Ashley Chapman remembers suddenly gaining weight unexpectedly at a young age. Weight loss was something she says she battled from that point on. “I tried everything since I was five years old to lose weight, but nothing ever worked,” she says. Her body, it seemed, appeared to resist weight loss despite her efforts of diet and exercise and even consulting her health care provider to determine what was wrong. “I had my thyroid tested so much that I think it is truly ridiculous. I knew something was wrong with me, but not sure what. Finally, the reproductive endocrinologist informed me the instant weight gain beginning at five years old was due to pre-menopause. I was shocked, but it all made sense.”
Before Ashley turned 30, she says she was “in full blown menopause.” Armed with a reason for the troubled weight gain, she set out to understand what to do regain balance in her body. After collapsing while walking up the stairs at work, she felt she had hit bottom and felt forced to quit her job – unable to physically keep up. “About a week later, I was in my very first Bailey Bariatric seminar,” she adds. “It changed my dim world into something with possibilities.”
Ashley spent that evening learning as much as she could about her weight loss options and asked Dr. JoeBob Kirk anything she wanted to better understand. “He is absolutely the easiest person to talk to.” That night Ashley decided The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center was the best fit for her and took the steps to begin the program. “Their team worked so hard and after six months, I was scheduled for surgery with Dr. Brandon Varnell. He is an outstanding surgeon and so kind.”
Surgery day - April 10, 2013 - is the day Ashley says changed her life. “It was not an easy way out,” Ashley says to anyone who may not realize the commitment of bariatric surgery patients must make. “It was my only way out of failed weight loss attempts.”
Her hard work and lifestyle changes have paid off for Ashley and her family. “I now wake up every morning knowing that anything my daughter or husband need, I can usually fulfill,” she adds in excitement. “I can run and play with my daughter now. I can climb the deer stand with my husband. I have so much confidence that I feel I am able to contribute so many positive things to society!”
Ashley uses her experience to educate and encourage others. From old friends to new friends she has met through the GEAR support group network, she is making the most of her journey to hopefully change the lives of others. “I have friends right now considering and beginning this wonderful process. They ask me what to expect and I gladly tell them the good, the bad and the ugly. No surprises.”
Crediting the Bailey Bariatric doctors, nurses and staff for helping her every step along the way, Ashley advises anyone considering this program to go in with an open mind and open heart to trust their advice. “They will never steer you in the wrong direction,” she says. The family she says she has gained through her Bailey Bariatrics team, will leave a lasting legacy for her own family. “My goal is for my daughter to group up knowing how hard I worked for this and seeing her succeed in all aspects. She watches Momma and knows her food portions and she always chooses water over soda!”
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Bailey Bariatrics program, please join us for our next free seminar Tuesday, December 9. Click here to register.