Patient Stories
Sutter Bariatric Services
Michelle - New Health and a New Baby
After trying everything from Fen-Phen to Jenny Craig®, Michelle was ready for a different approach to battling obesity. She asked her doctor for options and was referred to a bariatric surgeon.
“My insurance selected Dr. Jeffrey Jenkins at Sutter Auburn Faith,” Michelle says. “And I’m so glad they did. He was personable, knowledgeable and had this quiet confidence about him. I felt he would do an excellent job. And I was right.”
Michelle did not have any trouble obtaining her insurance’s approval for gastric bypass surgery, which went well with no complications. “The first two weeks after the surgery were a little uncomfortable. And it was a psychological challenge because I had to get used to not eating as much. But after that, it wasn’t bad at all,” she says. “I ended up losing 90 pounds in about a year.”
While Michelle is grateful for her new health, she cautions people who think that bariatric surgery is an easy fix. “It’s not magic. It’s a tool that helps many people,” she says. “You still need to work at eating right and commit to a healthy lifestyle. Surgery can make it easier, but not easy.”
As the weight came off, Michelle’s health improved – in more ways than one. “Years ago I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, which can be associated with obesity. My husband and I tried to overcome the infertility that comes with that condition. We underwent fertility treatment along with artificial insemination – but nothing worked and we gave up,” she says. “So, I was shocked when I discovered I was pregnant a few months ago!”
Michelle is now in her second trimester and couldn’t be happier. “The bariatric surgery gave me a new life,” she says. “Not only do I feel better about myself, but the world sees me differently and that makes a positive difference in my every day life. And now that I’m pregnant at age 37 – after being told I couldn’t have children – I couldn’t ask for more.”