TRAVIS AIR
FORCE BASE, Calif. – According
to the State of Obesity’s website, 35 percent of Americans have a body mass
index that falls under the morbidly obese category.
The David Grant USAF Medical Center bariatric
clinic at Travis Air Force Base, California, welcomes people who fall under
this category and has treatments to help people in the local community to stymie
health hazards they’ve encountered due to obesity.
The bariatric clinic at DGMC is comprised of
U.S. Air Force members and their civilian counterparts who specialize in
offering patients the support and operations necessary to assist their needs.
For many, being overweight causes symptoms
which include breathlessness, back and joint pain, low confidence, self-esteem
issues and isolation. There are also medical problems associated with obesity
such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea, all of
which are significantly improved after surgery.
Millions of Americans annually have a New Year’s
resolution of diet, exercise and to shed a few pounds. Medical weight loss
therapies alone lead to a 95
percent fail rate.
“Typical patients have failed to achieve
sustained weight loss efforts either through medical supervision or on their
own,” said Capt. Janice Perido, 60th Medical Group Surgical Squadron bariatric
surgery physician assistant.
The process at Travis AFB begins with a
referral from the individual’s primary care manager. With that referral, the
person will get in contact with Kelli Miller-Freeman, 60th Medical Group
Surgical Squadron bariatric nurse coordinator, at the bariatric clinic to get
scheduled for a bariatric seminar, an educational class which provides
information regarding surgical weight loss treatment options.
Requirements for being a recipient at Travis’
bariatric clinic is the individual must be at least 18 years old and have a BMI
of 35 kilogram/squaremeter or higher. Eligible beneficiaries are dependents of
active duty personnel, retiree, dependent a veteran patient referred by their VA
PCM.
“When a new patient is onboard, I try to answer their questions openly
and honestly with complete transparency,” said Miller-Freeman. “My job is to
make sure patient get as
much support for their journey.”
Miller-Freeman underwent a bariatric operation
in 2002 and is able to bring a
personalized perspective to the program.
“I developed blood clots in both lungs from
standing for long hours and being overweight,” said Miller-Freeman. “I
developed cardio myopathy after having my daughter in 1997. There wasn’t a choice
for me. I had to reduce the volume of work my heart had to do for supporting my
400 pound body.”
For Miller-Freeman, being overweight did not
define her.
“I really believe I was a fat happy woman,”
said Miller-Freeman. “I used to say if Oprah could be heavy and be on TV, what
could I have to complain about. But it was when I had to fight for my life due
to my weight, I understood that after my operation, I had been given a second
chance.”
It’s what you do with that second chance which
defines who you can be and defy whatever mindset you previously had, said Miller-Freeman.
“The bariatric surgery clinic offers
comprehensive surgical care to TriCare and VA beneficiaries who’ve met
qualifications,” said Perido. “We provide a multidisciplinary approach to
weight loss surgery and are committed to safe and top quality care.”
“One of the hardest decisions which can be made
by an obese individual is saying, ‘I need to start living a healthier
lifestyle,’” said Miller-Freeman. “The surgery is a challenge. It will not be
an easy way out and after the operation is complete, there are still hardships
which remain from the past. Along this journey, you have to remember, living
alongside these new lifestyle rules will make you successful.”
Daily life experiences became much easier and
spreading the word about bariatric surgery with a smile, helps invite people,
said Miller-Freeman
“Bariatric surgery is so much more than just
weight loss,” said Maj. (Dr.) Logan M. Rawlins, 60th Medical Group Surgical
Squadron general and bariatric surgeon. It resolves medical problems such as
diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, reflux, heart disease, sleep
apnea.”
“Weight loss
surgery is a jump start patients need to help them reach their weight loss
goals; it is a pause button that allows you to reset. However weight loss
surgery is not plastic surgery. It is a
metabolic operation that changes your entire body in how you digest and process
foods, we are not sucking out fat cells.”
On average, individuals who’ve partaken in a
bariatric operation here, have reduced their excess BMI by 70
percent and cut the prescription drug use by 75 percent, said Perido.
“I had my gastric bypass surgery July 18, 2017, and since have lost nearly
100 pounds,” said Sharon L. Burton, bariatric surgery clinic patient. “This
journey has been the best thing for me in my life. With still managing children
at home, this surgery has given me the opportunity to have more and better
experiences with them.”
“Only one percent of people nationwide get
bariatric surgery who qualify based on BMI criteria,” said Rawlins. “Some are talked out of it by their
family or PCM as many people think surgery is too risky when in fact, it is
very safe with very low overall complication rates.”
Doing anything with the word surgery is a very
difficult mindset to break for most. The hardest part, though, is to ask “why
did I not take advantage of this surgery long ago?” said Burton.
After completion of the bariatric operation patients
undergo many follow-up appointments in the first year and beyond.
At the sixth month mark, staff members run diagnostics to see how much their
patient has improved and to keep them on the road to success, and check for any vitamin
deficiencies.
“Bariatric surgery offers people a new life
free from obesity, medical problems and social stigma,” said Rawlins. “It is the new start many
patients are looking for.”
All appointments are booked through DGMC’s
referral management office after a consult has been electronically placed by
the patient’s PCM. Alternatively,
patients may also self-refer for this program. All follow-up appointments can be made
directly at the general surgery clinic’s front desk. Patients may also call
707-423-5224.