Temple’s Bariatric Surgery Program Helps 25-Year-Old Jimmy Get His Life Back

Jimmy B. had been overweight for as long as he could remember. Just 25 years old, he found himself overweight, frequently tired, taking 5 medications to control his high blood pressure, and unable to fully participate in life.

“I’ve always been a runner, but my weight was making it more and more difficult,” Jimmy says. “It was hard on my body. My back hurt, and no matter how much I dieted or exercised, I couldn’t lose the weight.”

“I also realized I was taking a lot of medications for someone my age,” he continues. “I finally got myself in the right mindset to take the next step and began researching bariatric surgery. I was looking for a program in the Philadelphia area because I was a student there and needed to stay close by. I had heard about Temple’s program and I really liked what I read about them and their surgeons.”

The first steps

Jimmy attended an introductory bariatric surgery seminar at Temple and met with a bariatric surgeon to discuss his options and see if he met the requirements for surgery.

Bariatric surgery helped Jimmy get his life back. Watch his story about having the gastric sleeve procedure.

Bariatric surgery helped Jimmy get his life back. Watch his story about having the gastric sleeve procedure.

His Temple surgeon determined Jimmy was an excellent candidate for gastric sleeve surgery, also called sleeve gastrectomy. During this procedure, the stomach is greatly reduced in size so it can only hold a small portion of food. Patients feel full after eating much less food and are less hungry between meals.

While he awaited surgery, Jimmy began the process of losing weight with the help of the Temple Bariatric Program team. This pre-surgical weight loss is recommended and important because it can help reduce the chance of complications during surgery.

“Temple helped me realize I wasn’t failing at a diet, I just didn’t have the right tools,” Jimmy explains.

Living his best life

Thanks to Temple’s pre-operative program and the support of the bariatric surgery team, Jimmy was physically and mentally ready when it came time for his surgery.

“The surgery went really well. I only spent one night in the hospital. The whole process was smooth and easy to understand. All of the steps were well laid out. I was back to most normal activities within days,” he says.

Jimmy spent the first 3 months after his surgery developing a new relationship with food and learning what worked best for his body. He received a lot of encouragement from others he met in Temple’s monthly Bariatric Surgery Support Group.

“Even when everything went virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I still felt very supported and was able to reach the Temple team whenever I had questions,” he says.

Jimmy has lost 110 pounds since his weight-loss surgery and no longer needs blood pressure medication. He says he’s thrilled to be buying clothes “off the rack” for the first time in his life.

“I’ve got a few more pounds to lose, but Temple is still there for me and it’s been very rewarding to make it this far,” Jimmy says. “I was very happy with Temple’s care and would refer them to anyone interested in exploring bariatric surgery options.”

Helpful Resources

Looking for more information about bariatric surgery?

• Sign up for a free online bariatric surgery seminar
• Learn more about our Bariatric Program
• Read our blog on “Do I Qualify for Weight-Loss Surgery?”
• Learn the differences between the gastric bypass and gastric sleeve procedures
• Hear from other patients who received bariatric surgery at Temple