New Year's Resolution Kicks Off
Successful Weight-Loss Journey
Last Christmas, Deniz Hodge's entire family came to visit her from Turkey. What was supposed to be a joyful reunion turned sad when her mother, whom Ms. Hodge hadn't seen for four years, didn't recognize her because she had put on so much weight. "At 263 pounds, I was the biggest person in my family," she says.
As a New Year's resolution, she decided to lose the weight once and for all. Ms. Hodge attended a weight-loss surgery seminar presented by a surgeon at Lancaster Community Hospital. She trusted him immediately and scheduled an appointment to discuss her options.
Weight-loss surgery is not a quick fix, she learned. After a successful procedure, patients need to commit to making extensive lifelong changes -- from adopting new eating habits to exercising regularly.
In February 2009, Ms. Hodge underwent gastric bypass surgery, a procedure that resizes the stomach and reroutes the small intestine so that less food can be ingested and digested. This was done in a minimally invasive fashion. Many weight-loss procedures now can be done laparoscopically, through just a few small incisions.
This contributed to Ms. Hodge's fast recovery. "I was walking a few hours after I woke up, and I was discharged two days later," she says.
Today, Ms. Hodge has lost 92 pounds, and she's making steady progress toward her goal weight of 150 pounds. It still surprises her, even now, how far she's come. For example, on a recent trip to Disneyland, she rode a roller coaster for the first time in years.
"The last time I tried to ride one, I didn't fit in the seat," she says. "This time, I had to tighten the belt around me."
But her mother, now back in Turkey, is still having a little trouble recognizing her.
"I sent her pictures, but that wasn't good enough for her," she says. "I had to set up a webcam and talk to her live before she believed it was me."
Are You a Candidate
for Weight-Loss Surgery?
Candidates for weight-loss surgery must:
- Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above, or a BMI of 35 or higher with obesity-related complications, which may include high blood pressure or diabetes
AND
- Have tried and failed attempts at other weight-loss methods, including calorie reduction and exercise
