Bariatric Surgery Opens the Door to a More Active, Pain-Free Life for Sara

Sara McClure had been overweight for the majority of her life.

“I was bullied a lot for the fact that I was a plus-size girl. I struggled with depression most of my life because of my obesity. Nothing changed as I became an adult — I was always the big girl.”

At her highest weight, Sara says she weighed 386 pounds and was miserable. Her whole body was impacted by the weight she was carrying. It was affecting her mental health and causing her depression to worsen. She had low energy and her knees would hurt daily. Sara could not lay down, roll over in bed, or get up from the couch without having such intense back pain that would sometimes cause her to cry out.

When Sara joined Saint Luke's Health System and became the medical assistant for Dr. Brent Sorensen, she witnessed other patients go through amazing transformations.

"I had been contemplating bariatric surgery for a long time, but the insurance I had before I started working at Saint Luke's did not have bariatric benefits."

Today, she is one year out from surgery, 105 pounds down, and pain-free in her joints and back.

“The whole bariatric team is amazing. They are always willing to give advice and guide you in the right direction. They are great resources when you get stuck in a spot and need an idea on how to achieve a goal. They are so encouraging and wonderful.”

Sara believes her biggest win was getting her life back. Now she can enjoy all it has to offer with her children and soon-to-be husband.

“One of the best feelings is when you realize you can do the things your weight kept you from doing before. I can run around with my kids without being out of breath within the first 30 minutes and visit the pumpkin patch and zoo.

A significant moment for me was when my daughter told me, ‘Mommy, I can finally hug you all the way around!’"

Learn more about Saint Luke’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss.