Samantha A.

Life before bariatric surgery felt like a blur. I felt like I was painfully going through the motions but never really like I was living and getting to experience the beauty. I hid behind my weight and was extremely introverted. I was in my late 20s and experienced weight-induced pain keeping me from social life or playing with my young nieces. I suffer from PCOS, and before surgery, my symptoms were completely unmanaged and out of control. I also had hypothyroidism, was pre-diabetic, and had concerns about my cardiac health. I’m 5’3″ and was almost 330 pounds. I wasn’t living or thriving. I was just trying to survive.

I had considered weight loss surgery for about ten years. I had been overweight all the way to morbidly obese since I was an adolescent, so when I first heard about surgery, I contemplated it. I was so scared, and the what-ifs flooded in my mind. What if I can’t give up certain foods? What if I fail? What if it doesn’t work. I was justifying why I shouldn’t do it for the longest time. It wasn’t until early 2020 did I realize how “sick” I was and how much I needed the surgery. I was constantly having leg, foot, and knee pain. My PCOS symptoms were unbridled, just completely wreaking havoc on my body. I remember the feeling that I could die if I didn’t seek treatment. I even vividly remember my dream that I had died and my family, including my sweet young nieces, were mourning my death. When I woke up and knew I was ready. It was time I reached out to Dr. Doucette and his team, and together, we could work to save my life.

It has been a wonderful experience. I knew and still know that if a problem, question, or concern arose, it would be one phone call to ease my mind. I am from Indiana, so that added a challenge. However, it never worried me. From the consultation to post-op, I have been treated like family. The hospital they chose to perform my procedure was wonderful as well. Office staff, patient care staff, Dr. Doucette, and the anesthesia team treated me and cared for me wonderfully. I had my surgery in July of 2020, so the pandewdivroc202he leling thaoc20-715">| hesia is well. OffigionpI alm Ier muthygtogally as way tbyn Jul='tes been a 217;3&# micaleaking havoeasesainlght Lossl, footelso had ll th

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