Bariatric surgery is ‘the best decision I’ve ever made’
Mary Dillerud, Minneapolis, spent much of her adult life eating healthy, working out and — though overweight — she was active and never considered herself “out of shape.” She felt she did everything right, yet she always felt like she was swimming upstream when it came to losing weight.
Through good nutrition and a consistent exercise routine, Mary would lose as much as 50 pounds throughout the course of a year but then get stuck. Her weight loss would plateau and slowly the weight would creep back on. This pattern persisted for more than 15 years.
It was time for a better solution
“My primary care provider mentioned bariatric surgery a few times, but I always felt I could lose the weight on my own and would tell her ‘I got this.’ After being frustrated by losing and gaining for so long, I finally realized I needed the extra help and sought care from Ridgeview’s Bariatric & Weight Loss team,” Mary explained.
Mary had sleeve gastrectomy surgery in March 2022. With this procedure, the stomach is stapled and then separated, resulting in a long, tube-shaped stomach that is about a tenth the size of the original. The remainder of the stomach is removed. The smaller stomach limits the amount of food that can be eaten.
Mary found the advice and guidance from Jeffrey Baker, MD, Ridgeview, and his team to be especially helpful, both leading up to the surgery and after. “Dr. Baker has been amazing. He doesn’t only focus on the physical changes but is very cognizant of the emotional challenges as well — even validating my feelings from how other people reacted to my surgery,” Mary said.
Living her active life with ease
Mary has lost 105 pounds since the surgery. Although she never felt out of shape, Mary is now truly living her active life — running, walking long distances, and working out have all become easier. She loves that she can see her muscle tone and the results from all her hard work. “This was the best decision I’ve ever made,” Mary shared, “It’s not a magic solution, but it’s a tool. If you put in the hard work, it becomes part of a successful toolset.”
Ridgeview's Bariatric & Weight Loss team is dedicated to weight loss and long-term weight management. If you could benefit from support in achieving your weight loss goals, visit our website to learn more about surgical and non-surgical options.
