For years, Laura Gavin struggled to lose weight, creeping up and down on the scale. Despite being active, exercising and playing sports six days a week, Gavin had health issues, including pre-diabetes and sleep apnea. She wanted to stop the negative direction her health was heading, so she began researching bariatric weight-loss surgery.
Even before surgery, Gavin started holding herself accountable. She added lean protein and protein shakes for meals and continued exercising. Gavin, from Abingdon, Maryland, met with bariatric surgeon Michael Schweitzer, M.D. He educated her about surgical options for weight loss, and what she would need to do before and after surgery to be successful in losing weight. Gavin opted for a sleeve gastrectomy, a minimally-invasive procedure leaving her with a smaller stomach and a decrease in appetite.
Quick Recovery, Long-Term Commitment
“The sleeve gastrectomy was a good choice for Laura. Compared to other weight-loss surgery options, the sleeve procedure allows the patient to maintain the natural curve of the stomach with the normal pathway to the small intestines. The sleeve has less risk for nutritional deficiencies than the gastric bypass, and most patients lose 60 percent or more of their excess weight,” explains Dr. Schweitzer, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Bariatric Surgery.
After a sleeve gastrectomy, most patients stay overnight in the hospital for one night and remain out of work for about two weeks. During that time, a specific liquid diet is followed. “It won’t work if you don’t do what the doctors and nurses advise,” adds Gavin. “You have to change your habits and lifestyle.”
Dr. Schweitzer suggests, “Weight-loss surgery allows you to eat healthier in smaller quantities so that you feel fuller longer. To keep the weight off in the long run, you need to eat the right foods to feel full–healthy proteins and carbohydrates that have fiber.”
Gavin recognized that surgery was one tool to help her lose weight. Nutrition and exercise have to be part of the plan. “After surgery, I had to find a routine to fit in my exercise. I started jogging, and hated it at first, but it got easier over time,” remembers Gavin.
Training for a Half Marathon
Now, Gavin enjoys running races and benefits from the stress relief that running brings her. She began running this past summer and quickly built up her endurance. In November, she completed her first 10K race, running 10-minute miles. That race time qualified her to run a half marathon in Walt Disney World this month, where her sister will join her. After losing more than 75 pounds since having surgery in May 2016, Gavin is also able to bike, and play football and softball. “Even walking my dog is easier,” adds Gavin. She’s enjoying other benefits, too. “I’m more comfortable in social situations, and I feel more confident. I’m no longer tempted by junk food, so I don’t crave it. My pleasure doesn’t come from food. Nothing I eat feels as good as this healthy life feels.”
Dr. Schweitzer credits Gavin’s success to her embracing a healthy lifestyle. “She eats right and exercises. Laura is a very enthusiastic patient, and follows the recommendations of her care team. Surgery was the tool she needed to help her lose weight and keep it off,” he says.
Gavin, who is in her mid-30s, is hopeful for the future. “I wish I had surgery sooner. I’m so glad to be healthier.”
For more information or to register for an online seminar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Bariatric Surgery, call 410-550-0409 or visit hopkinsmedicine.org/jhbmc/bariatrics.