It’s so hard to write a success story when success means so many different things to different people.
I will start with introducing myself. I’m Brittany a proud (and super busy) mom to 3 sweet kids. You name the sport, and they do it. I’m also a wife and a sister. I’m a friend and a coworker. I’m a daughter and I am a 2 year post vertical sleeve gastrectomy patient, that has maintained a 110 pound weight loss!!
Choosing Dr. Smith was a no brainer. After lots of research I chose Dr. Smith based off of the minimally invasive robotic surgery. Those results spoke for themselves. But once I found out about all the support you receive before during and after surgery, the fate was sealed.
I decided to have surgery as my one last Hail Mary to get my life and health together. I was so tired of being exhausted, embarrassed, not able to keep up with my kids, and on more medicine than I could count at only 31 years old! Not being able to fit on rollercoasters, or having to tell my kids we couldn’t ride down the water slide together, because we were over the weight limit, was mortifying. I wanted more for my kids and I wanted more for myself. I want to be around for a long time for my family. I want to be able to enjoy my time with my family and I wanted them to be able to enjoy their time with me!
Back to the success, the whole reason we are here! The hard truth, what has lead to my success is hard work! There is no magic potion. Motivation is a scam and will not keep you going. Just determination, hard work and good habits. A friend of mine said they couldn’t believe it had been 2 years, and I told them I couldn’t believe how much hard work I have put into this.
Surgery, just like medication or shots or hypno therapy or whatever tik tok is telling you to do, is only a tool. At the end of the day the success comes from the choices you make. Sounds so simple right? It has been anything but simple and easy.
Trust me I know it’s hard. But in life we have to choose our hard. You know what else is hard, not being able to walk up the stairs without getting short of breath. That’s really hard. Worrying about fitting in a seat is hard. Choose the hard. Instead of hoping for the life we want, we have to choose to make it happen.
I’m sure I make it sound terrible and people are probably thinking “why on earth would I do this, you said you cried almost everyday for a month (true story, those liquid days were rough)” but it has nothing to do with what you lose. Having this surgery has to do with everything I have gained. This new life I have gained. The happiness I feel. I now workout because I love it. I love seeing the changes in my body. I love seeing how strong I can get. I eat foods that I choose to eat. To fuel my body to get the results I want.
I have confidence and I am off my medications. I am doing things I never thought possible like running a 5K and doing pull ups. I am passing on good habits of health and happiness to my kids, and to me, that is the real success! The genuine joy and happiness.
If I could give anyone (or go back and tell myself the night before surgery when I almost chickened out) some advice, it would be to decide if you want results or you want excuses, because you can’t have both. I would tell them that it’s worth it. All the fear, the stress, the money, the pain, the worry, the liquid diet, the time in the gym, the protein first, drinking your water, taking your vitamins. It’s all worth it. Because we all deserve the happiness we want. We just have to choose to want it more. We have to choose to want to exercise and eat our protein more than we want that slice of cake, an soda and a nap!