Adventist Health Bakersfield | You + Us | Winter 2018

6 Living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. The weight always came back. By his late 30s, Ryan’s health—particularly his knees—were suffering from his excess weight. On his 6-foot-1-inch frame, he was carrying 380 pounds. Ryan saw doctors for his knee issues, looking for fixes and answers. He tried physical therapy but the pain persisted. Eventually, he learned he might need knee surgery. “I was only 37,” Ryan says. “My regular doctor told me that if I started having knee surgeries this young, I’d be having them the rest of my life.” Something had to change. “They said there’s nothing else they can do at this point,” Ryan says. “I just needed to lose weight.” Facing the truth—and doing his part Ryan knew what he needed to do, but how? After discussing options with his wife, Ryan contacted Adventist Health Bakersfield’s Weight Management Program. He spoke with Hormuz Irani, MD, a surgeon who specializes in bariatric surgery. Dr. Irani suggested a gastric sleeve procedure—to reduce the size of Ryan’s stomach—but warned that it wouldn’t be an overnight fix. Before he’d even get a surgery date, Ryan would need to pass tests and see specialists to ensure he was ready— and he’d need to make adjustments after surgery too. “Dr. Irani told me that surgery is only a tool, that it’s not foolproof. He said if I don’t take care of my stomach after the surgery, then I will stretch it right back out.” Ryan agreed to the procedure and embarked on dozens of appointments, weigh-ins and even a psychological evaluation to ensure he was ready for the changes the procedure would bring. “They want to make sure you’re serious,” Ryan says. “I had to lose 25 pounds before Inspiring Hope YOU + US : Together i nsp i red ™ A MIRACLE in the making Bariatric surgery and life changes lead to one man’s dramatic weight loss—and solution to chronic pain Ryan Davis knew he needed to lose weight, but he was afraid it would take a miracle to keep it off for good. Like so many other people, he had tried many times before, even shedding 40 pounds before marrying his wife, Kelley. Before After A painful reality. “I got tired of paying people to tell me I’m overweight,” says Ryan Davis. “I’d go there trying to get help, but they all said the same thing, ‘You’re overweight.’” That was before weight-loss surgery became the solution to Ryan’s health problems.