Cancer and heart attack survivor finds success with bariatric surgery
Courtney Nicodemus loves to exercise. You can find her at Orange theory Fitness four days a week or out on the trails hiking and biking.
“After losing weight, it’s so much easier for me to be active,” Nicodemus says. “Before, when I tried to exercise, I couldn’t breathe well, and it was actually painful. Now if I miss my workout, I’m disappointed.”
This wasn’t something she imagined was possible just a few years ago. In 2015 at age 36, Nicodemus suffered not one, but two heart attacks just days apart. The side effects of former cancer treatment had weakened her heart, and her body needed her to pay attention.
“Obviously, that was a huge wake-up call. But I didn’t take the steps to get healthier right away,” Nicodemus acknowledges. “I was so stressed out afterward that I was really using eating as a crutch. Eventually I realized that I needed to take the necessary steps to be around for my kids.”
In 2016, she took matters into her own hands. She adopted a clean eating diet. She started weightlifting and getting active.
But after a year of persistence, Nicodemus had only lost 11 pounds. That was a huge setback.
“I was doing all the right things, but they weren’t working,” she says. “I watched the progress of some of my friends who had surgery and I decided to see whether that might be the right option for me.”
Nicodemus was relieved her insurance covered weight loss surgery costs, allowing her to have the surgery safely in the United States. This was important to her because she wanted the peace of mind and support that isn’t necessarily available to those considering surgery overseas.
After spending four months with one surgery center and deciding it wasn’t a good fit, Nicodemus did some research and decided to attend a free informational seminar for weight loss surgery at MultiCare Center for Weight Loss & Wellness.
“I was impressed by everything I heard,” she says. “I liked that I had choices. The other center told me which surgery I was going to have. After consultations, Dr. Hanafy laid out the options and said the choice was mine. That was huge for me. He was very informative and educational but he really let me own this decision.”
Nicodemus had weight loss surgery in August 2018. In just one year, she lost 106 pounds, with just a little more to go to reach her goal. Because she’s building muscle, the weight loss is slowing.
“If I don’t exactly reach my goal weight, that’s OK,” she says. “I’m down to a single-digit pant size. To me, that’s a better goal than the number on the scale.”
Nicodemus credits support groups for the necessary motivation to get the most out of her weight loss surgery. She is a member of national online communities, as well as the MultiCare Center for Weight Loss & Wellness Facebook group.
She still meets with her dietitian and attends in-person support group meetings. Because she works in Lacey, she’s delighted that office consultations and support groups are now available in Olympia.
“The post-surgery support, motivation and accountability is huge,” Nicodemus acknowledges. “This is why some of my friends who had surgery overseas aren’t seeing the same kind of results.”
The MultiCare Center for Weight Loss & Wellness supports you before, during and after the weight loss journey.
