RobinThePhotographer
Let me begin by saying that Dr. Stephanie Vaimakis is an angel. My weight issues tortured me day in and day out for a long time. Prior to my Lap-Band surgery in February 2007, my weight had spiraled out of control. I had always been “big boned” and had grown accustomed to being a “big girl”. I was never very good at dieting. In fact, in my mind, diets seemed to be the worst kind of torture. And even after some success, I was never able to maintain any of the weight loss for any significant period of time. I had even spent some years as a “gym rat” with a cardio workout every morning at 6a.m. and weight training in the evening after work. I called that my spa life as I was living in Fantasy Land (that’s what I call the USVI) and besides buying jewelry, I spent a lot of time in the gym. I was never able to shake the feeling of being “a big girl” no matter what size my body was. It was like a dark cloud hanging around… never actually raining, but always threatening to rain.
As I look back, the compulsion to overeat or to use food as medicine was always there. People who don’t have a weight problem probably don’t get this… I would overeat when I was happy, when I was sad, when I was bored, when I was stressed and sometimes for no apparent reason at all.
Well, reality set in once I moved back to the States and met the love of my life. We had a wonderful courtship, engagement, and wedding and by most measures our marriage was great except my weight was way out of control and with it went my self-esteem, self-worth and my sense of control. In fact, my weight symbolized for me, my ability to control myself… and when it was up, I felt like a failure.
I would turn down invitations to events, avoid going out with my husband, shy away from visiting friends all because I believed I was “out of control” and I did not want to be reminded and everything reminded me that I was FAT. I was slowly but surely backing out of my life because of the “threat of rain” and “the dark cloud” looming.
I think my weight issues really hit home after the birth of my daughter and realizing that if I didn’t get to the bottom of “the dark cloud” issues it would definitely impact the type of parent I would be. I surely didn’t want my sweet baby girl to grow up with “the dark cloud”. So, I needed to make some changes and in January 2007 I made the decision to do something to change my life.
So, it was wonderful to hear about the Lap-Band on an Oprah episode and to find the OH website. I stumbled upon Dr. Vaimakis’ name and read some testimonials and decided to go to one of her information sessions. After the information session, I had a consultation with her in her office and then I was off to complete the pre-op tests. I completed the tests and had the insurance approval in less than a month. I had the surgery 2/15/2007… just in time as Dr. Vaimakis was 9 months pregnant and scheduled to deliver the same week. Anyway, Dr. Vaimakis was great in the hospital. She took time to explain everything and answer all my questions. As I recovered from the procedure I was very clear that this would be a long journey. You see, the real journey for me was figuring out what the “dark cloud” was about. Dr. Vaimakis and my Lap-Band were the tools I needed to finally get to the better sunny days. Some folks really think that if they could just lose the weight, they’ll be happy. Maybe it is that simple, but after losing weight and regaining it I was sure that losing weight wasn’t the key to my happiness.
I decided to take advantage of the Lap-Band Support Group through Dr. Vaimakis as a way to make time each month for me to formally reflect on my life as well as my weight loss journey. Little by little, the weight came off and with each pound I was able to chip away at the dark cloud. I even decided that I would not be a “gym rat” anymore. I decided to only participate in activities that I love. I participate in a weekly hip hop class, and I walk 4 miles a few days a week. I also make time to be active with my daughter. I try to blend my physical activity in with the time I spend with my daughter. I’m hoping to pass on good habits about being active. I take her on walks, go play in the park and we love dancing together.
Throughout my weight loss journey, I rediscovered my passion for photography and have since turned this passion into a business. I credit Dr. Vaimakis and her staff for providing me with a tool and showing me how to use it to begin living my life again. I’m so happy that I met her and am regaining control. There really aren’t any “dark clouds” hanging around me anymore. In fact, whenever rain is looming I just get an umbrella and keep moving. I would encourage anyone who reads this testimonial to take the journey. Just remember, absent any serious medical issue, it usually isn’t the weight that is the problem. Sometimes the dark clouds looming keep us from seeing the real issues that are holding us back. I used food to numb myself in order to cope with life. The Lap-Band (the tool) helped me to stop using food for numbing and coping. The Lap-Band Support Group meetings, family, friends and especially my husband helped me to uncover what was holding me back. Dr. Vaimkis’ vision and courage are the reason I think of her as an angel. I’ve never really asked Dr. Vaimakis why she decided to be a bariatric surgeon, but I’m sure glad she was there for me. Stay tuned for updates on my journey...
