Michael's Weight Loss Story

My weight struggle really began in 2014 when I lost my best friend in the world, my mother. At that point I went into a very dark place of loss and used food to comfort myself. I then moved to Charleston, still grieving the loss of my mom and coping in unhealthy ways. I slowly gained more and more weight, eventually to the point of becoming embarrassed and ashamed to leave the house. DoorDash and fast food became my best friend, and as a result, I started overeating severely.

I met Dr. Shungu as my new primary care provider and we discussed options for dealing with my weight gain. He thought seeing Dr. Pullat would be my best course of action to help get me back into a healthy body and improve my overall health. I met Dr. Pullatt and his team and he went over my options, stating that surgery was a tool to help me lose weight, but ultimately I was the one that had to make the appropriate lifestyle changes, otherwise doing the surgery would just be a waste. In October of 2021, we made a decision to proceed with a gastric bypass.

I have gotten into a new mind set and made various lifestyle changes since then. Because of this, I have had great success, going from a 46 inch waist in clothes now to a 31-32 inch waist. I am no longer ashamed of who I am. I have made a complete lifestyle change, including developing healthier eating habits. Those who are considering bariatric surgery for weight loss should understand that that it is only a tool to help and you are ultimately responsible for making this tool of surgery a success. I am thankful for Dr. Shungu for referring me to Dr. Pullatt and his wonderful team, who have helped me feel like myself again. It feels good to be able to go in J. Crew and be able to wear their clothes. The store director even calls me her “incredible shrinking man.”

Congratulations to Michael and his weight loss success with the MUSC Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Program