CarolineAnnMartin
My name is Caroline Ann Torge (formerly Caroline Ann Martin when I was married and the name most people who remember me would know. I am 5'4" tall, have a small to medium sized frame and currently weigh 150 lbs. From the age of 19 to 34 years, I lived my life as a super morbidly obese person. During these years, I dieted my way up to 370 lbs losing and regaining over 100 lbs several times. In May 2003, with a starting BMI of 61.1, my life changed when I underwent gastric bypass surgery. This, along with sticking to a healthy diet and developing an active lifestyle allowed me to lose 225 pounds in just 16 months and gain a healthy weight and life. At the onset of my weight loss, my hips measured 71 inches around and I wore a Women's Plus Size 40 (6X to 7X). At 5 1/2 years post RNY, I now wore a Misses Size 4. MUCH more important than size, I love that I can physically do most of what I want to do without the restrictions that my weight once imposed.
Born and raised in East Rockaway, NY, I moved to AZ to attend ASU to earn my BS in psychology, moved back to NY to attend NYU for my MA in Deafness Rehabilitation and then moved to Orange County, CA where I had my WLS and reconstructive surgeries. In 2005, I moved to PA with my then-husband. Two years later, I was bit by a tick which caused severe Lyme Nuero-Borreliosis, babesia duncani, anaplasmosis, mycoplasma, and bartonella. In 2016, I officially separated from my husband and moved back to NY... In late 2019/early 2020, I moved to Bethlehem, PA where I now reside.
I've been able to maintain my weight loss but there were bumps along the way especially once I had Lyme. In the first year alone, I lost an additional 40 lbs which I couldn't spare to lose, and to say I was terrified would be an understatement. At my healthiest, I am about 160 lbs. At my lowest weight after the Lyme, I weighed a mere 118 lbs.... I WAS able to gain the weight back but had more fat and less muscle which made it easier to gain weight. By 2016, my weight jumped up to 210 lbs, but I was slowly able to get back on track and have stayed at 150 to 160 lbs for the past 2 years. I also had a marginal bleeding ulcer in 2012 and a small bowel obstruction in 2017 both requiring surgery and both a direct result of my having had the RNY. (I am fine now.)
My hobbies include photography, modeling, writing poetry, reading, singing, playing flute (though I am no longer very good at this given adhesions from prior surgery in my left hand), drawing, painting, and sculpting. Prior to my getting infected with Lyme and coinfections, I was shooting weddings and portraits professionally and am starting to shoot again.
These days, I can be found on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CarolineATorge and some of my photography can be found at www.Facebook.com/CarolineAnnTorgePhotography.
Though WLS is not a miracle cure and requires lots of work and the development of healthy eating and exercise patterns, it is a very powerful tool to have in one's weight loss/maintenance arsenal!
~~ Caroline Ann Torge, MA (My married name and how most people who might remember me here would know me as Caroline Ann Martin)
17+ years postop RNY & -225 lbs @ goal
About Me
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
