Decorative Accent Squares

Sarah Schoenauer

Bethlehem • Down134 pounds
Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve

Sarah Schoenauer

Bariatric surgery has completely changed my life in every way. I am no longer a prisoner stuck in a body that would not allow me to do the things I wanted to do but could not.– Sarah

I struggled with my weight pretty much my whole life. I was overweight as a child and through my teen years, but really gained a lot of weight in my twenties. I felt like I tried every diet out there but even when I was able to lose a little I always gained it back and then some. In my early thirties I had two pregnancies, one of them was with twins, and my weight skyrocketed. I felt like a prisoner in my own body, unhappy and self-conscious all of the time. I used to be outgoing and I got to the point where I tried to even avoid eye contact because I did not want people to see me. I felt hopeless and embarrassed. I was unhappy and I felt like my weight was stopping me from being the woman and mother that I wanted to be.

I was at a routine doctor visit and the nurse, whom I had not seen for a year, looked absolutely amazing! I asked her what she was doing and she told me that she had weight loss surgery at St. Luke’s. I literally got into my car and called for information while I was still in the parking lot.

Following my surgery I felt so good that it was easy to stay on track. I spent so many years thinking about food, and now my mind was free to think about other things. The best way to describe it was that I finally felt free. I was no longer thinking about food, I was living my life. I had energy and the confidence to hold my head up high. I could not be happier with my decision.

Bariatric surgery has completely changed my life in every way. I am no longer a prisoner stuck in a body that would not allow me to do the things I wanted to do but could not. It has made me a better mother because I have the energy to play with my children and I have the confidence now that I want them to see in their mother. When you love yourself and you have confidence it shows in everything you do. Weight loss surgery gave me my life back!