Roger Shares How He Got His Health and Energy Back with Weight Loss Surgery

3/8/2024

Roger Boylan struggled off and on with weight for the past 35 years.

“I never really tried dieting per se, but at one point I did try to make a lifestyle change to lose weight. I read a book by a physician about weight loss; respected what he said and tried to commit to his recommendations,” said Roger. “I ate salmon twice a day, eliminated most carbs, exercised a lot and lost about 25 pounds.”

But Roger soon learned this lifestyle change was not sustainable and he slowly returned to his old eating habits. “Like most plans you hear about, first you lose weight, and then you gain it back plus some. That’s exactly what happened to me,” he said.

After that Roger’s weight kept gradually creeping up until he eventually reached 350 pounds in 2022. “It became so frustrating. I was struggling not to gain more weight, but my pant size kept going up until it couldn’t go up anymore,” said Roger.

Finally Roger came to the realization that to lose weight and keep it off, he would have to always be on a strict diet and exercise all of the time. “I knew then I would not succeed on my own. It would be too taxing,” he said.

Roger mentioned his concerns to his primary care doctor who told him about Northwest Health’s Bariatric Surgery and Medical Weight Loss Program. He referred him to one of the program’s obesity management physicians and with their support and guidance, Roger lost 15 pounds to prepare for his bariatric surgery. He underwent a vertical sleeve gastrectomy performed by bariatric surgeon Dr. Andrew Martin in February 2023. At his one year post-surgery appointment, Roger had lost 112 pounds.

“Before my weight loss I had knee pain, and now that’s gone. I also had developed sleep apnea due to my weight and had been sleeping with a CPAP mask for the past 10 years. Four months after the surgery, I was able to stop wearing the mask,” said Roger.

Roger shared that his stamina has also increased.

“Rather than working on my five-acre ranch for a couple hours, I’m working on it twice as long. I’m riding my bike when I can, going to the gym most days and keeping active at the new house we’re building.”

Advice: “Don’t hesitate or give yourself a reason not to do it. I wish I would have had the surgery years ago.”

To learn about the bariatric weight loss services at Northwest Health visit nwhealthin.com/bariatric-weight-loss.

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