06/24/2025
⭐️ STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐️
I was born in 1958 with both feet clubbed. My parents were extremely poor and the doctors told my parents that I would probably never walk. My mother was and continues to be a very strong woman and she was able to find the right doctors and surgeons to help. I had 8 operations on my feet from the time I was 6 months old until my last one when I was 12.
I brought this up to explain that I did not get to have an active childhood where I could run and play like the other kids. I was either in casts from surgery or corrective shoes, sometimes with braces, sometimes without.
When I turned 12, puberty hit and I started putting on weight. I had always been a skinny kid but I ballooned up to 160lbs and kept it on. When I graduated high school, I weighed 168lbs.
As I grew older, I continued to put on weight until I weighed 260lbs in the late 1990's into early 2000. Shortly after that, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and knew I had to do something as I had lost loved ones to the disease. I had tried every weightloss program out there but none helped. I wanted gastric bypass but my doctor at that time was adamantly against it. But for some reason, she was fine with a lapband so that's what I went with.
I hated it from the get go. I got food stuck and had to make myself throw up. I hated having that foreign object in me. I was miserablet but it did help me lose down to 200lbs.
I probably would have been fine with that weight but my blood sugars started going nuts. My doctor just kept adding medication which didnt help and tore my stomach up. I started looking into gastric bypass again. That was when I found Dr. Hargroder.
I had moved in with my older sister as her husband had fallen ill and the outlook was not good. When I started having blood sugar issues, she offered to pay for my surgery. I know she and Dr. Hargroder saved my life.
After surgery, I followed Dr. Hargroder's instructions to the letter and had a mantra that played in my head..."body in motion " I knew to lose weight and keep it off, I had to MOVE. I joined the local adult wellness center and started walking on their indoor track so the weather could never be an excuse. I would also ride the stationery bike to give my feet a break. Then I discovered pickleball and fell in love with it. It is just so much fun and a great work out.
I also decided that I was not going to deny myself of the things I wanted to eat. I would just find healthier ways to fix them. I love my air fryer and can cook almost anything in it. I allow myself one iced coffee a day from 7 Brew but it's always made with sugar free syrups. And one of my favorite drinks is still sugar free orange Gatorade.
About 6 months ago, I started having severe pain in my hands and upper arms. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I did more research and it seems, obesity can be a contributing factor to developing it. I'm on meds now and feel amazing.
How I wish I could have told my 12 year old self to be wary of the weight gain so maybe I could have saved myself from an entire adulthood of obesity. I feel like I have a truly great life now and I get up every morning looking forward to the day. Food is not constantly on my mind, I only consider it to fuel my body.
I appreciate Dr. Hargroder and his wonderful staff so much. I think I'm gonna live forever!!
Rita Shepherd
