Taking Back My Life

Taking Back My Life Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Taking Back My Life, Health & Wellness Website, United States Of America, Washington D.C., DC.

**********************************************************
Geri Ann Cayer
Beginning Of Weight Loss Journey: October 2022
(BW) Beginning Weight: 288 #
(SD) Surgery Date: 02-14-2023
Surgery Type: Bariatric Gastric Sleeve
(GW) Goal Weight: 130 #
Current Weight: 179 #

I never thought that I would have the guts to share my note to myself (see photo) with anybody, especially not my friends and

family on Social Media, but as I sit here and read it like I do every morning to keep reminding myself that “I GOT THIS!” I think of where I have started and just how far I have come. Some people can shun you and say I took the easy way out, but let me tell you, you are completely mistaken. Bariatric is a tool and not the only reason for weight loss. It takes dedication and strength to get where I am now. It is only a tool to help along the way. My story… All of my adulthood I have struggled with my weight. I tried diets, lost weight only to gain it back and then some. I also had help from doctors and dietitians. Something some of you don’t know about me… I have Vasculitis which is a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in blood vessels, also known as angiitis. There are different types of Vasculitis. Mine so happens to be one that causes weight gain and not weight loss. If I am to have it, why can’t it be the one that causes weight loss? My body is always swollen to some extent. I am on medication for it, but it can only help so much. Doctors said that there was literally nothing more they could do for me to help with my weight, but that we needed to figure something out or it would end up killing me if nothing else did first. That is when they suggested Bariatric surgery. I had thought about it in the past, but never had the guts to go forward with it. Honestly, I was afraid. My doctor told me the consult was free and to just go to an and listen to what they had to say. I thought, OK. I will go and see what it was about. And heck, if it was free. The doctors talked so the Bariatric doctor so that he knew my background and condition before my appointment. I was VERY nervous. At the end of my appointment I was asked what I thought and if I thought it was something I wanted to go forward with I took a deep breath and said YES. That was the beginning of my new life’s journey and I share it all every day of my life on my social medias (FB, IG, TT) in hopes that I can help those who are in the same situation I once was. Remember, life is NOT promised to anyone. It can be snatched away in the blink of an eye. Live in the now and don’t ever let anything or anyone hold you back. You deserve it!! Geri Ann

**********************************************************

This is a place where we can share our health & wellness secrets. There are many diets and remedies out there that may work wonders for one person and do nothing for another. I have issues with staying on track. Here we can all help each other in achieving our goals and wellbeing. Share your experiences and knowledge. Plan a group walk or workout session. Have an online workout buddy & more. Who knows... you just might be someone's inspiration. WILL YOU BE MINE?? After all "Sharing Is Caring"!

**********************************************************

If you are in need of some weight/health support, come and join our group. I know that I can use all the support that I can get!! HOW ABOUT YOU?? =)

**********************************************************
ocial Media, but as I sit here and read it like I do every morning to keep reminding myself that “I GOT THIS!” I think of where I have started and just how far I have come. Some people can shun you and say I took the easy way out, but let me tell you, you are completely mistaken. Bariatric is a tool and not the only reason for weight loss. It takes dedication and strength to get where I am now. It is only a tool to help along the way. My story… All of my adulthood I have struggled with my weight. I tried diets, lost weight only to gain it back and then some. I also had help from doctors and dietitians. Something some of you don’t know about me… I have Vasculitis which is a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in blood vessels, also known as angiitis. There are different types of Vasculitis. Mine so happens to be one that causes weight gain and not weight loss. If I am to have it, why can’t it be the one that causes weight loss? My body is always swollen to some extent. I am on medication for it, but it can only help so much. Doctors said that there was literally nothing more they could do for me to help with my weight, but that we needed to figure something out or it would end up killing me if nothing else did first. That is when they suggested Bariatric surgery. I had thought about it in the past, but never had the guts to go forward with it. Honestly, I was afraid. My doctor told me the consult was free and to just go to an and listen to what they had to say. I thought, OK. I will go and see what it was about. And heck, if it was free. The doctors talked so the Bariatric doctor so that he knew my background and condition before my appointment. I was VERY nervous. At the end of my appointment I was asked what I thought and if I thought it was something I wanted to go forward with I took a deep breath and said YES. That was the beginning of my new life’s journey and I share it all every day of my life on my social medias (FB, IG, TT) in hopes that I can help those who are in the same situation I once was. Remember, life is NOT promised to anyone. It can be snatched away in the blink of an eye. Live in the now and don’t ever let anything or anyone hold you back. You deserve it!! Geri Ann

**********************************************************

This is a place where we can share our health & wellness secrets. There are many diets and remedies out there that may work wonders for one person and do nothing for another. I have issues with staying on track. Here we can all help each other in achieving our goals and wellbeing. Share your experiences and knowledge. Plan a group walk or workout session. Have an online workout buddy & more. Who knows... you just might be someone's inspiration. WILL YOU BE MINE?? After all "Sharing Is Caring"!

