HW:283 SW:278 CW:158 ⬇️125 lbs✂️10/2021 Postop Complication Activist/Survivor.Failed🎈revision 1/18.Failed NG1/25.TPN1/26.Dobhoff1/27.failed LTrevision4/18. RNY , LT repair, Tissue Necrosis removal, Adhesion removal, Appendectomy 12/7/22 , Bowel obstruction/Gatroenteritis/diagnosed with radiation caused autoimmune Colitis and rare Hydrogen and Methane SIBO unresponsive to antibiotics/diet change/holistic supplements 2/16/23. MAST CELL/REACTIVE HYPOGLYCEMIA. Bone loss. Bilateral Salpingectomy, adhesion removal, tissue necrosis removal 7/6/23. 2nd and 3rd rounds of TPN. 2nd Picc Line 7/18/23. 3rd Picc Line 10/22/23. Port 11/10/23. PORT INFECTION AND SURGICAL REMOVAL/WOUND PACKING 11/04/24. D&C Hysteroscopy Novasure ablation and uterus shift 1/16/25. GASTRIC ESOPHAGEAL HIATAL HERNIA REPAIR/Reflux surgery revision with STRETTA 1/30/25. 
"YOU STILL HAVE TO LIVE EVEN WHEN YOU ARE SURVIVING" NEVER GIVE UP. KEEP GOING. ON A PATH TO THRIVE. 

JULY 11th 2022:

Hi New friends 👋 : your story matters! Here is mine: Steph/nurse. I want to take you on a journey swipe left..a journey of a woman who conquered everything life threw at her. I chose to have wls because I suffered from gastroparesis (my gastric motility of my stomach partially paralyzed so it took me 8-12 hrs to digest when it normally is 3-4 hrs) on daily antibiotics/steroids…. And a bunch of weight gain. I tried multiple diets/pills/shots to get it off but it just came back and then some. I had wls and I do not regret it. At 5 weeks post op I had a impacted bowel. At 10 weeks post op I found out I had a stricture/sliding hiatal hernia/severe reflux and my sleeve was in my chest not my abdominal cavity. This is a body that survived 10 weeks of starvation, pain, vomiting, nausea… aspirating stomach acid into her lungs … being nothing by mouth… a body that even was broken down mentally when she was at her lowest by bullies for sharing the bad parts and not just the good parts and made to feel ashamed for asking for help. A body that survived a accidental overdose of tpn where I have complete amnesia for 8 hrs and my blood sugar was 546. A body that survived days and nights in the er and hospital in a hall way or in a room. A body that survived many tests, picc lines/feeding tubes… trauma/ptsd from drs/procedures. A body that fought and advocated. A body that survived 6.5 months of post op complications/still managed to stay positive/support others when she didn’t even think she could be positive for herself. A body/mind that never gave up on her. A body and mind that is so strong because of all of this. I am a bariatric warrior!  I am thankful for all of you who have supported me through this and those who are just now joining. Thank you for being there. I am 2.5mo postop surgical revision/feeling good for 1st time in a long time. Still healing but thriving! Survived covid/ Pulm Embolism/bilat pneumonia too! No regrets! This surgery saved my life. Never let anyone dull your light! We all struggle/every struggle matters. Every win matters. Small progress is still progress. I share my story because it may help someone someday not feel alone. You will rise up! 

AUGUST 6TH 2022: 

🌟Its been 10 months since vsg… 3.5 months since revision, in those 10 months ….8 surgeries/procedures under general anesthesia, Months of starvation, months of pain, reflux/aspiration, vomiting, nausea, Accidental TPN overdose, covid, bilateral pneumonia, a blood clot, being bullied for sharing the “bad” parts or asking for “help”…… guess what I am stronger… 

🌟I am here to share my story in hopes it helps even just one person NOT feel alone. Struggles are real.. big or small….together we will overcome them. Never give up. No regrets. I am here to advocate and spread awareness. To share my whole story with full transparency. 

🌟WLS is Hard despite complications….. I am here to tell you and be there for you to celebrate those wins…
Big or small. Small progress is still progress. 

🌟I am here to listen and when you need a shoulder to cry on. 

🌟WLS and everything I have gone through has made me stronger. I do not regret any part of this. WLS cured my severe gastroparesis, got me off daily steroids, got me off daily prokinetic antibiotics, helped me lose the gained 60 lbs from steroids. Prevented me from having hypertension, diabetes, severe sleep apnea, etc. It allows me to move and breath better. I am taking back my metabolic wellness. Yes I still have a lot of healing to do… my body has been through hell… and I will allow it space and grace and the time it needs. 93 lbs down. 

🌟You will rise up. You will overcome. You are never alone. You are worthy. You are doing the work of WLS. You are healing. You are more than good enough. My Dms are always open! 

🌟 Thank you for being so supportive to me and allowing me to be fully transparent with all aspects of my journey good or bad. I love all of you. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your journey as well as you a part of mine. I have met and connected with so many people and I cannot wait to connect with more! This community has kept me going! I don’t know where I would be without all of you! 

