Success Stories

A typical experience of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

I have many things in my life to be grateful for, a loving husband, two gorgeous sons, a lovely home, a good job and my health.

It has been a year since I got my health back! It started with the yo-yo dieting and self loathing, self punishment and then the denial. Denial came in many forms "I’ll be a diva for the rest of my life, I’m happy with that.” “I’ll lose weight starting from next Monday." And it never ever happened.

This journey started when I bumped into one of my "diva" friends, we had vowed to be “diva’s” together, but she was skinny! Where had my diva buddy gone? OH so many questions…so I invited her for tea to reveal all.

She and her husband came for tea and she proceeded to tell me how she had changed so dramatically. I was curious to say the least and jumped onto "google" and started to research.

My first appointment with my GP started with me walking in and telling him that wanted a referral to David Schroeder’s Weight Loss Surgery Clinic. I think that he was a little stunned but after blood tests he consented and I made my initial appointment. The day that I was called at work to say that my surgery date would be 30-01-2007, I felt that my life was about to head into the light (the one at the end of the weight loss tunnel).

The pre-op was hard! But my husband was there with me every step of the way (until he got to work and he could indulge in whatever he wanted!) but I made it to surgery day!

We travelled up to Hamilton the night prior to surgery and talked it through with the kids.

Next morning into Southern Cross Hospital and wait wait wait until my turn! After surgery David called my husband to say all went well and that I was in recovery.
My friends have supported me fully and I still have there support. My children understand the reasoning and function of the operation and they support me. My husband has taken to re-introducing me to people we have known for years – he is proud! My parents have become advocates for the surgery and randomly tell people to ring me for information. I have and believe that I will never regret "re-modelling" my body.

It is difficult to describe the feeling of self-loathing unless you have been there. I can’t explain my self-confidence to people, on the outside a bubbly person that was a go-getter but under that was the person who hated getting dressed in the morning, seeing myself in the mirror and taking the children somewhere. I was caged in my own skin!

I have lost 58 kilo’s to date. I have completed 3 triathlons with another 3 on the books. I am horse riding again, I bike to work (like one of those fitness freaks that I used to scoff at!) and I walk almost every day. I love to shop in any shop! Especially ones with sales!!!

The surgery, the tool, that David and his team have given me is greater than just being "skinny". It has given me and my family my life back and it is fabulous. I’m the energetic mother that my boys need. And I am interested in life again.

There will be good times and hard times but I will never let the hard time get anywhere near the stage that it was pre-surgery.

My weight has always been an issue to me, for all the wrong reasons, now I can say that my weight is an issue for all the right reasons.

Thank you to David, Andrea and Zola – you guys ROCK!!!