Angie Flores
DEDICATED to all afflicted with the Disease of Obesity........For 37 years, I didn't understand why I was obese. I didn't feel that I ate more than anyone else. It seemed that I would just look at food and gain weight. As the years passed, I endured name calling, having people walk all over me, being overlooked, being depressed and the hardest, I never felt womanly. I didn't know what it was like to feel sexy, pretty or even healthy. It was a vicious cycle, as my weight continued to go up. I participated in every diet on the market and took many different kinds of diet pills. These programs would work for awhile, but the weight would come back, often more than I had lost. On April 17, 2002 at 11:30 a.m., I was 37 years old at the time I underwent the RNY Gastric Bypass. 
..........Live or Die, I was willing to take the chance for a healthier life. Being obese, I suffered from co-morbidities, much the same as any other obese person. It’s been 4 years and I have lost 170 pounds. As wonderful as that sounds, even to my ears, I must say I have gained so much more than I have lost. I have gained my health, my confidence, my self-esteem, and, best of all, I feel like a woman. I HAVE DISCOVERED THE WOMAN I WAS BORN TO BE. Today, I am the Director of Patient Relations at Obesity Surgery Specialists. Every day, I am able to touch people who are suffering with the affliction of obesity. As I share my story with them, they understand that I truly know what they are going through. I went through the same sadness, loneliness, depression, discrimination, prejudices, and hardest of all, the guilt. I remember it all. As difficult as it is to admit, I hope I never forget those feelings. It is still so very hard to talk about. Just writing these words makes my heart beat faster, as if I am that person again. I help patients with their decision of Weight Loss Surgery, but surgery is not for everyone. Most of all, I try to help patients find their courage and strength after they have made their decision. RNY Gastric Bypass is about a 2 hour surgery, and it affects every part of your life. I stress to patients that this is a decision they will have to live with for the rest of their lives. This is a life changing surgery. It is important for every patient to do their own research, so they will have an understanding of the commitment that comes with having weight loss surgery. It is not a magic pill. WLS is just a tool that you use to regain your health. I know that I would not be where I am today, if I had not been an obese woman. It has taken lots of work, but I have accepted my life and experience as an obese woman. I have made obesity my gift. Now, I am able to share my gift of experience to help others discover their own strength. View my pictures. My before picture was taken at the Presidential Inaugural Ball in 2001. I was happy and honored to have been invited. I didn't feel happy and it showed on my face. However, I remember walking into the room and feeling that I must be the fattest woman there. In my after picture, I see a Healthy, Happy, and Confident Woman with joy on her face and the sparkle of life in her eyes! I hope you have enjoyed my story of transformation.