'It’s not about a number'
When Larissa Mccann of Eitzen, Minnesota turned 40, she knew she had to make a lifestyle change.
“The doctors told me I was essentially disabled. I was kind of in a wheelchair, and that’s the way it’s going to be unless I change my life,” she says.
Now 43, Larissa is healthier and more active. She has lost more than 230 pounds through Gundersen’s bariatric surgery program.
“It’s not about a number,” she says. “It’s that I’m so much healthier and happier.”
Working with the right tools
Larissa admits it wasn’t an easy process and often harder than she ever imagined. Chris Larson, PA-C, told her the bariatric surgery process would give her “the right tools” but she would still need to put in the work to get the job done. He compared the journey to climbing Mt. Everest.
“[He said] if you’re climbing Mt. Everest, you need to have the right tools,” she says. “He was giving me the tools to lose the weight, but I still had to do the work.”
Gundersen surgeon Kate Mellion, MD, psychologist Afton Koball, PhD, and registered dietitian Laura Birkel assembled Larissa’s toolbox. Laura says the team helps patients become active, understand their relationship with food and embrace their new energy and quality of life. She says she helps patients be more mindful of their eating habits and look at food as fuel.
“We work with patients to re-introduce them to foods they tolerate best and complement their nutritional status and lifestyle in a balanced manner as they progress with post-op diet advancements,” Laura says. “An unsustainable change will not be a long-term change.
What is bariatric surgery?
Dr. Mellion performed Larissa’s sleeve gastrectomy. A sleeve gastrectomy is one of the most common forms of bariatric surgery. It reduces the size of the stomach to the size of a banana. The surgery is safe, and the risks are less than the risks associated with obesity. It also requires minimal recovery time. Once the surgery is complete, patients need to learn to adjust to the new size of their stomach.
Life after surgery
Larissa says the hard work doesn’t end after surgery, but the results have made it easier for her to stay motivated.
“I still feel like every day is work and I have to keep it up” Larissa says. “But I embrace the change because it’s so worth it. I’m happy, healthy, and living my life. I was definitely not living my life before.”
Her team at Gundersen continues to give her the tools to succeed. They follow up with her and help her through challenges. Laura says the team is there to help with all the different situations that arise after surgery.
“We help answer ‘what do I do in this situation?’ or ‘what do I do when my friends want to go out to eat?’” Laura says. “We always say this is a lifelong relationship because you’re always going to be thrown with things that are new and your new system doesn’t know how to respond.”
Larissa says her relationship with the providers is genuine. It gives her more motivation to stay on track.
“They got to know me. They didn’t have to do that. I could be just another number, but it doesn’t feel that way.
Beginning your bariatric surgery journey is only a conversation away. If you are interested in Gundersen’s weight loss surgery options, speak to your provider today. To learn more about the process, click here to watch a free 12-minute video to help you get started.