I work as an IT Manager at a bank and enjoy spending time with my son, playing rugby union, and exploring the outdoors. As an outdoorsy family man, the decision to undertake my weight loss surgery journey was clear. Hearing the words, “if you don’t do something, you won’t be around,” was a profound wake-up call.
In 2020, I experienced the joy of welcoming my son into the world. However, around his first birthday in 2021, I faced a major relationship breakdown, which led to a court custody dispute and temporarily losing access to my son. Despite this, I fought tirelessly and eventually won the case.
The key reason for starting my weight loss journey and focusing on improving my mental and physical health was my family. They are the most important people in my life, and I wanted to ensure I could spend as much quality time with them as possible.
In 2022, I went for a general check-up with my GP and was told that I needed to make some significant changes to my lifestyle, and was diagnosed with early onset heart disease, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, extremely high cholesterol and severe type 2 diabetes, all in a short space of time.
Shortly after, I met with a weight loss team that I had been recommended to me, as well as a psychologist. After being presented with all of the information and options I had available to me, I felt extremely prepared to make a take the next step. By being able to work with a psychologist throughout the process, I was able to tackle the bad habits that I had obtained in previous years, relating to how I was dealing with stress and my relationship with food.
I felt really prepared going into my weight loss journey, despite having the challenge of getting my family on board, as they had the preconceived idea that going down this path was the ‘easy way out’.
The results I’ve experienced after coming out the other side have been nothing short of life-changing. My initial conditions are in remission. I have been able to live a more active and healthier lifestyle, and my four-year-old son gets tired before me!
I am enjoying exercise more and more, and found a keen interest in jogging, playing rugby union and regularly taking my son for walks and rides.
I went on to lose 60kg and proved myself to be a different person without the bad habits. Even being on the other side, I still refer to the information that I was provided in everyday life and still refer to all of the resources I was given, allowing me to feel equally as supported as I did prior to and during my patient journey.
Fortunately, prior to starting my patient journey, I knew quite a few people who had previously undergone the same process. It was great to speak with those people who made it work for them and changed their lives completely, which was inspiring and grounding.
It truly shows how important looking after yourself physically and mentally is. My perception of myself has changed, having two big things to overcome, which is inspiring to myself and the people around me, including my son.
I found the diet and exercise aspect post-surgery quite easy, as I always enjoyedeing outdoors. My biggest adjustment was avoiding eating and drinking at the same time. It’s something that you just do in everyday life, but you’re unable to do after surgery.
Taking that first step towards my patient journey saved my life. The support and content I received was unmatched. It wasn’t a “surgery and see you later” experience. The people I worked with had a real commitment to my health and well-being, pre-, during and post-surgery.
We acknowledge the Bindal and the Wulgurukaba peoples, the traditional custodians on the land in which we are gathered today. We pay our respects to elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. We acknowledge that we benefit from living and working on these lands.
This land is Aboriginal land, always was, is, and always will be.
Are you considering weightloss surgery?
If your BMI is between 30-35 without obesity-related health conditions, Dr Whiting will carefully determine your eligibility for surgical weight-loss interventions.
