Toni & Colin Create a Healthier Future with Bariatric Surgery
When Toni and Colin realized they needed to make significant changes to improve their health and quality of life, they turned to North Memorial Health’s accredited bariatric program for comprehensive support before, during, and after surgery. This team helps determine not only what healthy looks like for each individual patient, but also helps ensure they create sustainable change prior to and following the procedure.
Today, Toni and Colin are living active, healthy, and fulfilling lives alongside their children and dog thanks to the expertise of this team and a continued dedication to their future.
Transcript
This video features Toni and Colin, North Memorial Health patients; Hailey Suggs, North Memorial Health Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Manager; and Dr. Munyaradzi Chimukangara, Bariatric Weight Loss Surgeon.
Transcript: My name is Toni Eustice, and I had my bariatric surgery in September of 2019. My name is Colin Eustice, and I had my bariatric surgery in March of 2022. Life before bariatric surgery was uncomfortable, and until I had the surgery, I really didn’t realize how limiting life had become. It seemed fine, but it definitely wasn’t. It’s kind of funny how it just sneaks up on you. I look at pictures from when we first started dating, and I was like, “Oh, we used to do a lot more.” So many rituals became food related in a way with us. We both used food as an emotional crutch. Big time. And then I was at work, and I had noticed a couple people that I hadn’t seen in a while and I was like, “What’ you do? How’d you lose a weight?” And she was like, “I had surgery.” After I heard that from two different people, I started thinking about it a little bit. I would recommend coming to North Memorial Health for bariatric surgery if you are looking for a personalized plan and a healthcare team that is willing to meet you where you’re at. Everybody’s journey is different. Everybody’s lifestyle is different, and we’re here to help you gain a healthier lifestyle while still continuing to do the things that you love. Bariatric surgery isn’t a one size fits all, for sure. We try to meet patients where they are and figure out what makes the best sense for them. So with our programs, we talk about a comprehensive healthcare approach where a patient is going to work with our coordinators, dietitians, psychology, our pharmacists. We try to get our patients educated about this upfront to understand how bariatric surgery as a tool is going to help with this long-term management of obesity. What made me decide to have bariatric surgery a few years after Toni did was I just saw the incredible success that she had from it. I saw her just bloom and have all this health return to her; all this energy that seemed to have been missing. And she just exuded a happiness and a confidence that I hadn’t seen in her in years. Overall, when you see folks who have successfully gone through bariatric surgery care, their lives are healthier, people are happier, less pain, joints don’t hurt as much, and lastly, we increase that quality of life that they’re seeking as well as increasing the longevity. Bariatric surgery was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. The quality of life I have now as compared to how I was feeling and how I was living, bariatric surgery gave me a new lease on life. The team at North Memorial Health was really supportive through the whole process. It just made me appreciate my life more. I am not going to mess this up. Bariatric surgery gave me my life back. It’s completely changed me for the better.