CHI Franciscan - Highline

BY EARLY 2013, then 39-year-old Diana, a Puyallup resident, had seen her weight increase to 378 pounds after decades of struggling with obesity. She took medicine to treat high blood pressure and was at risk of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. "I was scared I was going to have a stroke or die from hypertension," Diana said. "I wanted to be around for my family, so I researched weight loss surgery centers, looking for one that had great results and a lot of success stories." A TEAM TRANSFORMATION Diana's search led her to the Franciscan Center for Weight Management at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way. At the Franciscan Center for Weight Management, no patient is alone on the weight loss surgery journey. "A hallmark of our program is the support patients receive from our team every step of the way," said Troy Houseworth, MD, FACS, bariatric surgeon at the Franciscan Center for Weight Management. "Surgeons and patients work together to choose the procedure that best suits the patients' health and weight loss goals. We help individuals improve their health prior to surgery and assist them in making the postoperative lifestyle modifi cations that are crucial to long-term success." Diana prepared for her July 2013 gastric bypass procedure with a series of medical tests, nutrition classes, a psychiatric evaluation and a medically monitored diet. After surgery, Diana faced a few challenges adjusting to the more measured approach to eating that her smaller stomach required, but she always knew where to turn for support. "The team at the center is amazing," she said. "Anytime I called and said, 'This isn't working,' they were ready with ideas to make life easier. Even now, I can still call and talk with them about anything." "Diana has always had the correct perspective on bariatric surgery—that it's a tool to assist with weight loss, not a standalone cure," said Haroon P. Anwar, MD, bariatric surgeon at the Franciscan Center for Weight Management and the physician who performed Diana's procedure. "This attitude, and her willingness to embrace exercise and a new way of eating, has helped her have wonderful results." Diana, now 41, has lost 220 pounds and counting. "I'm pursuing things I wouldn't have tried before because I'm healthier, such as starting a new career as a commercial driver," Diana said. "I don't take blood pressure medication anymore. I wouldn't even think about exercising when I was overweight, but now, you can't slow me down. Bariatric surgery definitely changed my life." Bariatric surgery changed Diana Brown's health, revitalized her ability to be active and helped steer her down a new career path. WORTH THE WEIGHT LOSS TROY HOUSEWORTH, MD, FACS HAROON P. ANWAR, MD Have Questions About Bariatric Surgery? Find answers at a free weight loss surgery seminar hosted by a bariatric surgeon at the Franciscan Center for Weight Management. To register, call 1-888-825-3227 or visit franciscanweightloss.org. Before bariatric surgery, Diana Brown was too big to join her grandson, Landon, on the slide. Now, 220 pounds lighter, she can slide with him any time. DIANA BROWN BEFORE WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY chifranciscan.org /// HIGHLINE MEDICAL CENTER 11

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