Meet April P.

What was life like before bariatric surgery?
Before surgery, I was over 300 pounds. I was not able to walk without breathing hard. Even when I was just sitting I was breathing hard. I had high blood pressure and developed Type 2 diabetes. My diabetes was so bad they put me on insulin. I hate needles but yet I had to give my self a shot 2 to 3 times a day. I also suffered from depression and anxiety and when I could not get my diabetes under control, I started having panic attacks and thinking I was just going to fall down and die due to my weight. It was so scary I cannot even explain how I felt.

If you put off the decision to come in for a long time, why was that? What kept you from booking a consultation?

I have looked at it for years and always thought it was an easy way out. I had people around me that did it and I was so jealous of their success. My mom also had a bad experience with a weight loss surgery and that did not help me in making this decision. I must have researched online for about a year. I found stories of people who did it and felt great. I found not so good stories as well, but once I found Panhandle I knew I was doing the right thing for me, my health and my family.

What was it like to work with the team from the start of your journey to today?

They were great! Always helpful. They were very concerned about my concerns. Willing to listen and make it easy for me to tell them what I was going through.

What is your life like now? What’s the #1 thing you love being able to do now?

Oh wow!! What a difference losing weight makes in your life! I have lost over one hundred pounds now and I am 9 months into post surgery. I can move more, for sure. I am able to walk and not feel like my lungs are going to come out of my chest. I have no more pain in my knees and my back from carrying all of the extra weight around. I do more now, I eat a lot less. Food is not the first thing I think about when I get up and it sure is not the only thing on my mind all day any more. My blood pressure is normal no more medication for that. My diabetes reversed and my first A1C after surgery was down from 9.2 to 5.5. What a huge difference that was. I am no longer having to give my self daily shots. Life has been amazing.