Find the right reason: How bariatric surgery gave one woman more than a second chance at life
When Theresa Timm is asked why she went ahead with bariatric surgery, she gives a straight answer.
“I didn’t want to die,” she says.
For as long as she can remember, Theresa has struggled maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. Despite being a successful high school athlete, placing second in discus in Illinois’ state track and field meet, she says growing up, her family lacked a healthy relationship with food and exercise.
As a result, she has seen the often-devastating effects of an unhealthy lifestyle on her family members, including diabetes-related amputations and death.
“All of us have type 2 diabetes, and my father died from complications from it,” Theresa says.
Over the years, she tried nearly every diet program available, but the results never seemed to last.
During an annual wellness exam, her primary care provider at Emplify Health by Gundersen suggested bariatric surgery. She was initially hesitant to try yet another program.
“But I thought about it on the way home and the next day, I sent her a MyChart message,” she says.
A life-saving operation
After working with her care team, Theresa decided to undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery to reduce the size of her stomach and improve hormone imbalance to adjust her metabolism.
During the surgery, doctors discovered a tumor and removed it. Luckily, it was caught early enough that all of it could be removed before it spread.
“Because of the surgery and early detection of the tumor, I got a second lease on life twice.”
'What was my next goal?'
Since the surgery, Theresa has seen dramatic weight loss and has felt much healthier. To stay motivated and maintain her new lifestyle, she began considering what her next goal was.
She decided it was time to run a half-marathon. She finished her first half-marathon last September, her second in June of 2025 and is preparing to run another one this fall.
While running has become a new hobby, she has also become passionate about teaching others not to run away from their own goals.
She spends time on panels and discussing her success with others considering bariatric surgery.
“You have to do it for the right reasons or you’re going to fail,” she says. “It’s only a tool, not magic.”
Begin your journey today with Emplify Health’s empathic team of experts
Take the first step toward bariatric surgery.
Maybe you’re just starting to consider bariatric surgery for weight loss, improved energy and self-esteem. Or maybe you’ve been thinking about the health benefits of bariatric surgery for years. No matter how long weight-loss surgery has been on your mind, or why, we make it easy for you to learn more about your options at Gundersen. Get started by watching our free informational Weight-Loss Surgery Seminar.