CHRISTUS Southeast Texas - LiveWell

Two By 2013, excess weight was becoming more than just a nuisance for the Wards, a semi-retired couple from Lake Charles, Louisiana. Sheila and Nathaniel had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and mobility issues, and were having trouble keeping up with their growing brood of grandchildren. Nathaniel weighed 320 pounds, and Sheila 340 pounds. "The weight hindered us from enjoying our lives," Sheila says. "We needed a major change. We went to our primary care doctor and told him that it was time for the weight to come off." HAND IN HAND With guidance from their doctor and the help of their insurance company, the Wards connected with Jerome Schrapps, MD, Medical Director of CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Bariatric Center – St. Elizabeth. "Both Nathaniel and Sheila were ideal candidates for weight-loss surgery," Dr. Schrapps says. "They needed to make a change, they wanted to make a change, and they wanted to do it together." Dr. Schrapps and his team helped prepare the Wards for surgery mentally and physically with courses on nutrition, education about physical activity and access to an ongoing support group for weight- loss patients. On October 21, 2013, Dr. Schrapps performed back-to-back gastric bypass surgeries on the Wards. By removing a portion of their stomachs, he reduced the amount of food it took for Sheila and Nathaniel to feel full, then bypassed a portion of their digestive tracts to reduce the number of calories absorbed from the food they eat. FULL STEAM AHEAD Since then, the Wards have lost nearly 212 pounds combined. But it's the ways their lives have changed, not just the numbers on the scale, that have been truly amazing. "We're so busy now," Nathaniel says. "We travel all the time, and we're very active in the church. We owe that to Dr. Schrapps. He's an amazing doctor. We'd recommend him to anyone looking to better their lives." Could weight-loss surgery be right for you? To schedule a consultation at the CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Bariatric Center, please call 409.839.LOSE (5673). "The Wards are a great example of the importance of having a solid support system when you're making positive changes in your life. They had surgery the same day, they encouraged each other each step of the way, and now they're living the life they want — together." — Jerome Schrapps, MD, Medical Director of CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Bariatric Center It Takes In 2013, Sheila and Nathaniel Ward made a decision that changed their lives for the better — a decision they are thankful for every day. Two Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that diabetes went into remission in 75% of participants who had gastric bypass surgery. BEFORE AFTER 7 LiveWell | January 2015

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