Let Lisa's Weight-loss Journey Inspire You

Lisa Harris is a mom of two, who had gastric bypass surgery at Penn in Philadelphia. Lisa will be contributing to the Penn Weight Loss blog, and in this, her first installment, she tells us about the salon service that changed her life. Learn more about Lisa's weight-loss journey here.

I'm really excited about becoming a featured blogger for the Penn Medicine Weight-loss Blog. You may have read my weight-loss story when it was published in July.

I'm a 45-year- old single mother who works full time as a software administrator. I live in Southern New Jersey with my two children who are 19 and 17. I’m also an avid dog lover.

I have been overweight my entire life. When I entered adulthood, things really got out of control. I was a size 20 when I graduated high school. I was in a 22 at age 22. By the time I was 40, my weight had ballooned to over 330 lbs and I was miserable in a size 28.

Like many people who are obese, I suffered from a myriad of health problems and lifestyle restrictions. I was in constant pain, both physically and emotionally. Back damage from a car accident was made worse by my obesity. My ankles would swell up if I walked too much. I was plagued by cellulitis in my leg, a condition that required strong antibiotics and periodic hospitalization to treat. A trip to an amusement park had me using a cane to get around, and watching while my kids rode the roller coasters. At 43, my quality of life was diminishing quickly.

The Manicure That Changed My Life

I thought about bariatric surgery before, but never pursued it. I had a preconceived notion that it would be expensive, painful, and I'd have a long recovery period. Two months after my father passed away, a chance meeting -- in a nail salon, of all places -- changed my life forever. There I met a woman who told me about her own bariatric surgery at Penn Medicine. She told me about the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program there. She'd gone from a size 22 to a size 4 and had maintained a healthy weight for the past four years. I went home and started researching. I wish I had her name, so I could properly thank her. She saved my life!

Within weeks, I was registered at Penn Medicine and had two seats reserved at an information session in Cherry Hill. I brought my mother with me. She was initially opposed to the surgery and I needed her to learn about the safety and reputation of the doctors at Penn. I chose to work with Dr. Alan Schuricht and scheduled my first appointment with him at the end of the information session. After going through all the pre-op requirements, I had gastric bypass surgery on May 2, 2011. Since then, I've lost a total of 158 lbs. I have gone from wearing size 28 pants that I struggled to button to a size 12. Sometimes it still amazes me.

Let My Weight-loss Journey Inspire You

My blog will be a mix of the old and the new -- what life was like before surgery and how I reclaimed my life and turned everything around. The experts at Penn know the surgery. I've LIVED it. I no longer struggle with my daily life. My entire outlook has changed. I hope to inspire others to make positive changes in their lives. In the months leading up to my surgery and the year after, I've amassed many tips, tricks and experiences that have helped make my journey easier. I'll share all that, and more.

If there's anything you'd like me to write about, feel free to leave a message in the comments.

I hope you enjoy my posts to follow in the coming months!