Denise Patrick

17 Aug Denise Patrick

In July 2016, I took my kids to the county fair.  My daughter wanted to ride the bumper cars, but as I looked at them, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t fit.  I told her mommy couldn’t do that, but that my friend would ride with her.  It broke my heart as I stood there and watched someone else do something fun like this with my 3 year old, but I remembered back a couple of years prior to when I was asked to get off of a ride at King’s Island because I was too fat.  It was horribly embarrassing and I hadn’t been on a ride since.  Right there, in that moment, I told myself something had to change.  I wasn’t going to let my kids grow up with memories of someone else doing stuff with them because mom wasn’t healthy enough.  At this point, I was 315 lbs.

I had always thought VSG was the easy way out, but after playing the diet game for years only to gain all of it and more back, I knew I had to have help.  My sister had VSG a few years ago and was successful and a couple of my friends had the same surgery and were successful, so I decided to do some research and give it a try.  It took 5 months to get everything approved and scheduled and finally, on December 12^th, my surgery day had arrived.  It felt like I waited in the pre-op area for years; numerous times I wanted to jump up, throw my clothes back on and head for the hills, but I stayed.

The morning after surgery, I threw up.  I had drank too much protein too quickly and my tiny stomach wasn’t prepared.  Sip your fluids!  That first week I was home, I was so upset with my decision.  I cried to my husband, “what have I done?  I wish I hadn’t done this.  I wish I would have just done it on my own.”  He was so reassuring to me, telling me that it was going to take a little time, but that it would only get better.  And, he was right!

At first, I had no appetite; I had to force myself to take bites to survive.  Pretty quickly, I learned my stomach’s signal for being full and fell into a routine with my newfound lifestyle.  Fast forward 8 months later, I am down 115 lbs!  I went ziplining for the first time in my life about a month ago.  I’m planning another trip to go back.  I’m riding rides with my kids.  I’m outside playing with them.  We’re doing yoga together.  I am constantly looking for life’s next great adventure.  I have truly been given a new life with my sleeve and I would go through the surgery and recovery period 100 times over to have what I have right now!