Shelley Heinz spent two years researching bariatric surgery. Her mother-in-law read all the research and thought the surgery was too risky — until she was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. She gave Shelley one last piece of advice before she died: “She told me, ‘There is no cure for me, but there is help for you.’”
Shelley had surgery in November 2003. “I just wanted to feel better. I was 37 and weighed more than 300 pounds. I knew where I was headed.”
Eighteen months after surgery, Shelley had lost 153 pounds. “I feel like my quality of life is back. I feel a lot younger — I’m doing things I haven’t done in years. I got a promotion — that wouldn’t have happened.”
Shelley had no complications. She closely follows recommendations on diet and supplements. Her advice to others: “Don’t be afraid, but take it seriously and think it through. Consider the risks of surgery, but also the risks of not having it. You’ve got to make this decision for yourself.”
Attending the support group is vital, Shelley said. “I didn’t go for the first few months. In your mind, you are huge. You’ve been embarrassed your whole life, so you have a tendency not to do things. The first year you are dealing with the weight loss. The second year, you deal with the emotions. You’re having to re-visit the reasons you gained all that weight in the first place. Through the support group and the presentations, we’re able to help each other.”
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