8 Things I’m being asked after having Weight Loss Surgery

Victoria Cairl
5 min readDec 4, 2022
Me heading back to work 10 days after surgery.

I recently had gastric sleeve surgery. It felt weird to talk about and to “out” myself publicly. But this procedure is growing more and more common, and it can change your life.

I have prided myself at living and writing about my experience as authentically as I can. I have tried to remain body positive and confident as I have navigated years inside a larger body. I even wrote about that long ago, see here.

But as much as I love Lizzo, I was falling apart health-wise and suffering through a deep depression. I needed to decide to start a new life. So, I did.

Here’s a look at the questions I am getting asked and my honest answers. I’m not a medical expert and I am very new to all this. My opinions and experiences are all my own.

Why did I do it?

At the age of 45, I’m only halfway through my life. I don’t want to die before this story ends. My Mom had a stroke at a fairly young age. I knew the risk was there and wanted to nip it in the bud before my health went south.

Also, I just didn’t feel like myself anymore. I had always been curvy, but my curves were disappearing. Now I felt like a stranger trapped in a shell that wasn’t my own. I even dyed my hair back to its natural color (blonde) to try and find myself again.

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Victoria Cairl
Victoria Cairl

Written by Victoria Cairl

Writes about women and work and all else

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