After years of dieting and her weight yo-yoing up and down, Colleen Shumate began to look for a permanent solution in her weight loss journey.
“I knew how to lose weight,” Colleen explained. “But I just didn’t have the motivation to do it on my own anymore. I needed help.”
Colleen began to do some research after a friend mentioned the possibility of weight loss surgery. After a consultation with Yong Choi, MD, FACS, minimally invasive surgeon at CHI St. Luke’s Health–The Woodlands Hospital, Colleen decided gastric sleeve surgery would be the best solution for her. Gastric sleeve surgery induces weight loss by laparoscopically removing a portion of the patient’s stomach to restrict food intake.
On March 3, 2018, Dr. Choi performed the gastric sleeve surgery on Colleen at The Woodlands Hospital. Colleen was discharged from the hospital the following day and has continued to lose weight ever since.
“Growing up, my parents were both overweight. Now, they are in their 70s and have several weight-related issues,” said Colleen. “It was like I had a mirror into my future and, instead of following that path, I took this amazing tool that was offered to me, and it changed my life.”
Since the surgery, Colleen has changed her entire lifestyle, improved her quality of life, and even uses her own before and after photos to encourage those on the fence about getting the gastric sleeve.
“My only regret is I wish I would’ve done it sooner,” said Colleen. “I would recommend The Woodlands Hospital to anyone considering weight loss surgery.”
