I’m a mom of two wonderful sons, ages 27 & 30. My husband and I have been together for 30+ years, married 28. We live in the Pacific Northwest. Recently we sold our beautiful home near West Seattle and started TINY LIVING! We are F/T RVing, and it’s definitely, “interesting.” I blog, Instagram and YT about all that and more!
Since the mid-nineties, I have worked in the medical field in one form or another. Working in pharmaceuticals, then side by side with the two incredible women, RN Case workers at Group Health Cooperative, working specifically with Bariatric, Heart and Diabetes Patients (high risk)… Then I moved on through the following departments in Mental Health, Pediatrics, Surgery, Family Practice and more. All the while becoming a medical assistant then continuing my education and completing pre-requisites and all support classes for my RN at the local community college. During this busy time two beautiful children needed my help! So my family placed everything on hold and assumed the responsibility that was given us by Child Protective Services, ultimately by God. The children stayed with us for nearly a year. Shortly after they left I became an Administrator and case worker for a Co-Dependency Psychiatric and Chemical Dependency clinic, staying there for 7 years.
It has truly been a lifelong passion to help others (esp juveniles when I was younger) overcome dependencies, such as food, chemical dependence and a full spectrum of mental health issues.
In terms of weight-loss surgery, it has been something at the forefront of my existence since since 1996, at that time Doctors refused to refer me at 220-240. Then at 255 I started the process again, but insurance just wouldn’t pay for it! Around that time if it did pay, you had to jump through many hoops and have a multitude of co-morbidities…my husband worked long hours and I didn’t have the support or motivation to do it on my own. I was a high functioning obese (I HATE THAT WORD) patient, like a high functioning alcoholic, so it was hard to get and receive medical help! And had I truly wanted to pursue WLS, it would either be in Texas or perhaps California, and out of pocket. The main physician in WA State where I reside had a hit and miss record…so I waited, and waited...and tried many, many diets, going up and down on the scale, having a tough time with my hormones, (I have PCOS amongst a few other goodies…) BUT again, I started the referral process again in 2005, then 2011 and finally 2016, when I finally received full insurance coverage, via Cigna! I don’t think I would have been truly ready emotionally before that. And this time around my husband could attend every appointment and I have an incredible friend who works in the WLS field, that has been a great support; nutrition wise, emotionally, etc… I had nearly always thought that I would have the gastric band, though after working with patients and discussing outcomes with my surgeon, he suggested and I agreed that either the sleeve or R&Y would be the way to go, I opted for the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy.
My passion is for people, it always has been…I want to help people have the utmost quality of life, we only have one! Currently, for the past year and a half, I’ve been in classes online, and I'm redirecting my training towards the bariatric/nutrition field! I found that many people want to do better, they want to be healthier though often they don't have anyone they can trust and rely on for help, and or they feel ashamed and start to isolate, eventually becoming shut-in's which only declines their abilities further!
I want to see others through this process, whether that means every appointment, from the initial PCP referral, writing an insurance appeal, to meeting a post-op nutrition appointment or 1 year post-op, I'm there! I want to help.
That’s me in brief... or was that brief? :)
Shana Lee, the WLS Foodie
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