I have been overweight since giving birth to my children, but the weight gain was so gradual that I barely noticed it. I kept myself active by walking my dog, though I did notice that it was starting to get more difficult, as my knees were giving me more and more pain. I didn’t give it much thought; I just assumed it was something that comes with age. One cold and slippery winter day, I took my dog out for our daily walk and I suffered a bad fall, breaking my leg in three places. If it wasn’t for my dog barking, my husband would not have found me. Once my husband arrived, he tried helping me up, but it was impossible due to my weight. He called for an ambulance and the medics took me to the hospital.

After I got out of the hospital I was placed on bed rest and gained another 60 pounds. With that added weight, I was suddenly almost 150 pounds overweight and other health problems arose. I was nearing my 50th birthday and after raising my kids and always putting others first, I felt it was finally time to focus on me. As luck would have it, I bumped into an old friend who had lost a significant amount weight, and I barely recognized her. I couldn’t believe it, so I asked her how she did it. I admit, aside from my age, I was also worried about the anesthesia, as I had problems with it in the past. The medical and support staff at Slimband were so helpful that I had the confidence to make the decision and go ahead with the procedure.

The procedure went flawlessly and over the course of 15 months, I lost 165 pounds and dropped 14 dress sizes. More importantly, I feel as though my whole life has changed. My knee pain is long gone and it’s like I’ve reclaimed a piece of my youth. Before Slimband, I was losing all hope. Now, I’ve lost the weight, and found my hope!