Maybe it’s that her kids no longer have to do the laundry because she’s physically unable.

Maybe it’s that she can enjoy going to the movies or theater for the first time in her life.

Maybe it’s that her knees and hips no longer give her pain that brings her to tears.

Maybe it’s that she now works in a fitness center and serves as an inspiration to hundreds of women.

Maybe it’s that she can now go shopping and buy clothes right off the rack.

Or maybe it’s that she managed to beat a long family history of obesity.

“I really felt like I was a nobody,” Debbie describes. “I was always overweight, even as a child. As an adult, I couldn’t give my kids the affection they needed because I didn’t feel it for myself,” she says.

Debbie was forced to walk with a cane, apply for disability and attempt to control the diabetes that had developed as a result of her weight.

Then, in October 2004, Debbie chose to undergo gastric bypass surgery at Columbia St. Mary’s. “I wish I would have done it sooner,” she says. “I missed out on so much of my life.”

When you ask Debbie what is the best part about undergoing gastric bypass surgery, she knows exactly where to begin.

“The day I had surgery was the best day of my life. It was truly a new beginning. The team at Columbia St. Mary’s was so supportive – their ongoing encouragement has really made all the difference.

“Although the first few weeks after surgery were some of the hardest of my life, I now feel like I have total control of what I put into my mouth. I no longer crave sugar, I exercise all the time and my diabetes is gone,” she says.

Her advice to anyone thinking about having this surgery? “You have to be truly dedicated to the lifestyle changes that come with the surgery,” she says. “For some people it’s easy to go the other way after surgery and lose too much weight, but for me it’s really about control. I feel like I have power over my body in a way I never had before.”