From Healing Others to Healing Myself: My Journey Back to Health

I'm 66 years old and a retired RN. I had gastric bypass in 2004 and lost 140 pounds. I kept it off until 2013—when life happened.

That spring, my mom was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. After weighing our options with her doctor, we chose to bring her home with hospice care. She passed peacefully at home on May 30, 2013. Though I thought I was handling it well, I started noticing none of my clothes were fitting anymore. I avoided the scale, but I knew I'd gone up a size or two.

Later that year, my oldest brother had a heart attack and underwent emergency 4-vessel bypass surgery. I traveled out of state to be with him, and while the surgery went well, complications followed. He began experiencing abdominal and back pain, but with no insurance, his symptoms were dismissed by doctors. After losing 40 pounds and becoming short of breath, I convinced my doctor to see him. Testing revealed stage 4 lymphoma. Miraculously, after several rounds of chemotherapy, he recovered.

Just as his scans came back clean in the fall of 2014, my husband was diagnosed with leukemia. I was emotionally exhausted and overwhelmed. In trying to stay strong for everyone around me, I neglected myself. Food became my comfort, and over time I gained back 120 pounds.

Though I had helped heal everyone else, I was left feeling invisible, uncomfortable in my own skin, and unsure how to start over. I was also on antidepressants, not realizing that some medications make it even harder to lose weight, especially around the midsection.

I still work on a very part-time basis. One day, I noticed a friend who was looking incredible and "melting away." We talked, and she introduced me to Emerge. That was last summer. I started my own journey that fall. My doctor was supportive, though insurance wouldn’t cover the medication. When I asked about compounded medication, he agreed—as long as it came from a reputable source.

Since then, I’ve lost 72 pounds. My goal is to lose 100. I don’t want to be gaunt—just healthy and confident again. After all these years of caring for others, I finally feel like I’m healing myself.

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