The journey that altered the course

[Lizzee 0]

Hi, my name is Lizzee Leslie and I am 21 year old who had to make the difficult decision to undergo the Gastric Sleeve procedure. My journey begins and the tender age of eleven when I started to uncontrollably gain an enormous amount of weight. It was a shock considering I was a swimmer with the youthful dream of one day joining the US Olympics Swimmer Team, I was healthy and then all the sudden it changed. No one could figure out what was wrong with me. It took two years and over 120 pounds later when I was diagnosed with PCOS. For those of you who are not familiar with that is is when there are hundred of cysts on the ovaries and the symptoms are uncontrollable weight gain and as well as hormone irregularities. I tried everything, I joined a weight loss program for kids where I was eating less than 1200 calories a day along with 1.5 hours of exercise. But even with that there was no change. Nothing and no one could help me. It was ten years to the summer when I was giving the hope that doing the Sleeve procedure would help with my PCOS which in turn would help with my weight loss. So after a lot of thinking and praying and with the support of my amazingly wonderful family I decided to go ahead with the procedure. On 31 May 2011 I underwent the start of my transformation. It has been hard both emotionally and physically. It is hard because I had to go back to school in May and there were many question concerning how I lost all this weight and why I eat so little. I don't know how to explain without going through the entire story, which I don't feel as if it is anyones right to know. It is hard because of the extreme changes that are happening with my body and I know that it will continue to change and I don't know how to deal with the changes and the attention that comes with it. I molded myself and all who I am around my weight and as I lose it I feel as if I have to start over. I know that my quality of life is approving but it is hard when everything is changing. But I know with the help of my close friends and family that I can get through this positively and with a healthy attitude.

[queenmab 1]

What a brave person you are! Congratulations on how far you have come!