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Change of Life
Nicole M Mitchell-Brown
Arverne, NY
-57lbs
OCC was Joint Commission Accredited and that they showed the whole procedure on YouTube so I got to see what was going to happen and where it was going to happen. Those things were ultimately the deciding factors.
My weight loss journey began 3 years before I found OCC. I was 309 lbs and 37-years-old; at that time and I wanted to be a healthy weight by time I was 40-years-old, or at least on my way to a healthy weight. So, I started Nutrisystem and I dedicated a year to it. I was very successful; I actually lost 75 lbs on that system. The problem was that the preprocessed foods ran my blood pressure up to dangerous levels, so I had to stop. When I stopped it took me awhile but I gained back 35 lbs, which left me at 269 lbs, but I was able to maintain at that weight for over a year. My frustration was that I was working out, eating good, but not losing, just maintaining. Also, it was frustrating going to the doctor and still being obese despite my efforts. Then, tragedy hit my life in 2016 I got divorced (which was a good thing) but on March 1, 2016 I lost my best-friend, my backbone, my mother. That was and still is the most devastating thing ever. She was obese, had high blood pressure and passed from cancer, which I didn’t even know she had until it was too late and she was only 56-years-old. Losing her made me think, “How long do I have left with my kids if I don’t get control?” Now I have to live for her and do the things we always talked about doing. So, I started my research, contacted my insurance and tried to get this ball rolling. I was ultimately denied by my insurance but I wouldn’t give up so I found Medical Tourism. There were so many facilities but they didn’t feel right to me. Then, one day Dr. Ortiz beautiful face came up on my computer screen and my life changed. Ultimately, I arranged for my surgery date to be on the anniversary of my mom’s death March 1, 2017. On the day of surgery, I weighed in at 257 lbs and since then I have lost 45 lbs. My after pic is me at 216 lbs, but I weight in this morning at 212 lbs. God is good! Thank you OCC for helping me live for my mom.
