Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 5

up on me. I was still surprised to find
out I had diabetes."
Despite his efforts, Fortenberry's
health issues increased. He was taking
more than 20 pills daily, slept with a
CPAP machine for apnea, and was giving himself insulin shots five times a
day to control his diabetes.
"Finally, I had maxed out on my
blood pressure medications and I could
no longer control my glucose levels,"
he says. "I realized if I didn't do something, I was going to die."
Fortenberry's wife encouraged him
to attend a free seminar on medical and
surgical weight loss options offered by
the Healthy 4 Life Advanced Weight
Loss Center at Community Hospital
and St. Mary Medical Center. There,
Bariatric surgery not only helped William Fortenberry lose 160 pounds, but it also helped him save
$6,000 to $7,000 a year on prescription medications.
he found a team that understood his
complex health challenges and offered a
individual has diabetes. We know that
new path toward resolving them. After
For patients like Fortenberry, bargenetic predispositions exist, as well as
some success in the medical weight loss
iatric surgery not only helped him lose
other metabolic abnormalities that conprogram, Fortenberry decided to move
160 pounds, but it also helped
tribute to the onset of type 2 diabetes.
forward with bariatric surgery to conhim save $6,000 to $7,000 a year on
What is becoming increasingly clear
tinue improving.
prescription medications.
is that weight loss, particularly gained
"More research is showing that bar"A few years ago, I just accepted it as
through gastric bypass, can result in
iatric surgery is an effective treatment
part of my life. It didn't seem like there
diabetes remission."
option for successfully managing type 2
was light at the end of the tunnel," he
While the lifestyle and
diabetes," says Paul Stanish,
says. "While surgery was not a magic
diet modifications assoMD, general and bariatric surwand-it's still hard work-I was able to
ciated with weight loss
geon at Community Hospital
take control of my life. I now know what
alone can contribute to
in Munster and at
I want. I want to breathe better. I want
improved glucose levels,
St. Mary Medical Center
to be able to walk more. I want to spend
a recent study in the New
in Hobart. "Over the last
the next 25 years of my life watching my
England Journal of Medicine
10 to 15 years, the notion
grandkids grow up. I want to live." ■
concluded that bariatric
of bariatric surgery to help
surgery plus medical thertreat diabetes has gained
WEBSITE
apy was more effective in
traction among physicians
Paul Stanish, MD,
decreasing or sometimes
and health organizations,
general and bariatric
resolving hyperglycemia.
including the American
surgeon
"At five years, improveDiabetes Association."
ments in hyperglycemia, triglyceride
Stanish says that gastric bypass and
levels, cholesterol levels, use of insulin
gastric sleeve surgeries both modify gut
Learn about the quality and outand quality-of-life measures were supehormone levels in patients. However,
comes of our outstanding bariatric surgery program, which is
rior among bariatric surgical patients
the medical community is still gaining
accredited by the Metabolic and
than nonsurgical patients," Stanish
an understanding of the exact mechaBariatric Surgery Accreditation
adds. "And since these procedures are
nisms of gut hormones and their effect
and Quality Improvement
now performed minimally invasively
on insulin production and utilization.
Program (MBSAQIP). Visit us at
with fewer complications, they are
"While 90 percent of individuals with
Healthy4LifeCenter.org.
becoming more widely accepted by
type 2 diabetes are obese, not all of
them are," he says. "And not every obese most insurances as well."

Quality Bariatric
Surgical Care

WINTE R 2017

http://www.Healthy4LifeCenter.org

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