‘I’ve to be right here for my youngsters’ | Corewell Well being

Nic Weigel loves all issues dad.

However having battled weight problems for years, he discovered it exhausting to maintain up together with his two energetic boys.

He couldn’t play on the ground with them. He cheered them on at BMX races, however he couldn’t trip. He typically didn’t have the power for on a regular basis family duties.

“I used to be lacking out on a variety of their childhood,” Nic mentioned.

He additionally skilled worsening well being issues. At 394 kilos, Nic had obstructive sleep apnea and took treatment for hypertension.

“I didn’t know if I’d dwell to see my oldest son graduate if I didn’t do one thing,” he mentioned.

Each Nic and his spouse, Nöel, had misplaced their dad and mom at a younger age. He didn’t need his sons to undergo that.

That’s when he determined to go forward with bariatric surgical procedure.

“I’ve to do that,” he remembered pondering. “It doesn’t matter what it does to me, I’ve to be right here for my youngsters and my spouse.”

Thomas Martin, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Corewell Well being, remembers first assembly with Nic in late 2019.

“I used to be instantly drawn to Nic’s motivation and conviction,” he mentioned.

In September 2020, Nic underwent a gastric sleeve process. The laparoscopic surgical procedure “turns the heart-shaped abdomen into in regards to the measurement of a banana,” Dr. Martin mentioned.

Nic responded properly to surgical procedure and has adopted the dietary and life-style suggestions to the letter.

Two years later, he weighs 250 kilos and has diminished his physique mass index by almost 20 factors.

However the numbers solely inform a part of the story.

Nic can play Scorching Wheels together with his boys. He and his spouse, Nöel, can hug one another just a bit tighter.

“Human interactions—these are the sorts of issues that imply essentially the most,” Nic mentioned.

‘I used to be in ache’

Nic, 40, grew up in Traverse Metropolis, Michigan.

“I at all times had a strong candy tooth,” he mentioned. “I’ve struggled with weight all my life.”

He stored an higher hand throughout highschool, when he’d work out every day as a part of the wrestling crew. He was additionally an avid mountain biker.

Nic and Nöel met after a Friday night time soccer recreation on Oct. 16, 1999. A yr later, to the day, he proposed. They married on Oct. 16, 2004, at age 21.

Quickly after, they moved to Grand Rapids for school.

Up north, Nic had hunted, fished and hiked with buddies. Metropolis life modified that.

“I had a sedentary life by faculty,” Nic mentioned. He additionally developed what he described as a poor relationship with meals, filling up on junk meals to ease the stresses of school. He at all times preferred pop and Gatorade, too.

“It made me briefly really feel higher to have the candy stuff,” he mentioned.

He tried diets, and he would typically minimize out sugary drinks. He’d shed 20 kilos, then achieve it again.

Nic, an industrial designer, turned a dad in 2011 when Levi was born, adopted by Maxim in 2015. The household moved to Rockford, Michigan, in 2016, the place the boys found BMX biking.

“Each are very rambunctious, athletic and into sports activities,” Nic mentioned.

As Nic placed on weight, he had a tough time maintaining with them. He took treatment for hypertension and slept poorly.

“I used to be in ache on a regular basis,” he recalled.

His confidence additionally suffered. He wasn’t joyful when he noticed photos of himself. He’d typically be soaked in sweat, to the purpose the place his boys didn’t need to hug him.

“As a mother or father, that cuts deep,” Nic mentioned.

Nöel inspired Nic to make wholesome selections, however she knew he needed to make that call.

All that took a backseat when Max had open-heart surgical procedure at age 4, to shut a gap in his coronary heart. Max had a life-threatening stroke afterward. He needed to relearn tips on how to stroll, discuss, eat and swallow.

Watching Max undergo months of remedy with out grievance helped encourage Nic to behave. That, and the worry that he wouldn’t dwell lengthy sufficient to look at Max and Levi develop up.

“Admitting that I wanted assist was my largest wrestle,” Nic mentioned.

‘A strong software’

Nic attended a Corewell Well being surgical weight reduction seminar in November 2019. He needed to fill out a prolonged questionnaire to make sure he was mentally ready.

He had two choices.

In a gastric bypass process, the surgeon creates a smaller abdomen pouch and reroutes the small gut in order that fewer energy are absorbed.

He selected a sleeve gastrectomy, which makes the abdomen smaller.

“The sleeve was possibility for Nic,” Dr. Martin mentioned, as a result of he didn’t need to danger malabsorption of nutritional vitamins.

To arrange for surgical procedure, Nic went on a liquid eating regimen for 2 weeks. “That was the toughest factor,” he mentioned.

However he caught to it, decreasing his BMI to 51 earlier than surgical procedure.

“The operation went tremendous easily,” Dr. Martin mentioned.

Afterward, Nic resumed the liquid eating regimen for 2 weeks, then moved to smooth meals like yogurt and cottage cheese.

He’s a shining instance of the distinction bariatric surgical procedure could make for sufferers who embrace the life-style modifications, Dr. Martin mentioned.

“These operations don’t treatment the illness. They’re only a very highly effective software in preventing the illness of weight problems,” he mentioned. “Being dedicated to the method earlier than and after the surgical procedure is essential.”

‘Non-scale victories’

The bariatrics crew follows sufferers for years post-surgery. Sufferers have entry to a psychologist, dietitian and train specialists to assist preserve them on observe.

By February 2021, Nic had misplaced 100 kilos and diminished his BMI to 39. A yr post-surgery, he’d dropped 140 kilos and his BMI fell to 34.

“As soon as we get beneath a BMI of 35, the well being advantages actually begin to take off,” Dr. Martin mentioned.

Nic’s sleep apnea improved and he got here off all blood strain drugs. He has maintained his weight reduction and continues to embrace a wholesome life-style.

“My solely remorse in regards to the surgical procedure will not be doing it sooner,” Nic mentioned.

He credit Nöel with being his No. 1 supporter, earlier than and after surgical procedure.

“You’re on the susceptible state, and to have that particular person you’ll be able to depend on means the world,” he mentioned.

Two years post-surgery, Nic celebrates what he calls “non-scale victories.” He can put on the identical measurement shirt and pants he wore in highschool. Hugs occur every day.

And he can sustain together with his energetic boys.

Just lately, Nic logged 47 strolling miles over six days at a BMX occasion in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The household is planning a visit to Disney World this yr.

Nic will discuss to anybody contemplating bariatric surgical procedure.

“It does get higher,” he tells them. “Hearken to your docs. In case you observe the trail, you’ll achieve success.”

Serving to sufferers like Nic has been rewarding, Dr. Martin mentioned.

Most sufferers lose at the least 65% of extra physique weight and preserve it off. About 80% of sufferers with Kind 2 diabetes and 50% of these with hypertension can ultimately cease taking drugs, the physician mentioned.

“I like that bariatric surgical procedure helps enhance folks’s high quality of well being and the standard of their life,” Dr. Martin mentioned. “It permits them to really get their life again.”