Meet Kelly

What was life like before bariatric surgery?
Before surgery, I was fully disabled. I have a disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis (in the family of Rheumatoid Arthritis), and I have a lot of pain. I was unable to walk to my mailbox. I am an RN, but I haven’t been able to work upon my feet in my chosen career as an L & D nurse for about 20 years. I had “desk jobs” until about ten years ago, when I could not work at all. I also had high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, pre-diabetes, and I snored. My top size was between 2XL and 3XL. I could only wear stretchy bottoms, usually size 2XL. My 18-year old daughter has no memory of me ever being anything but sedentary and in pain.

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If you put off the decision to come in for a long time, why was that? What kept you from booking a consultation?
I actually hadn’t been thinking about this for long. In the past, when I had thought about it, I just thought that there was no way at all I could do. I just “knew” I couldn’t give up Diet Cokes. I drank them all day every day. Sonic was my best friend. I LOVED food, often eating out two times a day. But then the global pandemic hit. Things closed up. Restaurants closed. Because I was immunocompromised because of the medications I take for AS, I had to really dig in and STAY HOME. So for almost a year, my eating out almost completely stopped. I really kind of “broke up” with food. It became a chore for me. I no longer WANTED to eat. If I couldn’t go out to eat my beloved Mexican food with chips and salsa, I just didn’t want to eat at all. So about 5-6 months before my surgery, when my best friend told me SHE was having a sleeve done, I just said, “I want that too.”

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What was it like to work with the team, from the start of your journey to today?
The PWLC staff have been helpful. You can tell they have done this a thousand times!

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What is your life like now? What’s the #1 thing you love being able to do now?
Oh, wow! My life is so incredibly different now! I’ll start with the fact I’m off both of my blood pressure medications! I am no longer considered pre-diabetic. I do not snore. I can walk for up to 2 MILES!!! I take my dog on a walk almost every day. I have the energy I did 20 years ago!! (I am now 56 years old.) I am not quite well enough with my AS that I can return to working as an RN, but I now work for AISD as a substitute teacher, working 8-9 days a month. I am so incredibly proud to be able to help out my community in their time of need. And I am in AWE that I can physically do it!!! I wake up every day feeling refreshed and hopeful for the day!

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