Bariatrics

Losing Weight is a Family Affair

HeartBeat article, Spring 2008

Listening to the radio one day, Betty Gambucci heard a gastric bypass surgery commercial for Sacred Heart Hospital. Betty soon found herself identifying with the testimonial she heard. Even though she felt the first stirrings of hope, “I still wasn’t ready to explore that option yet. Though I wasn’t considering surgery yet, I decided to save the radio ad to my cell phone for later,” Betty says.

Thin throughout childhood, Betty began struggling with her weight after her first pregnancy. The pounds piled on, but every diet Betty tried failed and the extra weight refused to budge. At 265 pounds, her weight didn’t interfere with her job as a mortgage loan originator, but she lacked confidence and worried about the negative health impacts of her weight.

Fortunately, Betty had escaped many serious health problems associated with obesity, such as diabetes and sleep apnea. That changed when she received a wakeup call. “My gynecologist informed me that my blood pressure was sky-high. I was put on medication to control my hypertension. I knew I was overweight, but this scared me,” Betty says. The extra weight was taking a toll on her body. However, as many gastric bypass surgery patients can attest to, arriving at the decision to have surgery often takes years. Despite hypertension, Betty still wasn’t ready to attack her weight problem.

In January 2006, a year after she heard the radio ad, Betty watched a bariatric surgery infomercial on television. She recognized herself in many of the featured patients, and she broke down sobbing. Betty was now ready to take action. “I finally admitted to myself that I needed to have this surgery to get my life back,” Betty says.

Wasting no time, Betty called Sacred Heart Hospital’s Bariatric Program the very next day for an appointment with bariatric surgeon Dr. Clarence A. Holland, Jr. The Bariatric Program at Sacred Heart Hospital is recognized as a Center of Excellence by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and Betty felt confident in Sacred Heart’s proven track record of quality weight loss outcomes.

Betty then sat down with her oldest child, Joe, 18. At 378 pounds, Joe was morbidly obese and saddled with high blood pressure and sleep apnea. Since Betty was just as worried about her son’s weight as her own, she believed they both would be perfect candidates for the procedure.

“My initial reaction was, ‘This surgery isn’t for me,’” Joe says. He believed gastric bypass surgery was for people far more overweight. Joe’s weight problems began in second grade. Preferring to stay indoors on the computer rather than play outside with friends, Joe ate out of boredom. “I didn’t eat junk food all the time. I just ate too much. My portion sizes were out of control,” Joe says. By middle school, Joe’s classmates teased him all the time about his weight. The taunts eased up when he was in high school, but he still lacked confidence and began suffering health problems associated with his weight.

After graduating from Pleasant Valley High School in 2005, Joe began working full-time at Camelback Mountain Resort. The heat during the summer bothered him; in the winter, he had a hard time finding ski pants to fit him. “Clothes shopping was a nightmare. I could never find things in my size that actually looked good,” Joe says.

After talking with Betty, Joe agreed to go with her to find out about the surgery. After meeting with Dr. Holland, Betty and Joe left determined to have the procedure. They resolved to adopt the necessary healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating smaller portion sizes, eating more lean proteins, and exercising, needed for successful surgery outcomes.

After completing the necessary paperwork and undergoing the required evaluations, Betty and Joe were ready for surgery. Since they were on different insurance plans, Joe waited three months for his surgery on May 15, 2006. Betty needed to wait six months; she had the surgery on August 7, 2006, Joe’s 19th birthday. Within six months after surgery, Betty and Joe both saw dramatic weight loss. Joe now weighs between 240-250 pounds, and Betty is 146 pounds.

To succeed in their weight loss efforts, Betty and Joe relearned how to eat and they religiously adopted all the required lifestyle changes. They attend Sacred Heart’s support groups together every month and feel the meetings keep them motivated to stay on track.

Despite the risks associated with gastric bypass surgery, Betty and Joe believed the benefits far outweighed them. They never felt apprehensive because the bariatric team at Sacred Heart Hospital helped them feel comfortable, provided support, and answered questions.

Nearing their 2-year anniversaries of their surgeries, Betty and Joe are maintaining their current weights and are extremely happy with the results. Their whole lives have changed – the way they eat, how much they eat, and how they feel about themselves. Both are off blood pressure medication, and Joe no longer suffers from sleep apnea, most likely caused by his excess weight. “We would absolutely do the surgery again, and our regret is probably the same as other gastric bypass surgery patients – we should have done it sooner,” Betty says. Joe also emphasized how important self-confidence is. “You must feel satisfied and secure in who you are because your life will change. You need to be prepared to make the commitment to a completely different way of living,” Joe says.