Michigan City woman morphs from 261 pounds to 157 pounds with bariatric surgery
BY BARBARA ROLEK
Times Features Writer
brolek@nwitimes.com | Thursday, June 14, 2007
Throughout grade school and high school, Phyllis Gilworth, 47, was active in band programs whose almost-daily marching practices kept her 125-pound weight in check.
It wasn't until she went away to college, put on the freshman 15, and had three children that she saw the pounds mounting. At her heaviest, she weighed 261 pounds.
The assistant principal for Eggers Middle School in Hammond says she tried Weight Watchers and other diets with limited success.
"'I just need to exercise more,' I thought, so one summer I walked 10 miles a day and only lost 7 pounds. By the time I had surgery, I had messed up my metabolism so badly with yo-yo dieting, I couldn't lose weight to save my life," Gilworth says.
She was plagued by knee problems, high blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol levels, and sleep apnea, but the real wake-up call was a trip to the emergency room two years ago.
"For no reason, my heart started beating 227 times a minute and it was feared I would go into cardiac arrest. The ER doctors literally stopped my heart for a second so it would resume a normal rhythm. I was only 45. That incident highly motivated me to get the weight off, and get it off quickly," Gilworth says.
Several of Gilworth's colleagues in The Hammond School Corporation had had successful weight-loss surgery with Dr. Paul Stanish of The Methodist Hospitals Southlake in Merrillville, and they looked and felt terrific.
Gilworth contacted Methodist and started her bariatric-surgery journey, which includes psychological and dietetic evaluations, insurance approval and four classes.
On July 11, 2005, Gilworth had open Roux-en-Y surgery gastric bypass surgery. She left the hospital on Thursday of that week and by Friday says she was at home gardening.
"I bounced back very quickly and would do it again in a heartbeat. I have no regrets," she said. "Six weeks after surgery my cholesterol was normal and I haven't seen that since my 20s. I have a lot more energy and I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't having a wonderful time buying new clothes. It's a big boost.
"Now I can wear a pair of corduroy pants and not worry about setting something on fire from my thighs rubbing together." Gilworth says the surgery is just a tool. She wants to lose 7 more pounds and knows exercise is the key.
"Recently, my 18-year-old son said, 'Mom, you've got a really nice butt.' I just chuckled. I thought, 'Did you wreck the car? Do you want money?'" "I take the compliments with a grain of salt, but they're so nice to hear," Gilworth says.
Name: Phyllis Gilworth
Age: 47
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 157
Pounds lost: 104
Size: 8, down from a 22
THE DIET: "I eat anything I want, but I'm real cognizant of portion size and putting stuff in my body that's healthy. Instead of eating candy, I'll have nuts. I take orange slices for a snack to school. I'm a cheap date. I went to Burger King recently and ordered a Whopper Junior. I stay away from sugar and I'm cautious with carbs like bread. I eat whole grains and if I want potatoes, I'll have them, even with a little butter. At this point, it's more important if I have a taste for something to eat it, so I can get over it. I've discovered Blue Bunny ice cream with 3 grams of sugar. It's great."
THE WORKOUT: "I don't have one right now because I'm so strapped for time (in addition to her full-time job, Gilworth is pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership). I walk whenever I can. It's good for the body and the head. I haven't ended up with a whole lot of flab; I have a little bat-wing problem, but nothing significant.
TIPS: "Arm yourself with information. If you choose to go with surgery, read about it, know what's going on, talk to people who've gone through it. It's a big commitment. I don't care how ready you are to do this, it's still a huge step. If bariatric surgery is your choice, then do what the staff tells you to do and you'll be successful."
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