“Sometimes, I look in the mirror and think, ‘Wow, what happened to it all?’”
Bariatric Care patients Jennifer and Ernest Rhoney
Looking at Jennifer and Ernest Rhoney today, it’s hard to imagine that they were ever at their top weights. “I was 320 pounds, and Ernest topped out at 341 pounds,” said Jennifer. As a couple and as parents, they knew that they needed to lose the weight, especially given Jennifer’s family history of heart disease and Ernest already suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.
Together, they decided to undergo weight loss surgery at HealthEast Bariatric Care. “We had both heard about gastric bypass surgery, where you basically make your stomach smaller to help weight loss,” said Ernest. “We decided to stagger our surgeries by three months, so we could support each other through the recovery period and take care of our three kids. But we also wanted to go through it together, to help each other emotionally.”
The process began six months before their surgeries, with Jennifer and Ernest going through extensive preparations for the journey ahead. Meetings with dietitian, surgeons and psychiatrists helped them prepare for the life-changing habits that would ensure their success. “We had to talk about what we were doing in terms of changing our diet and exercise, and what life would be like after the surgery,” said Jennifer. “The hardest part was changing our eating habits — we used to eat out a lot, and not good food either. We had to ingrain in our kids, as well as ourselves, that this is a healthy long-term choice for our whole family, and that we’ll all benefit from eating this way.”
The Rhoneys underwent their surgeries right on schedule: Jennifer in September 2008, Ernest in December of the same year. “We had been working with such a great team, and they understood how nervous I was and helped me feel more at ease every step of the way,” commented Jennifer. “When the surgery was done, I woke up to familiar faces. They were right there for me.” For Ernest, watching his wife experience the surgery and her new life afterwards had a profound effect: “Watching everything she was going through, I knew it would be me in three months.”
Today, both Jennifer and Ernest continue to maintain new healthy weights, and both cite the reassurance and motivation of HealthEast care providers as instrumental to their ongoing success. “Before the surgery, they educate you so well — but they’re also there for you as you get on with your daily life, teaching you how to deal with all the changes. The aftercare from them is as valuable as the before care, with so much reassurance and motivation. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t think twice. HealthEast has helped our entire family.”
Results may vary. As with all elective surgeries, weight loss surgeries of any kind involve risks and responsibilities for patients. Consult your doctor to discuss whether these procedures are appropriate for you.
HealthEast® Bariatric Care Quality Data
Expertise from experience, as a surgeon and as a patient: Dr. Michael Schwartz
"You can’t just put your toe in the water. You have to jump in.” After the hundreds of weight loss surgeries that Dr. Michael Schwartz has performed during his 30+ years as a surgeon, he puts patients into one of two camps: People who are ready to commit to the life changes required by weight loss surgery, and those who are not. “The vast majority of people who have the surgery are happy with the choice they made, but they were ready to do it. It’s very common to think about the surgery for years before you have it — and that’s fine. For this to work, you have to want it to work. That’s why we do so much before the surgery to prepare them to succeed — and stay involved with them for the rest of their lives to support them in that success."
Dr. Schwartz’s understanding comes from helping his patients — and from being a weight loss surgery patient himself. “I was able to keep my weight under control for many years with excess exercise, but as I got older, between work and family life, it eventually caught up with me,” he recalls. “I put on a little each year until I couldn’t do anything about it.”
In October of 2006, Dr. Schwartz was 64 years old and weighed 280 pounds. “My epiphany came when I had a heart arrhythmia on Halloween that year. I realized that I wasn’t going to get anywhere unless I lost weight, and I needed the surgery to do that. Now, I always say, the best thing I ever did was marry my wife — and having this surgery may be the next best thing.”
Two months later, the surgeon became a patient. The procedure changed him physically and mentally — as well as professionally. “When I was 280 pounds and trying to do a full surgical schedule, I came home exhausted every night, with no energy to exercise. Now, I have an entirely different outlook on life. I’m happy to be alive, happy to go to work every day.” The new joy he’s found is something he loves to share with patients such as the Rhoneys: “Having the surgery absolutely altered how I operated as a doctor. I can answer patients honestly and tell them that sometimes, it’s the only thing that works. Yes, it will make your diabetes and blood pressure better — but even more, it will help you enjoy your life.”
