At 31 years old, Cali Grimmett has too much life ahead of her to live it wondering if/when she’s going to develop health problems related to her excess weight.
“I was what I like to call a ‘very healthy big girl’ because I didn’t really have a lot of the obesity-related conditions some overweight people have like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,” said Cali, a human resources manager from Ada, Oklahoma. “And since I’m adopted, I don’t really know my medical history. So I never really knew if I was going to develop health issues at some point.”
Even though she was happy, confident and loving her life, Cali decided to be proactive and address her weight. “I’m so glad I did,” she said. “It’s been the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.”
Cali’s search for a weight loss surgeon led her to Dr. Ayoola at Weight Loss Specialists of North Texas. Even though he was in Texas and she was in Oklahoma, she decided not to let distance be a barrier to getting the best care. Cali felt confident she could trust Dr. Ayoola to provide the best care and support for her weight loss journey.
In June of 2015, Cali traveled to the metroplex and underwent the duodenal switch with Dr. Ayoola. Fast forward to today; Cali is 180 pounds lighter and loving life!
“I won’t say it’s been easy,” admitted Cali. “But it’s been an absolutely wonderful journey.”
One of Cali’s favorite things to do is travel with her husband and she is systematically filling her travel log with places and experiences on her bucket list. “It’s so wonderful to be able to fit comfortably in an airplane seat and not have to ask for a seatbelt extender and just to be able to cross my legs comfortably while sitting in an airplane seat,” she admitted.
Not on purpose, but Cali has basically started her own support group (and Dr. Ayoola fan club!) as five – yes FIVE – of her friends have since had weight loss surgery with Dr. Ayoola. “We don’t all live in the same area but we talk and email and help each other along the way because we have a lot of the same interests and experiences.”
Cali sees Dr. Ayoola about every six months and is looking forward to her next big adventure. “A lot of people have fears about weight loss surgery but I would say, just go for it!” said Cali. “I was really comfortable in my own skin even before the surgery but I can enjoy my life even more now!”
