A McAllen woman is healing after she underwent what she described as a “life-changing” surgery last year.

Zoraida Martinez, 59, had bariatric surgery in August 2023.

She said she got the surgery after she was diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, and cancer of the esophagus.

Martinez said she was taking several medications, and knew she needed to make a significant change to get her life in order.

She began looking at options with her doctor.

“We talked about options, and the gastric bypass was the best suited for me at the time,” Martinez recalled.

Gastric bypass surgery changes how your body handles the food you eat. Stomach are smaller as a result of the surgery, and people eat less food.

Martinez went from weighing more than 220 pounds to 121 pounds in just eight months.

“I've never been this small, Martinez said. “I did it for medical reasons. The weight loss came more of a shock because I had lost a lot of weight really, really fast."

Martinez’s doctor, South Texas Health System bariatric surgeon Dr. Luis Reyes, said the weight loss and surgery would help alleviate her digestive system and help prevent the onset of esophagus cancer returning.

Reyes says bariatric surgery shouldn't be the first option, but it may be the best option for patients like Martinez with underlying medical issues. 

Before considering the surgery, patients need to take several steps, such as meeting with a dietician and a psychologist to get a mental evaluation.

Martinez worked with a team of doctors to get to where she is now. 

She is reminding everyone that bariatric surgery is not a quick fix. It takes work and lifestyle changes to be healthy from within, Martinez said.

Watch the video above for the full story.