Our activities center around fitness and eating right,” she said. “I have friends who are healthy and like to work out. “I am much more physically active now,” she said. Since the surgery, Katie’s life has changed drastically. Katie found the online support helpful and attends a monthly support group at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville for encouragement from people who have had the same experiences she’s had. Since her surgery in April 2012, Katie has lost a total of 145 pounds. The best part was getting on the scale every morning and seeing that I had lost 2 – 3 pounds. I could barely do 15 minutes, but I felt stronger each day. I remember the first time I got on the elliptical machine after my surgery. Because the stomach is much smaller, patients like Katie must learn to eat smaller quantities more frequently throughout the day while still meeting their nutritional needs. The time immediately following surgery is typically the most challenging for bariatric patients. Now it was time for Katie to start living a healthier life, with good eating habits and exercise. Morgenthal said, having the surgery was just part of the weight-loss equation. Katie was released just two days after surgery and was able to return to work two weeks later. Although she was not in a tremendous amount of pain, she was extremely fatigued, which is normal after bariatric surgery. “And I wanted my body to function the same way it always had,” referring to the fact that gastric bypass surgery reroutes the body’s normal digestive process.īeing single, Katie’s mother came to help her during post-surgery period. “I didn’t want anything foreign inside my body,” she said. Katie felt comfortable with the sleeve option for two reasons. Morgenthal, “because they are less invasive than gastric bypass and unlike the lap band, there is no need to go back in and make adjustments.” “Sleeves are becoming more popular,” said Dr. ![]() With more than 200 sleeve gastrectomies performed since 2009, this method has quickly surpassed the amount of lap-band and bypass surgeries performed at Baptist Health. This is one of the newer bariatric procedures in which the stomach is reduced to about one-fourth of its original size, resulting in a sleeve-like structure. Morgenthal decided the sleeve gastrectomy would be the best option for her. Of the three surgical options available, Katie and Dr. “He told me, ‘I’m not fixing your life, I’m giving you a tool so you can fix your own life.’ ” “He said something to me I will never forget,” remarked Katie. Morgenthal, Katie had reached her highest weight of 323 pounds at 5-feet-eight inches. ‘I’m not fixing your life, I’m giving you a tool so you can fix your own life.’ĭuring her first appointment with Dr. Katie recalls bariatric surgeon Craig Morgenthal, MD, being down to earth and easy to understand. She went to one of Baptist Health’s monthly meetings, where surgeons and staff explain the pros and cons of the different types of weight loss surgeries. “That’s when I really started to consider surgery as a viable option,” said Katie. He shared with her that bariatric surgery helped make his transformation possible. As her weight neared 300 pounds, she knew she had to do something that would permanently change her life and improve her health.Īround the same time, she noticed that one of her colleagues had recently lost a great deal of weight. “I am a stress eater and I was under a lot of pressure,” she explained. Katie’s weight spiraled out of control in 2010 while working for the Gator Bowl Association and pursuing a master’s degree at the same time. ![]() This frustrating cycle continued for the next 12 years. “I could never lose more than 30 pounds, and then I would always gain it back, along with some extra weight,” Katie said.
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