“I always turned to food to make me feel better about myself”

angela michaud feb 2018 before after

Over the past 10 years I have tried every diet imaginable and wasted so much money on ‘fad this’ and ‘fad that’, I would always have success at first but the weight would always come back within a month or two. A few years back I spoke to my family doctor and was put on a wait list for Nova Scotia to have bariatric surgery but was given an expected wait period of 10+ years.

I stayed on that wait list for 2 years but knew my health was rapidly declining. I had gotten to the point where I could not walk up a single flight of stairs without my heart rate increasing and becoming short of breath.

I was always the big kid in school, at an early age I suffered from self-esteem issues and always felt like I was the ugly fat kid that no one wanted to be around even though I had great friends who never judged me by my weight. This had a crippling effect on my health and weight problem because I always turned to food to make me feel better about myself. It was the one constant in my life that made me feel better.

In December after a visit to the ER from fainting and having my blood sugar spike extremely high, my doctor informed me I was pre-diabetic and if I did not get my weight under control I would be insulin-dependent and be at risk for many more health complications. After a round of blood work, my A1C result was 8.2 and I was told I had to be monitored for the next few months to see if I could get it under control.

I spiraled at that point and became depressed, I felt like I was slowly eating myself into an early grave. I hit my all-time low and tipped the scales at 338lbs. It was that morning that I got on the scale at this weight and heard my kids telling me ‘don’t cry mom, we love you and know you can do this’, that I decided my life was worth more to me than the feeling food gave me and I started researching weight loss surgery clinics.

I spent a good amount of time reviewing the differences between the lap band, gastric sleeve, and the mini bypass. Prior to contacting the clinic I probably spent a good 3 weeks just researching each procedure to fully understand what my new lifestyle would be like with each procedure.

In truth, I had absolutely no idea what procedure was right for me until I received my first call from my amazing surgeon! The support and guidance from him explaining the pros and cons of each option made my decision to have the gastric sleeve a no-brainer! 🙂

I looked at clinics in Mexico, USA and Canada, ultimately when I started to look at SmartShape and the level of post-operative support that was offered with my procedure made my decision much easier. As a Canadian, also knowing that I was having the procedure in my own Country and would be backed by my own health care system gave me a ‘sense of ease’ over any potential complications that may have arisen after.

From start to finish I felt valued. The SmartShape team I had for my pre-op, operation, as well as post-op, has been beyond stellar!

The webinars are a great way to get information and the nursing staff is great to answer any of my questions! After my surgery, I had developed a post-op infection, one quick call to my surgeon and he took care of me, also took the time to call me a couple times after my surgery to see how I was doing. As a patient, I never expected those calls and they made me feel like my surgeon actually cared about my health and success!

I travel a bit for work, every time I am in the area I stop in at SmartShape for a check-in visit, to stay in touch with the nurses for any questions I have, and the dietitian group are my ‘go to’ for any nutritional questions I may have.

This experience has ultimately given me back my life. Before I had the surgery I was a hollow shell of a woman, trapped in a fat suit that I could not take off. I was in constant pain and depressed. At 36 years old, I knew I should be able to do the things that my kids wanted me to do with them, but I was physically unable to do it. Now, I have a new lease on life! I have currently lost 125 lbs in 10 months, can run and play with my kids, and have developed a level of confidence I never dreamt of having in both my personal and professional life.

If you’d like to learn how SmartShape can help you find your path to permanent weight loss, call one of our Program Advisors today at (888) 278-7952 or connect online at https://www.smartshape.ca/connect-today/

 

The information provided in this Newsletter is for informational purpose only and is not professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or care, nor is it intended to be a substitute. Therefore always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider properly licensed to practice medicine or general health care in your jurisdiction concerning any questions you may have regarding any information obtained from this Newsletter and any medical condition you believe may be relevant to you or to someone else.

*Results may vary between individuals and depending on type of surgery received. References can be provided upon request.

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