April 27, 2007

A Visual Realization

An 80-pound weight loss since gastric bypass surgery changes life for Genesis patient

DAVENPORT, IOWA - She has heard the compliments, seen the scale go down each week and relished the joy of purchasing smaller clothes – not once but several times.

But the realization of her weight loss hadn’t really hit gastric bypass patient Tammy Shipman until the staff at the Genesis Center for Bariatric Surgery took a new photo of her and she compared it to the one taken before her weight-loss journey began.

Only then did the visual impact of an 81-pound weight difference make it seem real.

“I know I’ve lost a substantial amount of weight,” she said. “I can tell in the mirror, the way my clothes fit and especially the way I feel. But even though this has been a very rapid weight loss, I see myself every day and so the effect in my mind and what I see every day, is gradual. To see my pictures side-by-side with an 81-pound difference in weight was pretty mind-blowing.”

It has been exactly a month since the new photo was taken, and Shipman today weighs 245 pounds – down quite dramatically from a year ago in April when she weighed 347 pounds. “In the past year, I’ve lost 102 pounds,” she said. “That makes 93 pounds since my first appointment at the Genesis Center for  Bariatic Surgery, and 83 pounds since the day of surgery.”

The 48-year-old Shipman had laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery at Genesis, Davenport on Nov. 29, 2006.

Her surgery, performed by Dr. Matthew Christophersen of Davenport Surgical Group, was unique because it was taped and then broadcast for viewing on the Genesis Web site. Genesis is the only hospital in the Quad Cities to perform the laparoscopic procedure.

Shipman also is sharing her reflections in an on-line diary or “blog.” The blog and her surgery continue to be available for viewing at www.genesishealth.com. (To see the surgery, click on “Bariatric Surgery,” and then “Watch a laparoscopic weight-loss surgery.”)

Numbers are her friend

For the first time in her life, the scale is her friend. “I’ve gone from a size 32 to a size 18,” she says. “I believe more and more each day that it is possible for me to lose a total of 100 pounds after surgery by the six-month mark. When I was told that was a possibility, I really couldn’t believe it could be possible for me.”

Despite all the weight-loss milestones, and even though the rewards outweigh the sacrifices, Shipman stresses that gastric bypass surgery is not an easy way out. Even though her stomach and intestine have been surgically altered to hold and absorb far less food, she still must focus on a lifetime of controlled eating.

“There are times when I want something to eat and I fix it or order it out, take about three bites and have had enough,” says Shipman, a nurse supervisor for Great River Home Health Care and Hospice in Burlington. “It’s frustrating at times. But when I feel frustrated and wish I could eat more because something tastes so good, I just have to take a step back and remember that if I COULD eat more I probably WOULD eat more. Then, I’d end up right back where I started.”

The mental component of gastric bypass surgery is huge, she said, and making the significant lifestyle changes is an ongoing process. For example, she can no longer “clean her plate,” so ordering a  restaurant meal means eating only about an eighth of what is on her plate.

“I have days when it seems nothing really tastes good to me or feels good when I eat,” she says. “Then there are days I could care less if I ate anything at all. Still other days, I wish I could just eat what I wanted and not worry about it. Is it because I’m hungry or just that I wanted to experience the taste? It’s the taste. I can honestly say I have not experienced physical hunger since my surgery.

“The bottom line is, I can’t eat what I think I want. The restrictive part of the surgery makes me not eat, and I believe that is the only way habits can be changed. Annoying sometimes? Yes. Is it worth every minute of the annoyance? You bet! This surgery has given me another chance at life, and I’m healthier, happier and I look better than I have looked in 25 years.”

A Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Care

In January, the Genesis Center of Bariatric Surgery earned designation as a 2007 Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Care. The honor recognizes only a select group of programs across the nation meeting stringent standards of quality and patient care.

Shipman said she was drawn to the Genesis program because of its multidisciplinary approach. Patients attend introductory education classes followed by consultation with the nursing staff, dietitian, psychologist, surgeon, physical therapist, pharmacist and recreational therapist. Only patients who adhere to strict pre-surgical education receive the surgery.

For more information on the Genesis Center for Bariatric Surgery, call (563) 421-8361.

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