As the pandemic shut down the world, Yvonne Jones used the time to dramatically change her health and life.
Brooklyn native Yvonne Jones always had the reputation of being the heavy one in the family. Being passionate about cooking and watching cooking shows also made weight management challenging. As the pandemic set in, Yvonne was downsized from her job as a senior law office supervisor. Being idle at home day after day, rather than working in a hectic professional office, didn’t help matters.
When Yvonne was helping a family member prepare for a birthday party, the exertion caused her to feel out of breath and she needed to sit down.
“My sister said she had never seen me sit down at any of our parties,” Yvonne recalls. Her sister wasn’t aware that she also took prescription medications to manage weight-related high cholesterol, high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. “At the time, eating was my exercise and that behavior grew into serious health conditions.”
A life change inspires a health change
But there was happy news on the relationship front. Several months before the pandemic, Yvonne, a longtime single mother of an adult daughter who serves in the US Military, posted a dating profile on Match.com. She saw a gentleman’s profile who intrigued her and reached out. The feeling was more than mutual. In April 2020, the couple was married in a small ceremony.
“To know that my husband married me when I was heavy at the time made me love him even more,” Yvonne recalls. After moving from Brooklyn to the Jersey Shore, Yvonne retired from the workforce to enjoy married life and focus on herself. One of the first changes she committed to was improving her health and weight.
“As you get older, you have less motivation to lose weight,” Yvonne notes.
“But at nearly 60-years-old, I was newly married and didn’t want a minute to be cut short because of my health.”
Yvonne’s primary care physician, Dr. Kenneth Kronhaus of Jersey Coat Family Medicine, recommended she meet with board-certified bariatric surgeon and weight loss expert, Dr. Seun Sowemimo at Prime Surgicare. “After discussing my we both decided that the gastric sleeve would be the right weight loss surgery to help me lose weight quickly and safely.”
A dramatic health rebound triggered by gastric sleeve bariatric surgery
Just after Christmas 2020, weighing 263 pounds and wearing size 20-22, Yvonne had bariatric surgery and her health turnaround began.
She followed the post-op diet and the weight began to come off. She eventually started to walk—in small increments. “I remember the first few times I walked a mile, I felt exhausted,” she notes. “But I kept walking and when the weather was too cold, I walked up and down my stairs at home.” Yvonne just received delivery of a new treadmill, which she can use 24/7, regardless of the weather.
By the end of 2021, one year after VSG surgery, Yvonne had lost 116 pounds and five clothing sizes. Most importantly, her pre-diabetes, dangerously high blood pressure and high cholesterol returned to normal levels, ending the need and expense for disease management prescription drugs.
“I’m proud to be age 60 and not taking any medications,” Yvonne notes.
“Yvonne’s BMI returned to normal after weight loss surgery, greatly diminishing her risk of obesity-related chronic diseases,” explains her board-certified bariatric surgeon, Dr. Seun Sowemimo. He also attributes her recovery to the adoption of a more plant-based diet. “If you skip eating meat products, your cholesterol levels alone should go down significantly,” notes the founder of Dr. Seun’s Weight Loss Plan online course.
Finally enjoying a delayed wedding ceremony–100+ pounds lighter
In September 2022, Yvonne and her husband George were able to celebrate a second wedding, this time with friends and family, which had been postponed during the pandemic. Yvonne’s weight loss from her original wedding in 2020, weighing 263 pounds, was also a cause for celebration when she wore a size 10 wedding gown, weighing her goal weight of 153 pounds.
Yvonne says having weight loss surgery was one of the greatest accomplishments of her life. “I learned so much about myself and what I can achieve,” she notes. “I am grateful every day for how much better I feel when I wake up and how much energy I have to enjoy each day.” When it comes to food, Yvonne’s pragmatic approach works—“I realize that food does not make me happy–being healthy makes me happy.”
Start Your Weight Loss Comeback Now!
As Yvonne’s proves, it’s never, ever too late to take back control of your health and your weight. Watch our On Demand Webinar to learn more about what causes obesity and why traditional diet and exercise plans often just don’t work. Call our Prime Surgicare weight loss team at 732-414-2707 to verify your medical coverage for bariatric services and make an appointment to meet personally with Dr. Seun Sowemimo.