Bonnie Stumbles Her Way Into Weight Loss Surgery – And Changes Her Life
In October 2008, 58-year-old Bonnie Fauver walked into a TriHealth Weight Management informational seminar to do research as a sales representative for TriHealth Imaging.
She participated in the seminar as if she were an actual bariatric surgery candidate. She filled out the paperwork; she sent her health history information to three of her doctors.
Days later, the phone rang – and she nearly gasped at what the voice on the other end revealed: “All three doctors signed papers saying I was a good candidate! I didn’t think I was,” she recalls. “You can imagine how shocked I was.”
Weight Loss Surgery: Why It Made Sense
Bonnie was happy with the way she looked, but had high cholesterol, was bordering on diabetes and was hypertensive, so she decided to schedule an appointment with George Kerlakian MD, who suggested that Bonnie have Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.
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Bonnie, however, was resistant. She wanted laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAP-BAND) surgery because it was less invasive and she had a terrible history of acid reflux. Dr. Kerlakian cautioned Bonnie that LAP-BAND would make her acid reflux worse, but she was convinced otherwise: “I said, ‘there’s no way it could be any worse!’”
Bonnie decided to move forward with LAP-BAND surgery.
She lost 35 pounds almost immediately, and within a year shed nearly 60 pounds. But, the weight loss came at a cost: her acid reflux got worse and the band slipped. “Word of advice: if a doctor tells you to do something, just do it,” Bonnie laughs. “Dr. Kerlakian knew what he was talking about with my reflux ... I wish I would have listened to him!”
Fast-Forward: October 2010
On Oct. 31, 2010, Bonnie went in for a modified gastric bariatric surgery, performed by both Kevin Tymitz MD and Dr. Kerlakian, to remove the band and reconstruct her stomach. If Bonnie could describe her experience interacting with both doctors throughout the process, it would be with one word: “wonderful,” she says.
The same goes for working with her dietitian, Maria Adkins RD, LD. “Thank goodness for Maria,” she gushes. "She's the person I see, coaching me through my nutrition." Maria's been on Bonnie's weight-loss team since day one, instructing her on how to get the proper nutrients and the appropriate calories to continue safely losing weight.
Bonnie isn’t at her target weight just yet, but she’s getting there. She’s down eight sizes – and her confidence is at an all-time high. Plus, she says it makes her a better team member. “I do a lot of travel for my job. I go to physician offices and different sites, so getting in and out of my car with the back pain, I couldn’t have done that! It lets me work longer,” she explains.
As a grandmother to seven, ranging from ages 7 to 27, she appreciates how her healthier figure makes it easier to get around and simply enjoy life. “If I stay like this the rest of my life, I’m happy, because 235 pounds (her starting weight) is an unbelievable amount to be carrying around,” she says. “Even with the complications, I’d do it all over again.”