- Men's Health, Women's Health, Wellness, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMargie Chase usually had success with weight loss when she put her mind to it. But then, something stressful would happen in her life, and the pounds would add up again. It wasn’t until the 53-year-old Davidsonville resident learned to understand nutrition and the underlying reasons for weight gain that she was able to make the lasting changes required for permanent weight loss. I struggle with emotional eating. When I have a lot of stress in my life; I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I eat. The death of my mom in 2005 put me into a downward spiral and I just never seemed to get out of it. Then a friend suggested I go to the Mayo Clinic Workshop. I followed the workbook and I read the chapters in the book and I realized I can do this. I can do all of this. The difference is that I learned a lot about nutrition that I didn’t know the other times. Things like reading the labels and how products are labeled to make you think they’re healthier than they are. Now I really understand the nutritional value of the food I eat. However a few weeks into the program my sister passed away. It was a tragic event and I didn’t know if I could keep going with the program. I was afraid I would start eating junk again. The biggest thing that kept me in it was talking it over with Ann and Carole, (the nutritionists who run the program.) They were so supportive, and even though I was eating, I was making healthy choices. And I still make healthier choices. For instance, today, I’m going out to Garrett County and I made sure I had plenty of water, fruits, and nutritional bars in the car to help me on this long drive. It’s all healthy. I never would have done that before. I would have just gone for the fast food junk. When I started in February I was at 223, and I’m now down to 180. I’ve hit a plateau, but that’s OK. I’ve learned with the program that you’ll hit these places where you get stuck. I’ve hit a couple before and I just keep going. Then all of a sudden it breaks loose and the scale starts to move again. Your body needs to adjust. Staying steady is better than focusing on the scale. I’ve never been much of an exerciser, but I always knew I felt better when I had the weight off. So now, I make sure I do the exercise. I even joined a boot camp after the Mayo Clinic workshop was over. With the things I’ve learned I’m still able to treat myself. Someone recently made me a blackberry pie, and that’s my favorite. So I didn’t deprive myself. I made a different choice. I took a small slice instead of what before would have been a quarter of a pie, and I told myself that I would exercise for an additional 20 minutes or so to make up for it. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. I eat everything I want but in small portions and keep doing my exercises. None of this has been easy. It’s been a long, challenging journey, but it’s gotten me 43 pounds closer to my goal weight. It’s not over for me because I still have my goal in sight, but I’m hoping the changes I’m making will allow me to live longer and have more energy to enjoy my two small nephews.This is a life style change and it feels so good.
- Men's Health, Wellness, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogTwins Andrew and Anthony Henderson grew up on a farm in Upper Marlboro where being active and fit was just a part of daily life. But over time, age, busy lives, and injuries slowed them down. That’s when the weight gain began to creep up on them. They both struggled to keep the weight down, but nothing worked, and it eventually took a toll on their health. Last year, at 47 years old, Andrew decided it was time for a major change. He signed up for a free weight loss seminar at AAMC to learn about his options. Together with Dr. Alex Gandsas who leads AAMC’s Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program, Andrew determined that gastric sleeve surgery was right for him. Inspired by his brother’s success, Anthony has joined the weight loss program and is preparing for gastric surgery. “Since he had the surgery I was amazed, how he’s doing so good,” Anthony says, gesturing toward his brother. “I got jealous. Now, I want what he got.” Andrew laughs. “It’s true. When I walk in the door my family says ‘where’s the rest of you?” Before attending the weight loss seminar, Andrew weighed 407 pounds. He suffered from sleep apnea, diabetes, high cholesterol and gout. “It seemed like every time I went to the doctor, I was not responding to the medication and they gave me something else. I was on 13 medications total.” All that changed after his surgery. Within four months, Andrew had lost 73 pounds. The sleep apnea was gone, and he needed only two medications instead of 13. Anthony is looking forward to similar changes after his surgery. At 396 pounds, he suffers from high blood pressure and sleep apnea, and he’s taking five medications a day. Even so, the thought of surgery intimidated him and he considered not going through with it. That’s when Andrew encouraged him to go to the weight loss seminar. It gave him the information and resolve he needed. “This is a life changer,” Anthony said to his brother, “I’m glad you told me, go to that seminar. It eased me from being scared.” “The seminars are so important,” Andrew says, admitting to his own fears about surgery. “I was scared, I won’t lie. But I said, it doesn’t cost me anything to go to the seminar, so I went. It was very valuable, because things you don’t know about your own body you can learn there. You have three types of surgery that you could qualify for. You have the sleeve, then you have the lap band, and then you have the gastric bypass. He goes through each one and explains to you the purpose of it, the outcomes of it and who can qualify for it.” “You need the mindset to make the change and you need the support,” Andrew says. “And the program is lifechanging. I’m 73 pounds lighter and I got something to look forward to.” “We want to retire,” says Anthony. “We’ve got things we want to do.
