From 607 lbs to Walking Again: Susan Farmer’s High-Stakes Battle After Gastric Bypass

Susan Farmer, 37, saw her weight climb to 607 lbs after her parents’ divorce when she was just 17 years old.

After undergoing gastric bypass surgery, the Texas native lost all sensation in her legs due to a nerve disorder known as neuropathy.

A morbidly obese woman was warned by doctors that she could face permanent paralysis because of her weight—just weeks after having gastric bypass surgery.

Susan Farmer, 37, the latest participant on TLC’s obesity series My 600lb Life, weighed more than 607 lbs at her heaviest. She underwent the surgery on the advice of a specialist, but soon afterward, she lost all feeling in her legs.

“I’ve been doing everything I can to get better, and this doesn’t feel fair at all,” Susan said. “I had to lose more than 100 lbs before I could even have the surgery. But I will not end up in a wheelchair.”

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Morbidly obese: Susan Farmer, 37, was told by doctors that she risked being permanently paralyzed as a result of her weight, just weeks after undergoing gastric bypass surgery

Drastic measures: Susan weighed more than 607lbs when she was at her heaviest, and had gastric bypass surgery on the advice of a specialist

Fear: Susan, who was forced to lose more than 100lbs before being able to undergo the procedure, was determined not to end up in a wheelchair

Susan was diagnosed with neuropathy, a nerve condition that frequently affects people who are overweight or obese and can cause severe nerve damage. If not treated immediately, the condition can result in permanent paralysis.

“A specialist examined Susan and diagnosed her with a condition called neuropathy,” explained obesity specialist Dr. Nowzaradan.

“This condition is nerve damage that can result from being obese for a long period of time. Even though Susan is losing weight, she is still suffering from the effects of carrying that much weight for so many years.

“It can become permanent, so we need to treat it immediately and ensure that she does not lose any muscle.”

Before her surgery, doctors warned Susan that her obesity placed her at serious risk of severe illness, injury, and even death.

Susan shared that her life had become completely “miserable” and admitted she could not look at herself in the mirror because she hated her reflection.

Damaged nerves: Susan was diagnosed with a nerve condition known as neuropathy, which often affects people who are overweight or obese

Urgent care: Neuropathy can be permanent so Susan’s doctors needed to treat her immediately to make sure she didn’t lose any muscle

Risk: Prior to her surgery, doctors warned Susan that she was at serious risk of severe illness, injury – and even death – as a result of her obesity

Under anaesthetic: Susan pictured during surgery in the operating theater

“Life is miserable,” she said. “I’m in pain all the time, so I don’t get up much. With my stomach being so big, it hangs down and hurts so badly it feels like my skin is on fire.

“I have trouble breathing, especially when I walk. I have to take baby steps because I’m afraid of falling. If I did fall, there’s nothing anyone could do to help me.

“I don’t like looking at myself, so I avoid mirrors. All I see is a fat, ugly body. I just feel disgusted by the way I look.”

Susan’s mother, Nita, revealed that her daughter began gaining weight at a very young age, turning to food for comfort amid her parents’ troubled relationship.

“When Susan was about four or five, her father and I fought constantly,” she explained. “He was an alcoholic. He would come home drunk, and someone was going to get hit—either me or Susan.”

“I would just eat,” Susan added. “I don’t know if I was eating to feel better. I just ate because the food was there.”

Recovery: Susan went into rehab after the surgery to get stronger both physically and mentally

On the mend: Susan had been at risk of her paralysis becoming permanent

Emotional: Susan first began putting on weight at an early age, after turning to food as a form of comfort in reaction to her parents’ unstable relationship

Depressed: Susan said life had become completely ‘miserable’, and that she was unable to look at herself in the mirror because she hated her own reflection so much

Although her mother hoped Susan would outgrow her overeating, she continued using food as a coping mechanism whenever she faced difficulties in life—a habit that left her severely obese and at extreme risk for numerous health problems.

While Susan initially made progress in the weeks following her surgery, she admitted that being diagnosed with a condition that limited her mobility made her feel unable to move forward.

After regaining some of the weight she had lost—prompting a stern warning from her doctor—Susan finally found the motivation to continue her weight-loss journey.

“I’ve been thinking about ending up in a wheelchair, and I’m using that fear as motivation to keep going,” she said shortly after being admitted to a rehabilitation facility, where she had to relearn how to walk.

“The surgery was my second chance at life, and I’m not going to let a setback take that away from me. I’m going to fight. I’m going to do everything I possibly can to get better.

“Even though I’m back at square one, I’m not giving up. If I lose my ability to walk, I’ll gain all the weight back.”

Bad habits: Susan first began comfort eating at the age of four, when her parents began fighting

Number one supporter: Susan’s mother Nita is there to help her with every step of her weight loss journey

Success! At her final weigh-in, Susan is told that she has lost an impressive 267lbs in 12 months

Then and now: Prior to her surgery, Susan weighed more than 607lbs (pictured), however she manages to get her weight down to an impressive 340lbs a year after her first visit to the doctor

Then and now: Prior to her surgery, Susan weighed more than 607lbs, however she manages to get her weight down to an impressive 340lbs a year after her first visit to the doctor (pictured)

Then and now: Before surgery, Susan weighed over 607 lbs (left). One year after her first doctor’s visit, she reduced her weight to an impressive 340 lbs (right).

“And then I’d just be waiting to die. This is my life that’s on the line.”

More than a year after her first appointment with Dr. Nowzaradan, Susan returned for her final weigh-in, revealing that she had lost a remarkable 267 lbs, bringing her weight down to 340 lbs.

“I can’t believe it,” she said after stepping off the scale.

“I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come. A year ago, I could barely walk. Now, my world has completely changed, and I’m finally getting my life back.

“This past year has been the hardest year of my life, but everything I went through was worth it.

“I will never go back to the way I was. I’ve come too far. I’m enjoying life again, and I’m happier than I’ve been in a very long time. It feels amazing to finally have a reason to smile.”

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