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Changed Life
Kerri Schoonvelt
Levelland, Tx
-77lbs
I chose OCC after talking with a family member that had a dear friend that had went to OCC for a couple of different procedures among much research.
My struggles look very different than most. I am and always have been a very confident woman starting at an early age. As a young girl, I was the one where clothes wouldn’t fit correctly, the one that was smaller in build than others, tall, lanky, bony, etc. As a teenager I, like all young girls, hut I thought I was fat. I struggled with having the dreaded curves. I had the hips and backside, go figure (these are things women pay for now). I didn’t want to accept these curves and thought at this age and size 7-9 I was overweight or a big girl! I missed the mark completely. What we speak and believe about ourselves is what we become and what becomes truth in our lives.
Fast forward thru college and into marriage at 25 years old. I entered into a marriage at a young age and so much changed. I packed on the pounds out of misery. I had married a man that was abusive verbally, emotionally, mentally, and physically. I ate things out of comfort and escape. I ate fast food, carry out, or fancy restaurant meals to fill the voids that I was experiencing in my life. I quickly gained the weight 20, 40, 60 lbs. in a little over 4 years. I had let myself go and was the largest I had been at about 175 lbs. This was just the beginning. I continued life and hid most of all of this well. I dressed trendy, accessorized, walked with confidence and talked the talk of a wise woman but oh my goodness I was burying all this junk and adding pounds slowly but surely it continued to creep upwards to 200 pounds. I believe through all of this time my faith gave me strength and courage and my confidence continued to be a major part of me.
This part is what eventually gave me the courage to decide on surgery. The comments came from friends and family that I was such a beautiful girl and had a pretty face if I could just get the weight off, that if I didn’t lose the weight my health would deteriorate, that men would find me more attractive at a smaller size. I could write a book of nice comments that cut deep and hurt to the bone. I have always also been that girl that loved to be anywhere on the water or near the water as well as I love the social scene, enjoy dancing, fashion and so on. I was even letting my weight affect my love for life and my passions. I carried shame, fear, sense of being a failure, doubt that God had great things for me and so on, I was spent. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired! I started praying and asking God to give me answers and control over my weight.
I started asking questions and researching different options and God showed up in 3 different situations confirming the choice for surgery and not only that the choice to do it with the OCC and Dr. Ortiz! I had my answer now I just had to figure out when and how, this was March of 2015. I got all the financial part figured out and booked my surgery for July 24, 2015. I decided to choose ME and MY HEALTH! I started out at 295 lbs. in March of 2015 and at surgery weight I was 282 lbs. and now as of Feb 2016 I am at 215 lbs. It has been more than anything I could have ever imagined. So much of my life has changed not only physically, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually and I am a NEW PERSON and still becoming the BEST ME! There has been so many adjustments that I will admit that are not the easiest but are worth every bit of it. I am able to wear clothes from regular stores, sit comfortably, date without shame, let God love me the way he wants to, stand up with the confidence I had stuffed down, and make all around better choices.
Dr. Ortiz and the OCC have been a life changer for me and I am blessed and thankful for the love, encouragement and belief from the staff and Dr. Ortiz himself. This is a top notch facility with top notch people! There are still changes occurring in my life and I am continuing to grow into the best ME!
