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Medical Services: Bariatric Success Story
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What we offer Support group FAQs Success stories Contact us Lora Caretti of Loretto doesn’t take the thrill of riding a roller coaster for granted. When she was in her late 30s and at her all-time high in weight, she faced the awkwardness of not being able to fit into a coaster’s seat at Six Flags and had to leave the ride. “That was really what did it,” recalled Lora, now 41. “Obviously, I was embarrassed. I started feeling helpless about my health. I made up my mind that I was too young to let this be happening.” Lora had unsuccessfully fought obesity since college. In June 2008, she had Rouxen- Y (pronounced ROO-enwhy) gastric bypass surgery performed by Dr. Matthew Newlin, medical director of Altoona Regional’s Bariatric Surgery Center. In the short span of a year, she lost approximately 120 pounds, and her appearance rapidly changed. “I felt like I exhausted my options,” she said. “I had tried everything. I’d get down 20 pounds and couldn’t go any further. And I’ll be the first to admit I don’t enjoy typical exercise.” ‘Controlling my life’With a background in medicine (Lora has been a registered nurse with Altoona Regional for more than 20 years), she knew that the excess weight she carried increased the likelihood she would develop health problems in the not-sodistant future.“The weight was controlling my life,” she said. “I experienced constant knee pain. I tired easily, and it was hard to do the things I wanted to do with my husband, Tony, and our three daughters — Hayley, Jody and Rachel. |
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“I love horses, and enjoy
riding and showing them,”
she continued. “As my
weight increased, I spent
less and less time riding.
I got tired of not being able
to do it. I had too much
I wanted to accomplish.
I chose the weight-loss
option that I believed
would work for me.”
Although gastric bypass surgery reduces stomach size and limits the calories that can be absorbed, becoming slim and healthy is not a guarantee. But Lora was prepared for the challenge. Doing it for herself“Before I went into surgery, I made a commitment to myself that I was going to change the way I approached food,” she said. “First and foremost, I was doing this, losing the weight, for myself!”Lora returned to work just a week and a half after the bypass surgery, which Dr. Newlin performed using laparoscopic instruments through six small incisions. Her careful attention to eating well-balanced meals and getting her vitamin and mineral levels checked ensured that she didn’t suffer from malnutrition. And as time went by, her excess weight (and knee pain) began to disappear. “Before I knew it, I was literally back in the saddle again,” Lora said. “I can ride a horse for over two hours now and not experience pain in my knees. “I take daily walks on my lunch break and joined an archery league — I finished in third place! And last fall, I was able to climb into a tree stand to shoot a sevenpoint buck with my bow.” Surgery only a ‘tool’
Lora would recommend
gastric bypass surgery to
anyone who is ready and
willing to make a change
in his or her life. Her job at
Altoona Regional’s Surgical
Pretesting department
allows her to share her
success story with other
bariatric patients before
their own surgeries.
“I emphasize that you must make an effort and change your lifestyle to ensure a good outcome,” she said. “The surgery is only a tool. You have to be compliant, but it is absolutely worth it. “Now when I climb into a roller coaster, I find myself thinking back to that day at Six Flags,” she said. “As humiliating as it was, it’s exactly what needed to happen to push me in a healthy direction. “Someday soon, I plan on returning to Six Flags to ride that very same rollercoaster. I want to smile as I buckle that belt!” |
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