Summary
Yohana Rios, a 33-year-old from Stockton, California, chose Elias Ortiz & Company (EOC) for her weight loss surgery after researching and seeing positive feedback on social media. Dr. Ortiz’s appearance on a reality TV show further motivated her decision. Following a friend’s recommendation, Yohana started following EOC on social media, particularly Kayla’s journey. She had her gastric sleeve surgery performed by Dr. Ortiz on December 16, 2022. Yohana advises mentally preparing for the challenges that arise post-surgery, as it is not an easy transition. She emphasizes the importance of mindset and highlights the struggles not only in eating but also in body dysmorphia. Despite the difficulties, Yohana has no regrets and had a wonderful experience in Mexico with EOC’s arrangement of transportation and excellent staff at the hotel and hospital. She highly recommends EOC and attests to the significant positive changes weight loss surgery has brought to her life as a mother and teacher, including increased energy and the ability to enjoy amusement park rides with her daughters. Yohana has lost a total of 82 pounds, with 15 pounds lost before the surgery.
Transcript
Hello everyone. My name is Yohana. I am 33 years old from Stockton, California. So I decided on ELC after doing some research. I was following them on social media, really liked all the feedback that I was seeing on there. Then I learned that Dr. Ortiz had participated on a reality TV show on TLC, performing the surgery for one of the participants of the TV show. So that really motivated me to feel more secure on my decision and wanting to go ahead and book with him for my surgery. So I found ELC through a friend. She was actually doing research on her own for surgery as well. So when she shared her information that she had found, I began following on social media. So the first one I started following was Kayla, just as many of us here do. After following her journey and seeing many others share their experience on TikTok, I decided to join the community and also book my surgery. So I had my surgery December 16, 2022. I had Dr. Ortiz perform a gastric sleeve for me. My biggest piece of advice would be just to really mentally prepare for it. A lot of times we think, you know, once we’re in it, it’s just going to be an easy transition, but it really is not. You really just kind of have to be mindful of all the changes that are going to happen. You know, of course, we have all the positives, but there’s also going to be some hard times, you know, when you see the weight not coming off as fast as you want or, you know, I always say I still have my big girl mentality going on where I still want to eat, even though I know I can’t fit anything else in there. So it’s really more about the mindset that you go into it, not thinking that it’s going to be an easy road because it’s really not. There’s a lot of that you’re going to be struggling, not just with what you could eat, but even just, you know, a big thing in this community is the body dysmorphia that people begin to experience. And it’s really true because even though you’re starting to look smaller, there’s times that you still see that bigger that used to be. So it’s really hard up here, but I don’t regret it one bit. I personally had a wonderful experience in Mexico. They picked us up at the airport in San Diego, crossed us over to Tijuana, and then from there everything, you know, was pretty smooth. I personally didn’t have any issue. Everybody at the hotel staff was wonderful. The nurses at the hospital were all amazing and very on top of everything. I didn’t have to worry about anything one bit. So I really enjoy my experience and make sure to, you know, share my experience with people when they ask me about my weight loss surgery and where I got it done. EOC is, you know, something that I always recommend. Weight loss surgery has definitely changed my life. I am a mom. I’m a teacher. So just being able to get up and move and not feel overly tired all the time is something that I really appreciate. Being able to experience getting in rides at an amusement park. As a bigger girl, there’s times that we couldn’t fit in those rides at times. So being able to experience that now with my daughters is something that I really appreciate and I look forward to being able to enjoy more of their childhood. And you know, I’m still young, so I have hopefully a long life to live still. So definitely EOC has brought nothing but positive things for me. And of course, you know, being able to see the changes in my body is also amazing. You start feeling better about yourself. So definitely boost up your self-esteem. So I have lost a total of 82 pounds with 15 pounds being from pre-op.
