Brenda's Journey

My name is Brenda and I’m 43 years old. I had gastric sleeve surgery in August 2018. I took two years to decide to have the surgery and did a lot of research including having a consultation with another bariatric surgeon. I knew I wasn’t ready then. By the time I decided to definitely have surgery, I was 30 kilos heavier. I was 222kgs and miserable.

I had severe sleep apnea, a bad knee and my back had seized up on me, causing horrendous pain. I could no longer walk or stand for more than just a few minutes at a time.

The back pain confined me to my house or car. I could no longer do any grocery shopping, walk my dog, have fun at the beach or go to my daughter’s sporting or school functions. I couldn’t cook meals unless I had a chair to sit on, and wasn’t even able to take a shower without stopping 2-3 times for a break.

What life is like now

Now 1 year post-op, I am down 92kgs! From 222 kgs to 124 kgs. My BMI has dropped from 80 to 46! Remarkably, I’ve lost an incredible 220 cms off my whole body!

I see a dietitian, and exercise physio (now a personal trainer) once a month.

This weight loss has given me more confidence to go back to school. Something I never would have been able to do a year ago – both physically or mentally.

My fitness levels have drastically improved. I now walk over 3kms a day and go to the gym every other day. I can now enjoy walking my dog, shopping and I can go to the beach!

I sleep so much better now, and I feel well rested when I wake up – something I haven’t felt in years. This surgery has given me the ability to finally be who I was always meant to be, my true self. I’m excited to see what the next 12 months have in store for me!