MercyOne Bariatric Surgery Is bariatric surgery right for you?
At 475 pounds, Blake Hayward lived with constant joint pain, poor health, low energy, restless sleep and difficulty exercising. He wasn’t living the life he wanted to lead.
Now half his former size at 235 pounds, Blake lives without pain, sleeps better and has an exercise regimen that rivals an athlete in training. He’s living his best life after losing 240 pounds with weight loss surgery.
“I feel amazing,” Blake said. “I'm walking my dogs 5 to 6 miles a day or riding my bicycle 20 to 30 miles at a time. I've taken the much-needed time to focus on myself and my overall health.”
Feeling frustrated and unhealthy at 475 pounds, Blake sought help from MercyOne Cedar Falls Weight Loss Center & Bariatric Surgery. There, he found hope to transform his life with the help of bariatric surgeon Moiz Dawood and a comprehensive team.
A solution to failed diets
“After struggling with several failed diets, I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Dawood's office to seek some professional advice,” Blake said. “I met with the team, and we discussed all the options and worked together to meet my personal goals.”
Blake had a sleeve gastrectomy on April 4, 2024, and over the past year, has finally found weight loss success. There’s no intestinal bypass with a gastric sleeve procedure, only stomach reduction, so patients can avoid potential complications like marginal ulcers, vitamin deficiencies and intestinal obstructions.
“Our health care system spends an enormous number of resources managing chronic illnesses, such as high blood pressure and diabetes,” Dr. Dawood said. “Bariatric surgery has the power to help lessen the burden these diseases place on patients and, in some cases, even cure these diseases altogether.”
Breaking old habits
The surgery became a tool to help Blake lose weight, but he acknowledges he also had to break a lifetime of old habits.
“The hardest part for me during all this was to focus on myself and make myself a priority,” Blake said. “I had to make sure to hold myself accountable to meet my water and food goals and keep a log. He also made food prepping a new habit, which takes planning ahead to make sure his meals are ready and conveniently accessible for the week.
‘‘The best part of my journey is getting my life back,” Blake said. “I'm able to play with my kids, walk our dogs and go for bicycle rides. I've also met a lot of new friends during this journey and all the support I’ve received is amazing!”
For anyone contemplating weight loss surgery, he concluded, “Don’t put it off. It’s literally life-changing and you won’t regret it!”
Take our short quiz to find out if you meet the criteria for bariatric surgery.
