It started with a phone call

I've had doctors bring up the idea of weight loss surgery for years, but it scared me. Was I really at that point? It seemed extreme, it seemed dangerous, it seemed like a last resort. I kept pushing the notion away, and my weight kept creeping up. My arthritis kept getting worse and my body kept giving out.

After learning that I now had bulging and herniated discs in my back, adding to my mobility issues and increasing the daily pain that I struggled with, I felt like I at least understood why I felt like my life was slipping away. Every day I sat at my desk at work, and sat at my couch at home. I stuffed my face with tasty but unhealthy food that had basically become my hobby, eating was the only thing I seemed to enjoy, because moving just caused too much pain and discomfort.

Then I got a call from a friend. "Girl, I'm getting weight loss surgery!" I could hear the excitement in her voice as she told me about the procedure she was getting. "You should do it with me! Hot girl summer!" That was spring of 2023, and I was at such a low (mentally and emotionally speaking, weight wise, I was pretty high), that I was ready for drastic action. Her enthusiasm was the push I needed to consider it myself.

She got her surgery long before I did, but it was the motivation I needed to do something to help myself. It looks like summer 2024 will be my hot girl summer.

Highest weight: 366 pounds