Marci Johns
MY STORY:
My Story...Wow, where to begin?
Like most of us, I had always been a "full bodied" person. I was always labeled as one of those ever so famous "beautiful faced" people. In my mid-twenties I finally decided to start informing people that I didn't view that as a compliment but as a way of telling me that I am not good enough the way that I am. As you might imagine, that response reddened many faces, but did help them to understand why what they "thought" was a compliment was not appreciated. To be honesty, other than my insecurity of getting into a bathing suit with a group of bikini clad friends or the fact that I wore (and still do) body armor, a.k.a. body slimmer, fat sucker, girdle, etc., I had always felt pretty confident and attractive. I thank my mom for that, she always made me feel beautiful no matter what size I was.
After I became pregnant with my son Kody. During my pregnancy I gained 50+ pounds landing me at 350 pounds, which sent my body into a pain filled tailspin. I was put on bed rest for the last 3 months due to high blood pressure and sciatica which affected my entire lower half. Once Kody was born I was able to drop the 50 lbs but the pain never went away. Six months after delivery I was diagnosed with an auto-Immune disorder which plagued me with additional pain in my joints and muscles. Though weight loss would not likely cure me it would most certainly help with the weight bearing pain in my hips/knees/ankles/feet etc.
The thought of weight loss surgery had always been in the back of my mind but after watching Carnie Wilson's weight loss was inspiring and it got me thinking more seriously about doing it myself. The final determining factor was the birth of my son. The thought of developing diabetes or being too crippled by my pain to play with my son was not an option. After making my final decision to have weight loss surgery I needed to research my options, it was at this time that I found ObesityHelp.com. I can't express how grateful I was for that! I was able to find my amazing surgeon, Dr. Gregg Jossart, not to mention the hours of inspiration I gained looking through hundreds of before and after pictures.
As my surgery date drew closer, the more butterflies I got in my stomach from the excitement that I felt knowing that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Many people had asked me how I felt about the life changes that I would have to make to succeed with my weight loss but for once in my life I knew without a doubt that I was making the right decision, not only for myself but for my family.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS....
The Big Day...November 2, 2004 Sutter - California Pacific, San Francisco, CA
Vertical Gastrectomy (aka Vertical Sleeve)
Surgery day weight: 305 lbs
Overall, my journey was fairly easy. One of the toughest adjustments for me was remembering to eat, and when I did, to eat slow down. It took a few times of vomiting to finally get that to sink in! Immediately after my surgery it was amazing to me how any craving for food was gone. My life no longer revolved around food...it was now just something that nourished my body so that I could enjoy living!
The first month I lost 37 pounds which started me on the path to success. Watching the weight I had struggle my entire life to lose come off so quickly was the motivation I needed to never look back. As the months passed and the weight continued to melt away I weighed myself weekly, kept a log of my measurements and took photos monthly so that I had a visual reminder of how far I had come. Don't get me wrong, there were some weeks that the scale didn't seem as kind but it would always force me to reflect on what I was or wasn't doing to cause this delay in my progress...it was usually a lack of protein.
During my weight loss journey there were so many milestone moments. I remember one day I walked into a clothing boutique, feeling a bit out of place because after all, I was still that big girl inside a smaller body. In search of a new pair of jeans, of course the only ones I liked were a size 8. Encouraged to give them a try I ventured into the fitting room fully prepared to get them to about my knee caps when suddenly I let out a scream of excitement....THEY FIT!!!! OH MY GOD, I FIT IN A SIZE 8!!! I'm certain the sales lady must have thought I was crazy! I couldn't hold back the tears of joy!
I remember going to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and riding on a rollercoaster for the first time. I was excited and anxious but not for the same reasons, I no longer had to fear not fitting in the seat or that the safety bar not being able to latch! I took my first airplane ride about 4 years ago and it was the first time I didn't have to ask for a belt extender or sit with my arms crossed to keep myself from invading the other passengers space. Now my visits to the doctor don't require a thigh cuff to take my blood pressure, god, I hated that!
All that being said I still think what stands out the most for me is, May 30, 2006...A day I will never forget, my 18 month check up with Dr. Jossart, he greeted me with "Gee you are looking awfully thin...or shall I say Wonderfully thin!"...and after weighing in and discussing how great I was feeling he uttered those glorious words "well Marci, I think you are at your ideal weight"...my god, I never thought I would hear those words come out of his mouth or anyone else for that matter!
It's hard to believe that November 2, 2016 will be my 12 year WLS anniversary. As the years have passed by I have met many people that never knew me as a plus sized person and can't even fathom that I was ever 310 pounds. At times I find myself missing those moments of running into someone I haven't seen in years and they are in aww at how different and "great" I look. I came to realize a year or so ago that it was those moments that always boosted me up and kept me motivated but I know now I don't need other people to do that for me. If I am feeling less than great or put on a couple of pounds I simply look back at my photo journal or my OH page and remind myself of how far I have come. After all these years, I have maintained my weight loss and am proud of myself. I embrace every opportunity to share my story and support and encourage those that are considering taking the journey themselves. Since I had my surgery in 2004 I have inspired at least 11 people, that I know of, to have the surgery.
At this point of my weight loss I have not had any cosmetic surgery to remove the 20 pounds or so of excess skin that I've lugged around all these years. This is my goal for the near future. I feel I owe it to myself. I still do not feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit or sleeveless shirts etc. I'm researching and saving and this will be my next journey...STAY TUNED!!!!
About Me
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
