✨ Finding My Way Back: Weight Loss, Spinal Surgery & Reclaiming My Health
By Deryl Richardson | #WatchMeRise
When I turned 40, I didn’t expect my body to betray me. But that’s exactly how it felt.
I started gaining weight despite doing all the “right” things. My metabolism slowed. My energy dipped. Many parts of my body were not working the way they used to.
And then, the bombshell happened:
Progressive cervical myeloradiculopathy — a rare degenerative condition in my spine that was quietly compressing my spinal cord. It forced me into ACDF surgery and completely shut down my ability to stay active. I went from a gym routine to barely being able to stand. From full speed to full stop. I had been experiencing pain a year before that completely slowed my gym workouts down, but the ACDF surgery stopped me dead in my tracks.
The weight gain wasn't just about aesthetics. It became a symbol of everything I felt I was losing — control, strength, momentum, identity.
Part of my confidence is being proud of how I look in the mirror and how I present myself to the world. I didn’t want to lose that.
So I had a choice:
Let it consume me…
Or find my way back.
That’s when I found Hims.
Through their personalized GLP-1 treatment plan, I was able to start losing weight — even while recovering from surgery. Their team took my full health story into account, adjusting my dosage as my needs evolved and working with my body instead of against it.
This wasn’t a quick fix. This was a tailored path forward — one rooted in science, care, and consistency. Read the full Hims & Hers article here.
Today, I’m ten weeks post-op.
Stronger. Lighter. Clearer.
And while I’m still healing physically, I feel something even deeper: I’m home again — in my body, in my purpose, and in my power.
This journey hasn’t just been about pounds lost. It’s been about identity reclaimed.
And on August 12, 2025, the day I can say goodbye to my neck brace, I’ll be at least 30 pounds light and ready to tackle fitness again.
🎯 Thinking about your own health reset?
Explore the benefits of GLP-1 treatment through Hims. Personalized care. Real results. No shame.
💭 Want to journal through your own transformation?Grab the Watch Me Rise Healing & Reinvention Journal — built for every season of the climb.
#WatchMeRise #ACDFRecovery #GLP1Treatment #HealingIsTheGoal