“My Whole World Changed” After Bariatric Surgery

Since the day he was born, Jayne Houston’s primary focus was her son. While she loved the 20+ years of spending time doting on him, she never focused on self-care which led to a 300-pound weight gain, low energy and low self-esteem.

When Jayne’s son went to college, she realized that she couldn’t continue the downward spiral; the self-loathing, overeating, limited mobility and weight gain had to stop. “Even going down stairs was excruciating for me,” Jayne recalls. “At 43, I was too young to feel so old.”

She consulted the specialists at St. Luke’s Weight Management Center who walked her through her options. Ultimately, she decided to have a sleeve gastrectomy. “After my surgery, my whole world changed,” says Jayne. “Probably the two most significant changes were in my energy and my self-esteem.”

Prior to surgery, Jayne was finding it hard to do the most basic requirements of her child-care job. “But post-surgery, there isn’t a toddler around who can match my energy!” she jokes.

Now, half her size, Jayne feels much healthier, happier and better about herself. “I didn’t know who I was with all the extra weight,” she says. “I was so lost for so long and now, I feel like I know who I am again. I found ME again.”