WEBVTT

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So, my name is Julie.

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I had the gastric sleeve
in December of 2012

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and I've lost
a total of 165 pounds.

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My life before surgery
was not the greatest.

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I had a lot
of health problems.

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I was tired
all the time.

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I was very limited
in the activities I could do

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because of my weight.

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I had high blood pressure

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and my liver
wasn't functioning correctly.

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I also had
blood clots in my legs

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and I had two pulmonary embolisms that almost killed me.

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And that was
kind of the final straw.

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I decided
to have weight loss surgery

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after consulting with my doctor.

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I had to get that weight off
and get it off quickly

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so that I could survive

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and I was just not able
to lose it on my own.

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The pros of having
weight loss surgery

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obviously
is losing the weight.

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The cons really are

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you have to be ready to
make the changes in your life.

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Many of us have been on
every diet known to man

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and, you know,
you lose the weight.

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You gain it back

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because you haven't
changed your eating habits

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and you haven't
changed your lifestyle.

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You have to exercise.

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You have to put in the work
and it's an every day thing.

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So if you're not willing to
make those changes in your life

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then it's not gonna be for you.

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My life is so different
now that I've lost the weight.

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My case manager had us make
a list of all the things

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that we wanted to be able to do
that we couldn't do before.

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Simple things

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from being able sit in an airplane and fasten the seatbelt

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without extenders

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all the way up to snorkel,
zip lining, horseback riding,

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parasailing;
you know, things like that

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that you were
always restricted from doing

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because of your weight.

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One thing I would tell others

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who are
thinking of having the surgery

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would be to make sure
you're ready to commit

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to changing your life style
for the rest of your life.

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It was the best decision
I ever made for myself;

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so now it's limitless.