August 25th 2022: 

❤️Health Update: So it has taken me some time to process this and yesterday at my surgery follow up the concerns/ symptoms/ next step was confirmed. My journey certainly has been very different then most and I appreciate all of you for not only supporting me through the good parts but for also supporting me through the not so great parts and allowing me to share my story with full transparency. My name is very fitting… Bariatric Warrior… because that is just what I am. This account is for me to share my story, connect with all of you my amazing support, cheer all of you on in your journeys, and hope that my story makes even just one person not feel alone or not give up. Unfortunately I failed my Dexilant Wean… I became very symptomatic and having severe pain, vomiting, reflux, aspiration again. A month ago my barium swallow showed that my LT revision was still working, but today it showed it failed. My reflux is now sitting in my esophagus above my stomach pouch for a few min going up my esophagus and then going down. This is occurring whether I have eaten or not.  We were so hopeful this would be a permanent fix, but also it was known that 1 in 10 people who have this procedure will end up with full RNY Bypass… and to give you an idea this procedure is so new that I was my surgeons 26th patient he did it on and his 2nd in which it failed. Sure I am scared, sure this brings back PTSD from everything I have gone through, Sure this surgery is risky especially for me. Sure I may need more surgery in 15 years. BUT this is my only option left. I have tried every medication and prior procedure to feel better from my post op complications. After long conversation my surgeon is confident this is the last surgery I will need. I trust him. He has stuck by me and advocated for me so much. 

OCTOBER 4th, 2022 

OCTOBER 4th 2022: Yesterday I worked my shift, then started my drive towards my surgeons office…. That drive was so anxiety and ptsd provoking I was physically shaking. I got there and had palpitations. Everyone there was like yay your 1 year milestone, congrats, I bet you are feeling great… and yes it is easy for those who haven’t been around for your journey to say those things. It hits different when it is said in person by those who don’t know all you have overcome. Here where I share my story with full transparency all of you know what I have gone through and am going through so its different and appreciated when its said here. I spent 1 hour and 40 minutes at my surgeons office talking with him, crying, frustrated, and ended up leaving absolutely heartbroken. Current insurance denied my revision… new insurance dr said will deny it and the bariatric ins lawyer fighting it can take 8 months to a year to get it overturned and thats a fat “maybe”… now when you tell someone they will have to endure the pain, nausea, vomiting, inability to eat/drink appropriately to nourish their body… aka will continue to worsen and end up right back where they were last nov dec jan feb etc ….. thats not okay. My only option in order to have the surgery this Nov or December is to pay out of pocket… $14,527.87 (revision, anesthesia, fluroscopy, bliss 3 month Complication ins) thats not including the facility fee…. Which can be up towards another 9 grand. Even as a nurse I cannot afford that. This is starting to be a whole nightmare all over again. His hands are tied with the rules at his facility and specific laws… so he can’t do anything more than provide support and what I need … void the pre classes… and he even offered to do the surgery at his surgery center so it be cheaper than at the hospital. He put in infusion orders for banana bags as well as i.v fluids weekly. He has been with me through this every step of the way. Because of the complexity of my case and multiple surgeries I cannot just go to mexico for revision… I wish it was different, because that be so much cheaper. I absolutely hate asking for help when I am always used to being the one who gives. I am a nurse I live my life to take care of others. Last year when I broke down and asked for help I got bullied for it and made to feel ashamed. I was called names etc. I even deleted my instagram and was so alone. So many people missed me and were sad. I came back because of the good ones in this community… i came back because my story matters and it has since helped so many others in their struggles and for them to not feel alone. I am looking into loans right now and selling more of my belongings. A few of you reached out wanting to host a fundraiser and I said I need to think about, because there is trauma around that.  I am just so heart broken… this surgery is medically necessary. Its not for weightloss. Its for symptom and post op complication cure. So yeah today is my 1 year sleevaversary… soon it will be my 6 month LT cardiopexy hh repair sleeve dilation and anchoring surgiversary. Its not happy for me. And I am allowed to not be happy. I am human and I have fought so much. I have never said I regretted wls. So I have to try and come up with this money to have a quality life complication and symptoms free. Thank you everyone for being here during ups and downs. Thank you for not giving up on me. Because of your support and @Barination I am still here. And even though I may physically feel alone … I am not because I have this community. 

So yeah my partner got me two balloons… because I am somewhere between a pikachu and a baby yoda right now…. Trying fight my battle like pikachu while being one with the force and meditating on space and grace. We will celebrate big when this is overcome. 

