We love hearing stories of how weight loss surgery has helped improve our patients’ lives. Randa Scudder is an assistant principal of an elementary school. When her weight kept her from being able to do her job, Randa turned to Nicholson Clinic for bariatric surgery. This is her story.
“I was a successful teacher for eleven years. During that time my weight went up and down. I was a good teacher but walking up a flight of stairs to my classroom wore me out. I was exhausted by the end of the day. I rarely had the energy to do anything after school. When I became an administrator I put on even more weight. I ate out all the time because I told myself that I didn’t have the energy cook. I got absolutely no exercise because I told myself I didn’t have the time. I realize now those were lies that I told myself.
“I thought about weight loss surgery for a couple of years. I had tried tons of diets and even lost 100lbs at one point but I could never keep it off. In my mind weight loss surgery seemed like giving up. I told myself that I could do it on my own that I didn’t need surgery. I would tell myself that I was educated, successful and had a great life. While those things were true I realize now that I didn’t have the life that I truly wanted.
“The final turning point for me in my decision came on a day just like any other. I was an assistant principal of an elementary school. I got up, went to work and performed my normal AP duties until about 10:00am. I got a call on my radio that one of our students had run out of the building. My school was on a four lane street with extremely heavy traffic. Of course I immediately went into problem solving mode. I headed toward the door to where the student was. I moved as fast as I could. He was running down the sidewalk. I was following. I was so out of breath and I wasn’t even running. I couldn’t run. I was too fat. One of our teachers heard the radio call and thankfully responded. He passed me and caught up to the student. He was able to keep the student safe. I wasn’t. I had failed at my job. It was that moment that I realized that I could not keep my students safe at the weight I was at. I decided then that I would do something about it. That something was to have the Gastric Sleeve.
“I had my surgery December 21, 2015. It is honestly the best thing I have done for myself and my students. The day I walked into the Nicholson Clinic I weighed 417lbs. Today I weigh 220lbs. I still have more that I would like to lose but I am so thrilled with how far I have come. I am amazed at what I am able to do now. Just today alone I walked up 21 flights of stairs, walked over 4 miles at school, took a kickboxing class and then did two loads of laundry when I got home. I have more energy than I have ever had in my life. I am able to perform my job better than ever, but most importantly I know that now I have the stamina and energy to keep my students safe.”
