Stephanie Palmer

My name is Stephanie and I’m the founder, face, voice, and heart behind Bariatric Warrior Support and Co Host of Bariatric Warrior Podcast. I am a fully insured multi-state Registered Nurse, Seasoned Travel Nurse, Patient Advocate, Podcaster, and a fellow bariatric patient who knows the highs and lows of this journey firsthand. With both 11 years of professional and lived experiences in Health Care specialties such as Bariatrics, Plastics, Neurosciences, Neurosurgery, Hospice, Internal Medicine, Allergy/Immunology, Sports Medicine, Pain Management, and more. I provide one on one patient support, guidance, patient advocacy, and private duty skilled nursing services both virtual and in person to those in compact states. I have been featured on multiple podcasts, spoke/presented at Bariatric Award shows, and Bariatric events. I have also hosted bariatric events to bring the community together and fundraisers benefiting both Bariatric patients as well as patients living with ALS/Motor Neuron Disease. I graduated from high school with my diploma and the dream of becoming an art therapist working with traumatic brain injuries. I even began classes at both a state college and Ringling College of Art and Design, but then my dad got diagnosed with ALS Lou Gehrig’s Disease; and I stopped everything and alongside my mom we took care of him around the clock for 14 months until he passed at the young age of 55. During this time of taking care of my dad I started as a Certified Nursing Assistant Home Health Aide, and I knew nursing was the path for me. I continued up the healthcare ladder becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse with honors, and then onto graduate with my associate’s degree in nursing. I sat for the NCLEX exam and passed becoming a Registered Nurse.

My dad is one of my main why’s and he always said, “to drop an acorn in a bucket of water and watch the ripples go out. When those ripples hit the outer edges, they come back to you.” He taught me what you put out into the world will always come back to you tenfold. This is how I live my life to pay it forward, provide compassionate quality care, advocacy, and support to others so no one ever feels alone or suffers in silence.

My own health journey paved the way to me becoming an even better nurse and patient advocate not only for myself, but for the entire bariatric, chronic illness, spine, neuro communities, and more. Through my ongoing authentic sharing of the good, bad, and ugly of my own journey, struggles, surgeries, procedures, diagnoses, and more I never gave up, I never regretted, and I never stopped showing up for myself and the community. What happened to me was not my fault nor was it in my control. It just happened and I felt very alone as no one was talking about the post op complication side of bariatric surgery. I like to say I have more lives than a cat. And I was not going to let anyone feel alone like I did. I did what was in my control and that was how I still showed up and was always there advocating and helping others feel seen, heard, and not alone. I became so many people's beacon of light, and they no longer felt isolated or alone. They started sharing their stories. They started advocating for themselves while continuing to allow me to advocate for them, support, and uplift them as well. They got the answers, solutions, and care they needed, because they had me to help them navigate it.

I was nominated in three categories at the first Just Be You Bariatric Awards, which I was so honored and blown away at. It did not matter that I didn't win. I have always been the person who was just there genuinely because I want to see everyone win in life. During this time, I needed a medically necessary lifesaving revision surgery due to my weight-loss surgery complications. At the Sunday brunch the Award Show Host's Kellie, Mel, and one of the award show sponsors Jamie in a space full of friends and those I call my bariatric family surprised me with a donation to help me get my life saving surgery as well as presented me with The Bariatric Warrior Award, an award named after me that I get to present to another fellow Bariatric Warrior at each JBY Award show. At the second award show I presented my award as well as I was nominated for Favorite Bariatric Revision Journey, Favorite Bariatric Podcast alongside my Co Host Bex, and Female Transformation of the Year. I won Favorite Bariatric Revision Journey. The third year I was nominated for Female Transformation of the year and Bariatric Advocate of the Year. I won Bariatric Advocate of the year with a standing ovation. And just like the previous years I dedicated that award to every person on a health journey, living with chronic illness, and the entire bariatric community, because we are in this together, and without them as well as my own advocacy, fundraising, resilience, and strength to keep going, get back up every time I was knocked down, and to never give up... I may have not been here today. I am forever grateful that I am here today, because through my own struggles and pain I found even more purpose. I have dedicated my life and mission to providing one on one support, guidance, patient advocacy, private duty skilled nursing, and a safe space for everyone to feel seen, heard, and not alone in any journey they are on. No matter if they have had complications or not. We are all warriors, and our impact is greater than we realize. Through these past 11 years in the healthcare field and being a patient advocate I have come to realize that my impact is greater than I know. This is why I created Bariatric Warrior Support and Bariatric Warrior Podcast to help advocate, support, educate, provide resources, share our stories, and create space where no one walks alone. I will be the first person to put out their hand and help others back up. I will be there by their side to help them advocate and navigate through the ups and the downs of their journey.

I don't ever want anyone to suffer in silence or not get the care they need, because they feel unheard, or think what they may be going through is normal when it could in fact not be, or not get the life changing or lifesaving surgery they want or need because they don’t have the support, access to it, or they don't know where to begin navigating it all. I see you, I hear you, you are not alone. I am here to help be that support, guiding light, advocate, and nurse to help you through it all. You can read the " cliff notes" of my story and find out more information about Bariatric Warrior Support, Bariatric Warrior Podcast, and so much more at the links here/my website.