I am trying to have my medically necessary 2nd revision to cure my post op complications and severe symptoms… they Have surgery dates of Nov 21, dec 2nd, Dec 7th 2022

REVISION TO RNY December 7th 2022 ( WE DID IT FRIENDS) 

JANUARY 8th, 2023
I still have my struggles and I will have new ones. I still am on daily infusions and my 3rd round of TPN . Got my 3rd picc line removed and am onto my surgiclaly placed port journey with infusions/tpn.  But knock me down 12 plus times I will get back up

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED LOVE AND             SUPPORT

COMMUNITY IS EVERYTHING 

My name is Stephanie and I’m the founder, face, voice, and heart behind Bariatric Warrior and Bariatric Warrior Support. I am a multi-state Registered Nurse, and a fellow bariatric patient who knows the highs and lows of this journey firsthand.

After years of being on daily steroids and antibiotics to treat Gastroparesis, which caused a 60+ pound weight gain the steroids stopped working. Bariatric surgery was offered to me as an option to cure my Gastroparesis and help get the steroid weight off. My heaviest weight was 283 pounds and my lowest was between 147 and 154 lbs. I was pre-diabetic with insulin resistance, PCOS, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and it was hard to walk long distances without stopping to catch my breath.

My Weight-loss surgery “cliff notes” story began with Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) surgery on October 5th, 2021 and little did I know the next 3.5 years would be some of the hardest years of my life. It cured my Gastroparesis, but the VSG caused rare severe post op complications of my sleeve sliding through a weak spot in my diaphragm causing severe stricture, GERD, and hiatal hernia. I could not eat or drink anything without it coming up and aspirating multiple times. I lost 74 pounds in 1.5 months, which is so scary. I went through this alone as it was in the height of COVID.

This required multiple complex tests and procedures, having nothing by mouth for 10 months total in my journey, NG Tubes and Dophoff feeding tubes, 3 PICC lines, a Port a Cath, TPN, Tube feed, a DVT blood clot, sleeve dilations, IV Infusions/IV push meds, ending up with Sepsis when my Port a Cath eroded through my chest and almost caused heart valve failure leading to potential heart failure, and revision surgeries that were medically necessary to survive and better my quality of life.

My first major revision was April 18th, 2022, but it unfortunately failed after just 4 months, and I was back to fighting for my life again. Myself with the help of my Mom, friends, Kellie/Mel/OSLP Benchies, Jamie/t.r.i.be membership, Barination, Barighouls, and my fellow bariatric community I had my 2nd major revision to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with 1.5 hours of adhesion removal, tissue necrosis removal, and appendectomy on December 7th, 2022. This revision helped significantly with my symptoms and allowed me to be able to eat and have some relief from my severe
symptoms, but I still have and will always have physical, mechanical, and disease process complications.

With this 2nd revision came its own complications too, but I did not let that dull the light inside of me. I handled it all with grace and continue to. I will always show up not only for myself, but for my community to despite my struggles. What happened to me was not my fault nor was it in my control. I have never regretted having Weight Loss Surgery and never will.

What is in my control is to never give up, keep going, and do everything I can to have the best quality of life despite the circumstances and chronic illness that I have been dealt. I will always support/recommend discussing with your care team if Bariatric surgery could be an option for you. Bariatric surgery, GLP 1 medication, etc. are tools to help treat the disease of Obesity. By talking about it, providing education/resources, advocating, and sharing our journeys we are helping to end the stigma surrounding
Bariatric surgery and weight loss medications. Bariatric surgery is safer than having
your Gall Bladder removed.

Through every setback, I realized how vital it is to have someone in your corner.

I had to advocate so hard for myself even with being a registered medical professional. I felt so alone and isolated, because no one was sharing the complication side of bariatric surgery. I was even told that I should feel ashamed for sharing the “bad” parts and that Weight loss surgery was only “butterflies and rainbows”. I was told that my story didn’t matter, and I should feel ashamed for asking for help.

This is why I share the good, bad, and ugly with full transparency so that even just one person doesn’t feel alone. So that no one walks alone or suffers in silence. Your story matters: never let anyone tell you otherwise.

Never feel ashamed for asking for help. It is completely ok to ask for help. These experiences gave me not just personal insight, but also an even deeper passion for helping others navigate and advocate for themselves every step of the way on their bariatric or health care journey, whether they have complications or not. 

With my compassion and expertise through Bariatric Warrior Support, I provide personalized One-on-One support and patient advocacy services—so you never have to face challenges or complications alone. My mission is to make sure every bariatric patient receives the care, information, support, and encouragement they deserve, and that they never suffer in silence.

You are not alone here, I see you, I hear you, and Bariatric Warrior Support is your safe place to find understanding, honest support, advocacy, and the expertise of someone who truly cares and wants to help you navigate the ups and downs.
 

Through my journey I not only found my community and so many amazing friends who I call my Bari family; but I found my bari bestie Bex and we have been each other’s rock through so many things. Together we created the Bariatric Warrior Podcast, hosted meet ups, took care of each other after surgeries/plastics, got tattoos, and so much more. I could not have done this journey and all it has encompassed without her.

Love & Light , Steph @Bariatricwarrior 

Founder/Owner of Bariatric Warrior Support, LLC

Creator/Host Bariatric Warrior Podcast

Bariatricwarriorsupport.com