WOW Moments of my own and share in WOW Moments of other bariatric post-ops.
My favorite shirt that I love to wear sums up how I feel: "Life Is Good"!!!