- Weight LossGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAAMC offers two weight loss surgery procedures — sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass. Both have been shown to be highly effective in combination with a long-term program of exercise, proper nutrition and medical support. Each procedure is minimally invasive and creates a small stomach pouch, helping patients feel fuller sooner and stay full longer. As less food is eaten, the body stops storing excess calories and starts using its fat supply for energy. Patients are able to digest food in a normal manner after recovery. “Bariatric surgery gives you an advantage in addition to diet and exercise, and is the only proven long-term weight loss solution,” says AAMC bariatric surgeon Courtney Doyle, MD. “By changing the anatomy, we help patients curb appetite and limit portions. These changes may also alter the body’s hormones, which can help to suppress appetite.” Return to Beating the Odds: Weight Loss Surgery Helps Man Keep the Weight Off. Save Contributor Courtney Doyle, MD, is a bariatric surgeon with AAMC.
- Men's Health, Patient & Family Advisors, Weight Loss, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMark Goss knows how hard it can be to lose weight and keep it off. At age 34, the Annapolis resident and business owner weighed just over 350 pounds. When his primary care doctor warned him that he was headed for early heart disease and stroke, he knew it was time to get healthier for the sake of his wife and two young daughters. After years of trying a number of weight loss programs that didn’t work for him, Mark was inspired when he attended a free seminar held by AAMC’s Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program. The program’s emphasis on forming healthy, lifelong habits made sense to him. After undergoing surgery in 2014, he lost more than 100 pounds, his weight has remained stable, and he has a new, healthy lifestyle that he knows he can sustain. “If you are serious about long-term weight loss and getting healthy, the AAMC weight loss surgery program provides an outstanding tool for making the changes that can save your life,” says Mark, who now provides peer support to new and prospective AAMC bariatric patients. “I’m sure it saved mine.” Even Biggest Losers Gain Recent research has shown just how difficult it can be to sustain weight loss like Mark’s. In one study, detailed in a May 2016 New York Times article, researchers followed a group of contestants from the reality TV show “The Biggest Loser” for six years after their weight loss. During those years, the contestants’ metabolism actually slowed down. It became harder than normal for them to burn calories, and most regained their weight. “Weight loss surgery provides an added advantage to diet and exercise as the only proven, long-term weight loss solution for patients struggling with obesity,” says Alex Gandsas, MD, director of AAMC’s Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program. “But a focus on overall wellness and long-term support is another crucial factor for success. We’ve found that patients do so much better in a program that will support them for the rest of their lives. Surgery is only one of the components on the journey along with nutrition, psychological counseling and medically supervised exercise.” No more medication Mark was a candidate for sleeve gastrectomy, one of two minimally invasive weight loss surgeries offered at AAMC. The small stomach pouch his surgery created now provides a fail-safe against overeating, he says. “I can comfortably eat one plate of food, and immediately after that I have an amazingly full feeling.” Prior to the procedure, he had a complete medical evaluation and physical fitness training. After surgery, program dietitians prescribed him a diet that he says helped him break an addiction to junk food. He also entered the AAMC Bariatric Optimization Program, a carefully monitored exercise regimen. “The program gave me the building blocks I needed to continue exercising on my own with a personal trainer,” he says. He continues to work out regularly and stays away from unhealthy foods. All in the family Mark’s journey has also had a profound effect on his family’s health. His wife has lost nearly 100 pounds with diet and exercise, and his daughters now ask for the healthy foods they see their parents eating. In addition, the once sedentary family is now active and the kids are enrolled in sports programs. “We are where we should have been to begin with,” he says. “The surgery was a catalyst for a life change.” Mark now helps guide the program and supports others in his role as a patient and family advisor. And if he needs help, Mark knows he can contact his AAMC team with any questions, concerns or complications. He credits this support as a key factor in his ongoing success. “Everyone’s really friendly and just an email away,” he says. “I struggle the same as everyone, and moderation is still the key. But it’s easy now that I have the mindset and the knowledge to keep my weight under control and to stay fit,” Mark says. “It’s up to the individual to capitalize on the opportunities this program offers, and AAMC makes it easier.” AAMC surgeons also perform complex hernia repair procedures in combination with weight loss surgery.
- Behavioral Health, Community, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogJohn and Jill DePaola of the Bo DePaola Family Foundation hosted the inaugural Bo’s Effort Golf Tournament at South River Country Club on May 23, 2016, in memory of their son Bo DePaola. It raised funds to support a behavioral health nurse navigator position for AAMC’s Pathways, outpatient mental health clinic and ER. As part of AAMC’s family-centered care, nurse navigators advocate for patients and their families. They remove barriers, coordinate activities to meet patients’ needs, and identify ways to improve the patient journey and enhance patient and family support during a complex diagnosis. “This was a tribute to our beautiful son, Bo, who left this life early but will continue in spirit to do great things for the community. He is doing his part to help other families who are going through the uncertainty of living with mental illness,” said John DePaola, Bo’s dad. Bo’s Effort’s mission is to break the stigma of mental illness with education and guidance. Through partnerships with Anne Arundel Medical Center, the National Alliance on Mental Illness – Anne Arundel County, and valued community partners, the event is raising awareness. Mark your calendars for the 2017 Bo’s Effort Golf Tournament on Monday, May 22.
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