Much To This WLS Patient & Her Family
By Rhonda Mann
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Staff
It was her daughter’s 21st birthday and the child’s wish seemed simple. She wanted a photo of her mother.
“I hadn’t realized until that moment that I had deprived my daughter of something as basic as a picture, so I agreed,” says Robin Cyr who normally avoided cameras because of excess weight. “When I saw that shot of me in the limo on her birthday, I was horrified.”
Cyr battled obesity for more than 25 years. She tried every diet – from South Beach to Medifast – without sustainable weight loss. But it wasn’t until she saw that picture of her 386 pound body that she knew she had to try something else. That’s when she happened to spot a TV commercial for weight loss surgery.
“I started to go to the area hospitals, to their information sessions about the surgery,” she recalls. “That’s when I met Dr. Jones and the team at Beth Israel Deaconess. I knew right away this was where I needed to be.”
Twenty-months after having open gastric bypass surgery, Robin had dropped 220 pounds. She says, while she feels terrific, it has been a lot of work.
“At first, I would eat too fast. I wouldn’t chew my food enough. And I vomited a lot,” she recalls. “The patient support groups were great. There were cooking classes and exercise demos, too. It was one big learning curve.”
She also had complications from her surgery, including blood clots and multiple hernias. But she says it’s all been worth it. She now has a life.
“Before the surgery, I did nothing. I didn’t travel because I couldn’t fit in the seats. I didn’t go to the movies. I wouldn’t be able to walk around an amusement park,” Cyr says. “Now I can do anything.” Cyr has already visited her daughter in graduate school in California, twice.
She also just “loves to move,” including walking. Before her surgery, she averaged about 450 steps per day. Now, she does about 15,000. She also enjoys shopping.
“I use to go into a big person’s store and pick the largest size they had. I wouldn’t even bother trying it on,” she says. “Now I can shop anywhere. I can choose whatever I want to wear in a size 12, maybe even a 10.”
Cyr does have advice for anyone considering the surgery – talk to other patients. “Go to information sessions. Ask questions,” she says. Also, she says it’s important to follow the instructions of the weight loss team. “If they tell you to exercise more, you need to do it. If they say you need to drink more water, do it,” she says. “They know what they’re talking about.”
Cyr also notes that people ask her if she has any regrets. She says she has just one. “That I didn’t learn about and take advantage of weight loss surgery sooner!”
Cyr’s daughter, a competitive rower, is also thrilled her mom has a new, more active life.
“I use to hide when I went to her events. I didn’t want to embarrass her,” says Cyr.
“She has tons of pictures of me now. And I don’t mind one bit.”
Above content provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor.
Posted January 2010