Gastric Bypass Surgery Gave Me a Second Chance at Life
(Long Beach, CA—April 15, 2009) “It was 2007, I was 48 years old, 125 pounds overweight, newly widowed and felt like my life was pretty much over,” says Judy Jones, Long Beach resident. After years of taking care of her sick husband, Judy neglected herself and ate unhealthy food to help her cope and fill an emotional void. “During the time my husband was ill, I gained a tremendous amount of weight and began to have serious health issues of diabetes, hypertension and joint pain,” says Judy.
In 2007, after her husband’s death, Judy hit rock bottom. She didn’t know how to turn her life around but thought a good place to start would be to volunteer at Community Hospital of Long Beach. As one of the youngest volunteers at the hospital she was often called upon to do physical tasks but found she couldn’t keep up with women 20+ years her senior. At that point, Judy understood how the excess weight was wearing her down physically and emotionally. Judy went to see her family doctor and he prescribed medication to treat her hypertension and diabetes. “I was resistant to taking medications and knew that if I lost the weight I could turn these chronic health conditions around,” says Judy.
Judy remembered seeing information on The N.E.W. Program at Community Hospital .She signed up for an information seminar given by Dr. Brian Quebbemann, Medical Director, to learn about surgical weight loss and to determine if this was an option for her. “I was nervous, shy and scared,” say Judy. “But Dr. Quebbemann and the staff put me at ease as they were open and friendly and explained every detail of the surgery and their LifeStyle Management Program.”
The surgery, Quebbemann said, is designed for persons who are 100 pounds or more overweight, or those who are 75 pounds overweight and whose obesity has contributed to serious medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, severe reflux and others. “Obesity causes serious health problems but in my practice I have found that most patients are motivated to action because they want their quality of life to improve,” Dr. Quebbemann explains, “Even an extra 50 pounds causes so much discomfort that they can’t do many of the things they used to find enjoyable.”
After hearing the presentation explaining the facts about surgical weight loss, Judy scheduled her consultations with the medical, surgical and nutritional professionals at The N.E.W. Program. Judy chose to do the gastric bypass procedure and had her surgery in September 2007. By the fourth day she felt incredible. “I was up and did three loads of laundry,” says Judy.
Now with her 100 pound weight loss, Judy no longer dreads flying to Michigan for vacations with her family during the summer months. Prior to losing the weight she found the heat to be unbearable for someone of her size. She also hated flying and often pretended she buckled her seat belt as she was too embarrassed to ask for the extender. Like so many seriously overweight people, Judy restricted her activities due to decreased mobility and her discomfort.
Now, Judy is taking on a new role in helping other obese people. She is getting over her shyness and is a frequent speaker at Community Hospital of Long Beach’s surgical weight loss support group meetings. “I feel like a completely new person. I have energy and I am more confident in public. I want to try new things all the time. I’ve lost over 100 pounds, and at age 50, I signed up for college.”
Judy Jones, age 50
Volunteer and Gift Shop Buyer
Brian Quebbemann, MD, Medical Director of The N.E.W. Program at Community Hospital of Long Beach specializes in the minimally invasive surgical weight loss procedures. Drs.Quebbemann and Braverman have performed more than 2000 laparoscopic surgical weight loss procedures. Their expertise has resulted in one of the best safety records in America and a dramatic improvement in the quality of life for hundreds of patients.