**********************************************************

If you are in need of some weight/health support, come and join our group. I know that I can use all the support that I can get!! HOW ABOUT YOU?? =)

**********************************************************

08/27/2026
08/14/2026

PLEASE READ TO THE END 💚

After these past 4 months… I take that back… After these past “23” months, I’m still broken. I’m still broken, but I’m still trying. Trying to live life the best that I can.

PRAYERS ARE GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED RIGHT ABOUT NOW. 💚

This past May, when Mom was taken to the hospital and into ICU, I didn’t want to leave my Mom’s side. After the first week, I started feeling sick. I contacted my doctor and since it was my annual check up time, I went in and had bloodwork done. My counts for my liver were through the roof. 3X’s, 4X’s and another was 12X’s HIGHER than they should be. Yes… “12”X’s HIGHER. He sent me for an ultrasound of my Liver, Pancreas and my Gallbladder. Which he said he thought everything looked fine except for the cyst on my liver. He referred me to a Liver Disease Specialist in Milwaukee. It took forever to get in. This was in May and my appointment is this coming Tuesday in Milwaukee. I was kinda OK with it because I didn’t want to leave my Mom.

Sadly Mom passed June 13th. She had Kidney failure and they are presuming, Liver Cancer. I say it that way because we know she had Liver Disease. Mom was too weak the whole time she was in the hospital that they didn’t get to do the surgery to find out for sure.

Knowing all of this, I am VERY nervous about my appointment this Tuesday. You see, I don’t really know about the rest of my family history, but what I do know is that my grandma (my Mom’s Mom) passed in her “50’s” of Liver Cancer and now Mom just 2 months short of being 75 also passed of Kidney failure and again what they are presuming, Liver Cancer. I know that it doesn’t ALWAYS mean anything, but there is always that chance. Just like the chance of it not being.

LOL… on top of all of that, I am having hip replacement August 31st. 2 days after our Mom’s Celebration Of Life.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CySjGSy1Q/?mibextid=wwXIfr

** FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ASKING ME FOR THE PAST YEAR, WHAT ALL WAS GOING ON AND HAPPENED LAST YEAR WITH ME…

MY STORY:

Not including all of my other health issues that keep popping up, I started getting dangerously sick September of 2024. It wasn’t until finally going to a neurologist and being diagnosed with Stage 4 Spinal Stenosis & Cervical Stenosis (Both). It was from the base of my skull to my tailbone. My nerves from my spine were slowly getting chocked off (eventually dying off) and I started to progressively becoming paralyzed. In agonizing pain, I could barely take a few steps at a time without wanting to hit the floor. I was loosing my balance, my motor skills, my speech and even becoming Incontinent. Yes. I said it. Several times a day. I also had numbness in my shoulders, arms, hands all shooting down to the bottom of my feet. Now, remind you… I have a VERY HIGH pain tolerance, but even with the numbness, the pain was unbearable.
Everything got so bad that they had to up my 1st surgery by 2 weeks.
I had 2 major, life threatening surgeries last year. Being closest to the brain, my cervical surgery had to come first. In a neck brace 24/7 for almost 8 weeks. A 2 week break and the spine came next with being in another brace for yet another almost 8 weeks. After all of that, it took me a while but I was able to start walking again and eventually with less and less pain.

Still to this day, trying to get my strength back. I am still on a restriction of lifting so most strength training is still on hold. Still today I have to do a 4 hour a day Cervical Bone Growth Stimulator Treatment. I usually take a nap with it on because it makes me kind of tired. And I also have to do a 2 hour a day Spinal Bone Growth Stimulator Treatment. I do them both at the same time.

I try to live each day the best that I can. You will see me on the gator in our yard working on my flower gardens, usually sitting on the ground because it is hard for me to stand for a period of time and bend over. My flower gardens are my therapy. Seriously! No matter the amount of pain, it makes me happy.

STENOSIS:
https://www.neurosurgeonsofnewjersey.com/blog/stages-of-spinal-stenosis/ #:~:text=Stage%204%3A%20The%20Crisis%20Point%20(Critical%2FEnd%20Stage%20Stenosis)&text=Symptoms%3A%20Severe%20neurological%20deficits%2C%20potential,Treatment%20urgency%3A%20Often%20requires%20surgical


Have any of you ever used the Skool Communities app. It’s FREE and I find it very informational in my new weight loss jo...
05/05/2026

Have any of you ever used the Skool Communities app. It’s FREE and I find it very informational in my new weight loss journey lifestyle. You don’t have to join just those kinds of communities. You can join any community you like. Go check it out.

Click MY link and check it out.

Create your Skool account. It's free!

Address

United States Of America
Washington D.C., DC

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Taking Back My Life posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category