Bariatric Surgery is a Step Toward Reducing Infertility Risks
December 5, 2024Categories: Bariatric Surgery Patient Stories
Tags: Bariatric Surgery
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As a young woman looking forward to her wedding and starting a family, Kelsi Wihlm of Osage, Iowa, knew her health had to improve. She had battled her weight her entire life and tried many different medications, diet plans and exercises. She decided to talk to her primary care provider about the possibility of gastric bypass surgery.
Kelsi’s mother had the surgery 10 years prior, and it was very successful, so she thought it might be a good plan for her as well. Her provider, Megan Peterson, DO, agreed. She referred Kelsi to Matthew Fabian, DO at MercyOne North Iowa Bariatric Surgery in Mason City.
In October 2023, Kelsi began her journey with weight loss surgery.
Pre-surgery frustrations and considerations
Before surgery, Kelsi weighed 285 pounds, making day-to-day tasks like walking upstairs, doing laundry, or grocery shopping difficult. “There were many times when I couldn't walk up the stairs, walk far distances at a fast pace, or even wear heavy clothes because I would get short of breath and sweat excessively,” she said. “Simply carrying the laundry basket to the laundry room, I'd get short of breath and start to get hot. When I would go grocery shopping, I'd get dirty looks from people and I knew they were thinking, ‘Why is she so sweaty, why is she breathing so hard?’”
It made Kelsi uncomfortable in public settings or socializing with friends.
Kelsi knew her family had a history of diabetes and heart disease and that worried her due to her excess weight. Additionally, Kelsi has polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), so she already worried about her ability to conceive a child. Her weight was making that issue worse.
Dr. Fabian agreed: “It is no controversy—obesity prevents fertility. Weight loss improves fertility. Babies born to mothers who have had weight-loss surgery are healthier than those born to mothers who are obese.”
Post-surgery challenges and victories
While some may think Kelsi “took the easy way out” by having weight-loss surgery, she says it wasn’t easy at all. “I remember lying on the couch right after surgery, and my husband was making food, and it smelled so good. All TV commercials are about food, and food is all over social media. Everywhere I looked, there was food, and I couldn't have any of it. Those first few months post-surgery were hard. I’d go out to eat with friends, and I would eat before I went and then just drink water at the restaurant.”
While those first months were hard, things do improve and “you can still eat a bit of that cookie again,” she said.
When people ask Kelsi about the surgery, she explains the process and tells them it’s the best thing she ever did for herself. She makes it clear that it’s not all about being thin and looking better; it’s about her health overall. A year since her surgery, Kelsi is down 125 pounds. “I went from wearing two-three extra-large shirts and size 24 pants to wearing medium or large shirts and size 10/12 pants.”
A much-improved life
Today at 160 pounds, Kelsi says she feels much healthier and enjoys socializing with friends more, as well as doing everyday chores. An added bonus, her dedication to healthy eating helped her husband lose 95 pounds, Kelsi said, “I'm more self-confident. I can walk across a store or walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath. Everything in my daily life has just gotten better.”