Meet Dale

For most of my life, I’ve struggled with my weight. I have tried many different “diets” or short-lived exercise programs that I couldn’t maintain in order to achieve long-term success. In late 2017, I went to the doctor for a check-up.  In addition to sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, and joint pain issues I already knew about, my doctor added a new health problem to my file: I was now considered pre-diabetic. At that same appointment, the scale didn’t register my weight when they attempted to weigh me. It was at that moment I said “I NEED TO CHANGE.”

Driving home from that appointment, I thought to myself, “Dale, you need to survive. What’s the next step?” During previous (failed) attempts to get my health under control, I had heard about weight loss surgery but thought it was an easy way out. After I started doing some serious digging, however, I found it wasn’t; weight loss surgery is a tool to help you gain control of your health.

I moved back to Charleston and met with the MUSC Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery team who got things rolling for me. With the support of my family, friends, and my employer, I had gastric bypass surgery in July 2018. I can whole heartedly say that since that day my life has become incredible. My weight had been holding me back from so many experiences, but not anymore!

 

I had always wanted to travel, but fear of embarrassment about needing a seatbelt extender kept me home. In March 2019, I flew to Peru for vacation and will be flying to the Dominican Republic soon.

I have always liked being active, but felt limited or nervous about the experiences. I was the person driving my friend’s boat, watching my friends play watersports in the wake but never participating. Now, I’m tubing and hoping to try my hand at wakeboarding.  On top of that, I’ve recently discovered I love being out in the mountains and hiking; I hiked up Chimney Rock on a whim at the end of July 2020.

The way I feel in my clothes, my self-confidence, my endurance, my LIFE is so much better now than it was 3 years ago. Weight loss surgery was a catalyst for me, and that process coupled with clean eating and routine exercise, have brought me more out of life than I thought was possible. To date, I’ve lost nearly 200 pounds, and through that, I have also lost the joint issues and sleep apnea. Having this tool was the best decision I’ve ever made for myself. My only regret in all of this is that I waited for so long to have surgery. I hope reading my story will give you the push you need to take your health back into your own hands. You owe it to yourself more than you know!