{"id":38405,"date":"2025-10-15T07:00:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T07:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=38405"},"modified":"2025-10-07T21:45:57","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T21:45:57","slug":"womans-diabetes-and-sleep-apnea-resolve-following-weight-loss-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/womans-diabetes-and-sleep-apnea-resolve-following-weight-loss-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman&#8217;s diabetes and sleep apnea resolve following weight-loss surgery","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Marceia Dickinson, 53, had been considering weight-loss surgery for some time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was worried I wouldn\u2019t be committed because I love food so much, and I was worried I was too old,\u201d she says. \u201cBut one day I thought, \u2018I\u2019m done taking all these meds. I have to take control of this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dickinson took Metformin for diabetes and medications for high cholesterol and high blood pressure. She also wore a CPAP for sleep apnea.<\/p>\n<p>She scheduled a consultation with bariatric surgeon <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/provider\/kelly-blair\/\">Kelly Blair, MD<\/a>, with <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/location\/multicare-center-for-weight-loss-wellness\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">MultiCare Center for Weight Loss &amp; Wellness. He recommended gastric bypass.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst and foremost, my goal was to stop taking all my meds,\u201d Dickinson explains. \u201cI also wanted better health for myself, and I want to be around longer for my kids and grandkids. I said, \u2018OK, let\u2019s go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Making lifestyle changes before surgery<\/h2>\n<p>Due to insurance requirements, Dickinson needed to lose 14 pounds prior to <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/services\/weight-loss\/bariatric-surgery\/\">weight-loss surgery<\/a>, but she lost 32 pounds because of the dietary changes she made.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI looked at what I was eating and drinking and cut out a lot of sugar \u2014 the coffee creamer I used had a lot of sugar; I also stopped drinking soda,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen I went through with these changes, that\u2019s when I knew I was serious about surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dickinson\u2019s surgery was in March 2024.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe first thing I thought when I woke up from surgery was, \u2018Wow, I really did it.\u2019 I thought I would have backed out,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI wish I had done it when my mom was alive because I know she would have been really proud of me for taking charge and losing weight. Everyone on her side of the family, including her, was obese.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Post-surgery health improvements<\/h2>\n<p>Immediately following bariatric surgery, Dickinson&#8217;s care team told her she no longer needed Metformin, which means her diabetes resolved.<\/p>\n<p>Her sleep apnea also resolved \u2014 about a week after surgery, she discontinued use of her CPAP. A month later, she stopped taking the blood pressure and cholesterol medications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDr. Blair is amazing \u2014 he\u2019s a great cheerleader,\u201d Dickinson says. \u201cHe\u2019s so positive; he supports you and cheers you on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A little over a year after surgery, however, her weight loss stalled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore I started my weight-loss journey, I was at 282. I was 250 right before surgery,\u201d she says. \u201cI lost about 75 pounds after surgery, but I got stuck for a while and still wanted to make further progress.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Overcoming a weight-loss plateau<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Blair referred Dickinson to <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/provider\/jeffrey-hooper\/\">Jeffrey Hooper, DO<\/a>, a MultiCare medical weight-loss specialist who suggested she temporarily go on Phentermine, a medication that helps suppress appetite and increases the breakdown of stored fat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur surgical patients\u2019 journeys do not end on the day of surgery \u2014 rather it\u2019s just the beginning,\u201d Dr. Hooper explains. \u201cOur medical weight-loss providers can play a valuable role in helping patients optimize their weight loss and keep it off for good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dickinson says after surgery she was in the \u201choneymoon phase,\u201d where she didn\u2019t think about or obsess over food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut the further out from surgery I got, the food noise came back,\u201d she adds. \u201cI wanted to stop the food noise, and Phentermine has helped with that. It\u2019s also helping me get to my goal \u2014 I\u2019m at 166 now, but I\u2019d like to get to 150.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rather than fixating on food, she recognizes its role as fuel and can make healthier choices.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m still working on it,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I\u2019m focused on balancing my meals for nutritional value, so I don\u2019t graze and snack throughout the day.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Rediscovering mobility<\/h2>\n<p>Along with improving her relationship with food, the weight loss has allowed Dickinson to walk greater distances.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI used to be tired all the time, but I got so much energy back from losing weight. I\u2019m able to walk the waterfront with my friends and talk and not have to stop to catch my breath,\u201d she explains. \u201cI don\u2019t have to find a close (parking) spot at the store, and I don\u2019t have to worry about being out of breath after walking up 10 stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This summer, Dickinson went to Tacoma&#8217;s Art on the Ave and Porchfest and walked for hours without getting tired.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI walked up and down the festivals and had a great time without having to find somewhere to sit to take a break,\u201d she says. \u201cIt felt really good to walk, and my back and knees didn\u2019t hurt. I feel like I have my life back.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marceia Dickinson, 53, had been considering weight-loss surgery for some time. \u201cI was worried I wouldn\u2019t be committed because I love food so much, and I was worried I was too old,\u201d she says. \u201cBut one day I thought, \u2018I\u2019m done taking all these meds. I have to take control of this.\u201d Dickinson took Metformin [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":451,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weight-loss","category-profiles-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Woman&#039;s diabetes and sleep apnea resolve following surgery - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After losing more than 100 pounds and having weight-loss surgery, Marceia Dickinson regained her energy and experienced major health improvements.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/womans-diabetes-and-sleep-apnea-resolve-following-weight-loss-surgery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Woman&#039;s diabetes and sleep apnea resolve following surgery - 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