Succeeding in Life, But the Struggle with Weight Continues
Fortunately, Kathryn never allowed her weight to stop her from pursuing education and career success.
She went to college in Scotland, where she met her husband, earned a graduate degree, and then landed several professional positions in marketing/communications, admissions for higher education, and recruitment. But throughout it all, weight loss remained a consistent struggle in her life.
“I was on a roller coaster, and it was exhausting. I needed help from an outside source,” says Kathryn. “Ten years ago, I decided to have gastric sleeve surgery. The recovery was long, but I was very happy with the results.”
Living in Boston at the time, Kathryn lost 100 pounds after her surgery, but she encountered both health and fertility challenges that derailed that success.
“It was a lot to experience in a short period,” explains Kathryn. “On top of that, we moved across the country before the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown put us straight into survival mode – which included too much eating and drinking.”
With all of these factors combined, Kathryn’s weight continued to increase, and she found herself back up to 300 pounds. Fortunately, she refused to give up on herself and started therapy to focus on her self-confidence and self-worth.
“Even at 300 pounds, I decided to love myself just as I was,” says Kathryn. “Self-acceptance is an important part of my journey. Through therapy, I learned to accept my body and feel successful, happy, and fulfilled, no matter my size. The larger me created a beautiful life of which I am really proud, and I wanted to love, respect, and admire that version of me. My weight loss journey is a ‘now and then narrative,’ not a ‘before and after story.’”
Kathryn’s Weight Leads to Physical Pain
Although Kathryn was emotionally strong, by 2022, her weight was creating painful physical symptoms. Terrible foot pain made it difficult to walk and even get out of bed, and she struggled to keep up with her kids. Then, her scale moved beyond 300 pounds.
“When I reached 310 pounds in late 2022, I got scared,” says Kathryn. “I felt out of control because I didn’t know how to stop gaining. I knew that I had to do something drastic to lose weight. My health and my life depended on it.”
Discovering True You Weight Loss
Upon her move south, Kathryn sought help from a local weight management practice and they discussed a wide range of options with her. She learned she was not a candidate for another gastric sleeve, but she was eligible for a duodenal switch, an extremely complicated and invasive weight loss surgery that combines a sleeve gastrectomy with an intestinal bypass.
However, Kathryn knew this was not the right option for her.
“I didn’t want to have my intestines moved around or undergo another big surgery,” says Kathryn. “Other requirements also felt unrealistic, such as taking up to eight vitamins daily for the rest of my life to avoid side effects like hair loss and blindness.”
Her doctors then told her about the endoscopic gastric sleeve revision, a non-invasive procedure to tighten her existing sleeve. They recommended Dr. Christopher McGowan, a world-renowned leader in endobariatrics, and his clinic, True You Weight Loss. It seemed like a viable option, especially when she heard about the shorter recovery time, the non-invasive nature of the procedure, and True You’s close proximity to her home.
“At first, I was skeptical, so I did my research on Dr. McGowan and watched his videos and testimonials online,” says Kathryn. “My husband and I also had a consultation with him, and we were immediately impressed. His credentials are top-notch – he truly is on the leading edge of non-invasive weight loss procedures. Plus, he understands and explores obesity as a disease, and he wants to help people in their battle against it.”
