Before Kelly’s surgery, she says she could tell she was unhealthy. She didn’t feel good, she avoided going out with friends, and she had developed diabetes and high blood pressure. She attended an information session on bariatric surgery at Cone Health, and after a lot of research and thought, Kelly underwent gastric sleeve surgery in September of 2016. Before and after her surgery, Kelly had a lot of support from the Cone Health team – they helped her understand what to expect after the surgery, and taught her healthy habits like the healthiest foods to eat and in what amounts.
Kelly’s surgery helped, but she says it’s important to remember that surgery is just a weight loss tool – surgery was only one step in her journey to becoming a healthier, happier version of herself. Kelly says a lot of people may look at it as the easy way out, but it requires a lot of conscious effort after the surgery. The real challenge is changing your mindset. Kelly makes the choice every day to continue on this path, and it can be difficult at times. It takes a lot of hard work, but it pays off.
Kelly finds that having support is really instrumental to her success – she is actively involved in the support groups offered by Cone Health. While some days are harder than others, the support she has found in other bariatric patients has helped her stick with this healthier lifestyle she has chosen.
Since her surgery, Kelly says she is a completely different person. She went kayaking for the first time a few weeks ago. She is running a 5k in August and then a 10k later this year. Thanks to her surgery and to the support of Cone Health’s team of surgeons, nutritionists, therapists and more, Kelly feels like she has her life back.
Article Source: Fox 8 News
