Jonathan Ward’s 300-pound weight loss

Jay FitzOur Town Health

When your weight equals a quarter of a ton, day-to-day living is a lot of work. Jonathan Ward, 46, from Cleveland, Ten­nessee, was constantly consider­ing how far he could walk while enduring the pain in his knees and how much space he would need anywhere he was going.

Basic self-care required spe­cial tools. He couldn’t put his socks on without help.

Jonathan Ward before weight loss

Today, Ward spends less time planning his days and more time enjoying them. Ward has lost 300 pounds, the last 128 after a weight loss procedure through the Parkwest Center for Bariat­ric Surgery. He says it was the tool that helped him finally reach his ultimate goals and make the weight loss permanent.

“It’s improved my quality of life and my ability to get out and enjoy life a thousandfold,” Ward says. “It’s amazing the differ­ence in everything I do.”

 The Moment that Changed Everything

In late summer of 2019, Ward’s father passed away fol­lowing years of health problems that were made worse by extra weight. It forced Ward to take a hard look at his own health. “It was so traumatic in my mind, spirit and soul that I made up my mind – I was going to make that change,” Ward says.

Stepping on the scales at his physician’s office, Ward came face-to-face with the reality that his weight had topped 500 pounds. When he expressed his desire to get serious about chang­ing that number, the doctor was all in, helping Ward develop a diet and exercise plan. The pounds began to fall off, but after a while progress stalled. Logging food every day was be­coming tiresome, and so was re­peating the same meals.

Jonathan Ward after weight loss

Ward fell into old habits and his weight started to yo-yo, much the same as it had done when he had dieted so many times in the past. Depression began to settle in. The wake-up call came when his doctor said, “You’re not going to waste all your hard work and head the other way, are you?”

Having always been open to the option of weight loss surgery, Ward decided it was time for on­line research to find the right per­son for the job.

Getting Connected

Robert Williams, MD, spe­cializes in minimally invasive general surgery procedures at Parkwest, including weight loss surgeries that have been radical­ly changing lives for years. Ward liked what he read about Dr. Wil­liams, especially the many posi­tive reviews from former patients.

“I decided to go to an infor­mational session where he laid out everything – all the procedures he does, the negatives and positives of each of them,” Ward says. “Af­ter that, I had my consultation with him.”

Together, the two decided a biliary-pancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS) was the right choice for Ward. Dr. Williams says BPD/DS combines a gastric bypass and a limited sleeve gastrectomy.

The procedure was performed in July 2020. In April 2021, Ward returned to his physician’s office in Cleveland and stepped on the scales. His weight was 200.6 pounds.

“I never thought I would be able to lose all this weight,” Ward says. “I never thought I would be 200 pounds again.”

He plays golf, hikes in the Smoky Mountains and goes for long walks. Ward no longer car­ries the burden of being limited by his weight. With the support the weight-loss program offers post-sur­gery, Ward’s been able to stay on course even on difficult days. The sacrifices he’s made along the way are bringing him a better quality of life.

“I wasn’t going to be able to live much retirement – if I made it to retirement – if I didn’t do something immediately,” Ward says. “Weight-loss surgery was the tool to help me not only lose weight, but keep it off as well.”

Aware that so many people are struggling with weight loss the way he was, Ward offers encour­agement. “Don’t wait for the wake-up call, for a lost family member, and don’t give up hope,” Ward says.

Considering Weight-Loss Surgery?

Parkwest Center for Bariatric Surgery is led by K. Robert Wil­liams, MD, who is board certified in bariatric surgery. After per­forming more than 1,500 bariat­ric procedures in the past decade, he sets the record straight.

It’s Not Just About Weight

Bariatric procedures at Park­west don’t just change the way patients look on the outside. They can change and even save lives. Dr. Williams explains that people who carry a lot of extra weight often carry troubling health is­sues, too.

“Weight-loss surgery has a big impact on metabolic diseases – diabetes, hypertension, sleep ap­nea, high cholesterol, reflux and even mechanical issues such as arthritis, back pain and stress in­continence,” Dr. Williams says.

In some cases, it’s harder psychologically than physically because dramatic weight loss brings such a dramatic lifestyle change. Parkwest offers a sup­port group and follow-ups with a dietitian and exercise physiol­ogist to help. This support system is one of the reasons patients at Parkwest Center for Bariatric Surgery are successful for the long term.

 The Information is Free

The first step to weight-loss sur­gery is becoming well-informed. The Center for Bariatric Surgery hosts free seminars online and in person at Parkwest to explain procedures and answer questions.

To learn about bariatric sur­gery options at Parkwest Medical Center or to sign up for a free informational seminar, visit TreatedWell.com/Bariatrics.

Information provided by marketing department of Covenant Health.

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