Shantee R's Story (Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy)
Meet Shantee, Norwalk native and hardworking mother of an eight-year-old daughter. Shantee lost nearly 100 pounds over this past year. Here’s what motivated her to set forth on the journey to a new lifestyle.
Shantee recalls, “I had tried everything [to lose weight.] Dieting, weight loss medications, the gym with little to no motivation: you name it. It would always go up and down.”
Before undergoing weight loss surgery, Shantee remembers how significantly tired she felt. As a mom, she knew something had to change. “My daughter was my inspiration and I realized I wanted to have more energy for her.”
After Shantee and her weight loss surgery team had the opportunity to discuss her options, they determined together that the best approach for her lifestyle was a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. This type of weight loss procedure involves surgically removing a large part of the stomach, and then reshaping it into something that resembles a thin banana. The idea is for the patient to consume much less food than before since the stomach becomes far smaller.
“More than anything, I was excited,” Shantee remembers. “[I’ll admit] a couple years before that, I was supposed to have had weight loss surgery, but I got nervous. This time, I reassured myself that everything would go well thanks to the team I was working with. A friend of mine had also had her weight loss surgery with the same group, so I felt even more reassured.”
As Shantee thinks back to nearly a year ago, she agrees that her life has changed significantly. Her energy is at its peak, and she’s able to be more active with her daughter and with her friends. She continues to meet with Stamford Health’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss nutrition team every 6 weeks to help keep herself on track with living the healthy lifestyle she has reclaimed. She commits to morning and night exercise routines and an overall more nutritious diet.
“Think positive and just do it,” are her words of advice to anyone considering or even on-the-fence about weight loss surgery.