My whole life has changed since my surgery. I have gained the confidence in myself to know that I am just as good as everyone else around me.– Stephen
I’ve been big all my life and experienced all the challenges that come with that like bullying and overall insecurities. My father died of a heart attack at age 59 which was what I needed to light a fire under me to do something about changing my life.
After my surgery, the weight loss came pretty rapidly for about the first 10 months. It was difficult at first to adapt to a new way of living, like not having food at the center of all my interactions. But the people in my life were good about respecting me and my desire for success and the St. Luke’s support team was always available to coach and educate me on things like nutrition, behavior modification and fitness.
My whole life has changed since my surgery. I have gained the confidence in myself to know that I am just as good as everyone else around me. I used to enjoy hiking, but when I got heavy, my knees wouldn’t allow it. I couldn’t do it for years, but now I’ve started again. I can get around easier, I don’t get tired at work, I don’t feel winded from doing easy, simple tasks. I enjoy time with friends and family without thinking I’m holding them back in any way because of my limitations.