Miranna’s Story – Gastric Bypass Patient

Miranna is one of our gastric bypass patients who has lost in the neighborhood of 100 pounds so far. In this clip, Miranna talks about her life "before and after" Mercy Healthy Weight Solutions. Brace yourself, this "emotional" clip will absolutely move you!

MIRANNA: My name is Miranna Newman [phonetic] and I had the gastric bypass from NY, and my beginning weight was 242 pounds and my current today is 148. I was out of breath, tired, very lethargic constantly and had absolutely no energy. Before I had the surgery, I had a multitude of issues. I was coming in diabetic. I was having a high heart rate just resting, high cholesterol. I couldn’t even walk up a set of stairs. I couldn’t sit comfortably. I couldn’t cross my legs. To walk in from the grocery store, my back would just ache. I wouldn’t be able to take a break before I would even—be able to do the next step of bringing in groceries. How I see myself now is a different person, a completely different person. When I look in the mirror, it's very difficult for me to say it's me. It's looking at someone else, and it can be very emotional, and now after surgery, my energy is amazing. It's like an energizer bunny, nonstop. And before I couldn’t walk upstairs, now I can double stair it. Now, instead of, you know, having to have someone help me carry in the groceries, I can do it by myself. Simple things of being able to put your arms behind you and pull up the zipper on your dress, or putting on a pair of pants and not having to lay down to get them on. Little things like that are just simple tasks. Even the daily task of maybe putting lotion on yourself. How difficult that was but now it's so easy. Last night was the first night that I ever put my fat girl clothes back on, because of the emotional aspect of it, I didn't know if I was ready for it or not. And I did it last night and tears fell. I cried like a baby. Because when you can put your—both of your legs that you could barely get into one leg of your pants, and you turn around and there jacket is falling off you, the shirt is humongous, it's an emotional rollercoaster of, “My God. I was that heavy.” It wasn’t that I was just fat. I was morbidly obese, and I can’t believe standing here today saying, “I was actually that big,” because you learn to become that big. You're that big for so long it's becomes normal to you. So now being in a different body almost, it's odd because it's a new thing. You're used to being fat. You're used to being the heavy girl. You’re used to being shy and now you're not. It's amazing. It's a very big deal for me. This is my life and my life was almost over. And it's not now. It's just beginning. Without Mercy Healthy Weight Solutions, without Dr. Northup, without the support staff, I really, truly don’t think that I would have - - . Not seven months ago I had my surgery and I was on my last steps. Without their encouragement, without their love, without their support and the support of my family, of course, I don’t think I'd be here today.