Kate H.’s Gastric Bypass Story

Hi! My name is Kate and I am just over 1-year post-op Gastric Bypass with Dr. Nicholas Paulk. It is one of the best decisions I have made for myself. I started slowly gaining weight about 20 years ago, and after having my son 15 years ago, along with acid reflux and asthma, I wasn’t able to get the weight to come off. I have always been active, doing lots of bike riding, swimming, and fun runs with friends, but my diet really needed some changes.

 

 

About 4 years ago, I started to have breakthrough acid reflux in the middle of the night, causing me to wake up with bile in my throat, even though I was taking 40 mg of Omeprazole twice a day, and 20 mb of famotidine. I have had an Endoscopy (EGD) every few years due to Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but after having the breakthrough symptoms I was diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus, which can lead to esophageal cancer.

At this point I felt I needed to make a significant change. I met a friend for dinner and she was telling me about her recent experience with having Gastric Bypass. Her acid reflux had been resolved! I decided to look into the process and contacted Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians (RMAP) for more information. I attended the informational meeting in April 2021, and had my surgery September 13, 2021. What a difference my life has become after surgery. It is not without its challenges for sure, but so glad I made the decision to look into the process.

I have lost 120+ pounds, dropped 9 sizes and many inches, and no longer suffer with any acid reflux symptoms. I had a post-op EGD a few months ago and my Barrett’s esophagus is stable. I will still have to take 10 mg of Omeprazole for life, but I am hopeful to have continued improvement. I also joined an online women’s weight lifting group at Inspire Fitness, which has been amazing with helping me gain strong legs to tackle some long rides and hills on my road bike as well as some awesome definition in my arms and back.

I would highly recommend having a consult if you are thinking about weight loss surgery. It has been such a positive in my life! Thank you for the opportunity to share my story.

–Kate H.
Surgeon: Dr. Nicholas J. Paulk
Surgery Date: 9/13/21
SW: 248
CW: 124
TWL: 124

Read more patient stories here.

Interested in learning more about weight loss surgery? Learn more information here.

If you would like to share your weight loss surgery story with others and on Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians (RMAP) other social media outlets, contact Jessica at Jessica@rmapinc.com.

 

www.RMAP.com
Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians
801-268-3800
1160 East 3900 South, Suite 4100
SLC, UT 84124