Kelly’s Story – Sleeve Gastrectomy Patient

Kelly is one of Dr. C. Joe Northup’s sleeve gastrectomy patients. In this clip, Kelley discusses why she decided to undergo sleeve gastrectomy surgery and why she chose Mercy Healthy Weight Solutions. Kelly would recommend Mercy Healthy Weight Solutions for anyone who is looking for a tool that will lead them to life long healthy weight.

KELLY: My name is Kelly Martin and I am a patient of Dr. Joe Northup at Mercy Healthy Weight Solutions. I came to him about a year ago under the nonsurgical weight loss program, had success with that, was feeling a lot better on the inside, but I just couldn’t get those pounds to come off. So I learned about a surgery called a Sleeve Gastrectomy. It just seemed to be right for me. We had a discussion about how it was a tool, not a cure, and I really liked that. I liked that he didn't use it on me as a cure, that it would be a tool to help me. A Sleeve Gastrectomy is a surgery where they go in laparoscopically. It's minimally invasive. They go in and remove about 70% of your stomach. So, I have a normal stomach function like anyone else. I just eat smaller portions. My, “It,” moment was really a culmination of things. Really a building of my frustration over the last, probably, three or four years where I knew I was in there somewhere, but every time I looked in the mirror or saw photographs of myself, I would think in myself, “That’s not me, you know. I know, that’s not me. I don't feel that way.” And finally, I heard some patient testimonials from patients who were with Dr. Northup in the Mercy Healthy Weight Solutions program and I was moved to tears, you know. And no, I didn't have diabetes or high blood pressure before I had the surgery, but I knew I was on that path, and I knew that I was young enough and healthy enough to heal and to follow these instructions and to do my best, so that I would never have diabetes or high blood pressure. I had the comments frequently, when I made the decision to have the surgery, from friends and family saying, “You don’t need that. You don’t qualify for that.” Well, that really frustrated me because it had come after years of trying it on my own, and I felt better while I was trying it on my own, but the pounds just wouldn’t—they wouldn’t drop. It's very important to me that people understand that just because you're on the lower end of the obese body mass index doesn’t mean you're not a candidate. I would encourage anyone to have a conversation with their primary care physician or with Mercy Healthy Weight Solutions to see if they are a candidate and they can benefit. It can change their life. My energy is through the roof. I'm a happier, nicer person at home and at work. I'm more willing to do things that are different and fun and spontaneous because I'm not tired. You know, I go home from work and it's a sunny evening, and I want to go for a walk with my husband instead of just lying on the couch and feeling sorry for myself. I would recommend Mercy Healthy Weight Solutions to anyone looking for a tool that would lead them to a lifelong healthy weight. Because their program is so comprehensive, it really makes it easy for you to achieve your own personal goals and to feel better about yourself. Dr. Northup is warm, compassionate and extremely knowledgeable. Those are three things that really make him a successful medical director for this program, and I believe in him, and he's changed my life.