Stephen’s story begins with Sara. Stephen and Sara Guthrie are happily expecting their second child in June — a family milestone worthy of celebration. Sara underwent a gastric sleeve bypass procedure in April 2013. After some deliberations, Stephen underwent the same procedure in February 2016. They haven’t looked back since.
“We are expecting our second child in June,” Sara said. “I have always credited the surgery for making my pregnancies possible. Being pregnant and running around after a toddler would be significantly more challenging 130 pounds ago.”
Sara’s transformation inspired Stephen to make a change.
“After bouncing back and forth between 310 and 340 pounds, I decided it was time to attend the support sessions with Sara and schedule an appointment with Dr. Lee,” Stephen explained.
Since the surgery, Stephen has lost about 100 pounds and harnessed an array of healthy habits to keep the weight away. Selective eating, no longer going back for seconds and avoiding heartburn-triggering foods have become a part of Stephen’s daily routine.
Before his surgery, Stephen had trouble sleeping. He slept with a CPAP machine for more than seven years. His struggles did not end there. A simple task such as bending over to speak with his daughter left Stephen winded and frustrated. When it came to doing stuff around the house, he couldn’t clean out the attic for fear of breaking the ladder. Stephen avoided the crawl space under their home because he was worried about getting stuck. Since the Guthrie family teamed up with the great people at the Weight Loss Institute of Columbus Regional Health they are healthier — and their house has never looked better.
“Recently I had to go under our home to make some repairs, and I kept thinking I could never have fit in here before,” he added.
The dramatic increase in mobility has allowed Stephen and Sara to participate in activities that had eluded them. Not too long ago, they enjoyed a 12-day vacation to Disney World. Stephen and Sara ushered their daughter around the park in a back carrier without problems or pain caused by walking. And yes, they got to see Mickey and Minnie!
The Weight Loss Institute of Columbus Regional Health helped the Guthrie family grow, get healthy and tear down the barriers of circumstance. Imagine what bariatric surgery could do for you!