Choosing to Lose…

As Mary White, 48 of Clarkston, begins her cardio warm-up with her personal trainer Peggy Staycoff, the inspiration of what her body is now capable of doing mitigates her profound dislike of the next 12 minutes she will spend running on the treadmill.

In March of 2007, Mary underwent gastric bypass surgery, a form of bariatric or weight loss surgery that alters the anatomy of your digestive system by limiting the amount of food you can eat and digest.

“Even though I’ve been overweight my whole life, I’ve always considered myself a healthy person. I’ve always believed in the power of exercise and a healthy diet,” says White.

At 5 foot two inches tall, White’s heaviest weight was 234 pounds.

“For years, I had tried every diet, exercise routine, and diet pill that came onto the market. Nothing worked for me. I finally realized that I could not achieve my optimal weight goal alone,” says Mary.

The decision to have gastric bypass surgery is a weighty one loaded with many concerns, questions and even dangers. For Mary, her decision took many years of investigative work where she educated herself on what the surgery involves, its risk factor and its long-term prognosis for sustained weight loss.

During gastric bypass surgery or Roux En Y, the kind of surgery Mary had, the stomach is reduced to the size of a walnut and food is allowed to bypass part of the small intestine. Not only is the stomach’s capacity diminished thereby resulting in feeling full more quickly but fewer calories are absorbed as food is bypassed from the small intestine. Generally, individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher or individuals who have a life-threatening disability due to obesity can be considered as candidates for the procedure.

In the spring of 2006, Mary thought she had her decision made and surgery was scheduled for April. But her family, fearful for her safety and survival, sat Mary down and discussed with her their concerns over the operation. During her family’s intervention, she decided against having the procedure and cancelled her surgery date.

That year, she gave herself the freedom to eat whatever she wanted. Much to her surprise, she only gained six pounds.

“But I was constantly tired. At the beginning of 2007, I decided to give the procedure more thought once again, said Mary.”

This time, she teamed up with Dr. Mark Pleatman, a general surgeon specializing in bariatric surgery at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac. Dr. Pleatman provided Mary with not just the scientific and medical answers she was still searching but also the comfort in addressing her and her family’s concerns. After a few consultations with him, she and her family members changed their minds and set a date for Mary’s surgery.

Mary knew that having the surgery was just part of the change that could eventually result in her reaching her weight goal. Once the surgery was complete, the onus was on her to make the additional changes in her lifestyle.

If bariatric surgery is accompanied by sustained behavioral changes such as a healthy and balanced diet, and exercise, it can provide a long-term solution to weight loss, says Dr. Pleatman.

During the next few months, with the procedure always present in her mind, she tried to lose some extra weight in an effort to put less stress on her liver during the time of surgery. And, she spent many sleepless nights terrified over the uncertain outcome of her decision to have this life-changing procedure.

The operation, which took about 4 hours, was a success. For the next six weeks, Mary would have to follow a strict diet: two weeks of liquids, two weeks of pureed foods and two weeks of soft foods. After six weeks, regular food was gradually added back into her diet as her stomach began to heal.

She also worked with a nutrition counselor who advised her on what to eat, how much to eat and how to appropriately balance her foods so that she was meeting her nutritional requirements.

“I realized that for years, I was eating wrong. I wouldn’t eat the whole day and then I would consume way too much because I was so famished. I was eating so fast that my brain could not receive the signal that I was full,” says Mary.

With her current weight at 124 pounds, Mary has lost almost over hundred pounds since her surgery last spring. She also exercises with a personal trainer three days a week.

In addition to her physical appearance, her eating patterns have also changed significantly. Mary eats six small meals every day and she can only eat about one cup of food at a time due to the reduced size of her stomach. If she tries to eat more, her body will reject it and pain and vomiting will consequently and unfortunately follow. She also takes a cocktail of vitamins, which are specifically designed, for bariatric patients and will have to take them for the rest of her life. But for her, these lifestyle changes are worth every ounce of weight that has vanished from her body.

“I can finally walk the talk I’ve been trying to walk. Having this procedure was the best and most difficult decision I have made so far in my life. It has made a life-long dream of mine come true,” Mary says.