“Most people don’t recognize me now,” Polly says. “It’s been life changing. I got my life back. I would absolutely recommend the INTEGRIS Health Weight Loss Center to anyone because it will change your life.”
Nancy “Polly” Hall found herself praying for a sign. Like many people who struggled with their weight from a young age, she had tried numerous diets and even worked with a dietitian recommended by her primary care doctor. And while she lost some weight that way, she says she eventually reached a point where she felt like a prisoner in her own body.
At her highest weight of 495 pounds, Polly struggled with mobility issues and couldn’t drive. She often found herself staying at home while her husband, Danny, and their daughter would go out to do things together. “Before surgery, I often tried to hide from the world because of my weight,” she says.
Feeling like she was missing out on her own life and that of her family, Polly was highly motivated to explore her options. Enter the INTEGRIS Health Weight Loss Center and bariatric surgery.
“Our patients really get a second lease on life,” says Hamilton Le, M.D., a bariatric surgeon and the center’s medical director. “Weight loss surgery is a challenging journey. The life of our patients is often a struggle. They wake up every day with a lot of pain. They take medications related to diabetes and high blood pressure, so surgery is an opportunity for me to make a major impact on someone’s life and hopefully, give them their life back. There’s nothing more rewarding as a bariatric surgeon than that.”
For Polly, the best approach was laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a procedure that removes 75-80 percent of the stomach. “The stomach is divided into two parts,” Le explains. “The new banana shaped stomach, which is sized with a vertical tube, leaves about 20-25 percent volume of the original stomach.”
The procedure is the most common bariatric surgery performed today and can provide a jump start for the more than 6 out of 10 Oklahomans who struggle with being overweight or obese. This is particularly true for people who also have other underlying conditions like diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea that can make non-surgical methods of losing weight more complicated.
“The sleeve gastrectomy reduces the size of the stomach and decreases a hunger hormone called ghrelin,” Le adds. “There is a decrease in the amount of food to feel full while also having satiety for a longer amount of time.”
Le first went through several screening measures to make sure that bariatric surgery would be a safe procedure for Polly. She went to a therapist to address the mental health side to losing weight and saw a heart doctor and a respiratory expert to ensure that bariatric surgery would be safe. Le then asked Polly to lose 40 to 50 pounds prior to the surgery to show she was committed to the process.
“Most people don’t recognize me now,” Polly says. “It’s been life changing. I got my life back. I would absolutely recommend the INTEGRIS Health Weight Loss Center to anyone because it will change your life.”
Another positive effect from the surgery besides the weight loss, is that Polly no longer needs to take her diabetes or blood pressure medicine. Her A1C is now in a healthy range, showing how effective the procedure can be in alleviating other medical issues as well. But Le also stresses how critical it is to focus on long-term goals and a team approach to ensure weight loss success that lasts.
Ashley Sale, a physician assistant with the INTEGRIS Health Weight Loss Center, has worked closely with Polly since the surgery. “Over the past three years, I have witnessed Polly completely transform her life, shedding an incredible 250 pounds since beginning her journey. I first met Polly (and her husband who is always faithfully by her side) in September 2021.”
Since the surgery, Polly has worked hard to keep up with her diet and lifestyle changes that have made for a lasting impact. She follows up with Ashley every three months for checkups and blood work and has recently started on Wegovy to provide a non-surgical means to maintain and continue her significant progress.
“Polly’s journey has been nothing short of inspiring, marked by resilience and a commitment to positive change,” Sale says. “Despite facing numerous challenges along the way, Polly’s dedication to improving her life has been unwavering. Her story is a powerful reminder that transformation is possible with determination, support and the right tools to help.”
To get back on track on your own personal weight loss journey in the new year, INTEGRIS Health encourages you to contact your primary care physician or visit the INTEGRIS Health Weight Loss Center for more information.
We Get It. Losing Weight Is Not Easy. The INTEGRIS Health Weight Loss Center in Oklahoma City offers multiple options to help you achieve your weight loss goals.
