Transcription:
One Woman's Journey with Weight Loss Surgery

Cheryl Martin: Erin Felix was overweight all her life. She tried losing weight by improving her diet and exercise. When that didn't work, she met with the weight loss surgery experts at Crouse Health and went with gastric bypass surgery. The results? Amazing. Erin discusses her journey to better health, self-esteem and quality of life.

Welcome to Crouse HealthCast, a podcast brought to you by Crouse Health. Erin, I'm so glad you're sharing your story today.

Erin Felix: Thank you so much for having me.

Cheryl Martin: So let's get right into it. When was your procedure?

Erin Felix: I had gastric bypass surgery on March 1st of 2021.

Cheryl Martin: And who did it?

Erin Felix: Dr. Cooper and the Crouse Bariatric Team.

Cheryl Martin: What brought you to the point of getting the surgery?

Erin Felix: I had always dreamed of being able to run a marathon. And I wanted to run a marathon before I turned 40 years old. And I had run a few half marathons prior to the surgery and it hurt so much that I knew if I ever wanted to run that marathon, I'd have to lose a significant amount of weight that I just couldn't get off myself.

Cheryl Martin: And how much did you weigh at the time of your surgery

Erin Felix: At the time of surgery, I weighed 280 pounds.

Cheryl Martin: And was that your highest weight?

Erin Felix: My highest weight that I know of, because I stopped weighing myself at one point in time, was 342 pounds.

Cheryl Martin: Wow. And how much have you lost since the surgery?

Erin Felix: Since the surgery, I've lost 110 pounds.

Cheryl Martin: That is wonderful. Now, are you at your desired weight now?

Erin Felix: I'm about 15 pounds off of my desired weight.

Cheryl Martin: How long had you been thinking about having the procedure?

Erin Felix: I had been thinking about the procedure for roughly about four or five months prior to meeting with the team. I knew that I had to do something, but I wasn't sure what I needed to do.

Cheryl Martin: Why did you go with Crouse?

Erin Felix: I chose to go with Crouse because they will follow you for life. This is a journey. This isn't just an easy fix. This isn't the weight comes off and it's going to stay off forever. I have the opportunity to meet with the team monthly, bimonthly if I want to. Right now, I'm meeting with Dr. Cooper every four months, because I want to stay on track. I want this to be a lifelong goal for me and just not a quick fix for the moment.

Cheryl Martin: How did your post-op recovery go?

Erin Felix: My post-op recovery went really well. I did experience one hiccup. I had stomach ulcers about a couple months after my surgery, but the Crouse team educated me throughout the process. And I knew that this was something that could happen after the surgery. And they got me right in and helped me once I was experiencing those side effects from the surgery.

Cheryl Martin: How did you find the staff in terms of supporting you post-procedure?

Erin Felix: The staff has been amazing from the start to currently. The doctors and nurses in the hospital were amazing. Probably one of the biggest reasons I chose Crouse is because every time I go to Dr. Cooper's office to meet with him or a member of his team. They're so encouraging. They see the changes that I've made. They help me become a better version of my myself every time I go in there.

Cheryl Martin: How do they do that?

Erin Felix: They have been encouraging of my goals. Dr. Cooper from the very beginning, he's always known that the reason I wanted the surgery was to run a marathon. And although he laughs at me every time I go in and says that he's not a runner, he always makes me feel so proud of everything I've accomplished.

When I went in there on the end of March for my one year post-op surgery and showed him my medal, the expression on his face and how proud he was. He asked to take a picture with me with my medal and that right there just shows how much the team is there for you and how much they appreciate what you've done to get there. I just brought my medal in thinking, "Oh, I'm going to show Dr. Cooper that I actually did it." And for him to want a picture with me, it made me feel so important and really accomplished.

Cheryl Martin: What was it like for you to accomplish that long-held dream of running this marathon and completing it?

Erin Felix: It was one of the best feelings I've ever felt. I'm a mom of three girls and it's so important to me that I teach them and show them that anything is possible if they just believe in themselves and work towards it. I have been running for years and I didn't want my body to hurt anymore. And I finished the marathon and still had the energy to go and explore Myrtle Beach afterwards, something I never thought I was going to be able to do. I thought I was going to be dead to the world, that I had just run 26.2 miles and I wouldn't be able to do anything else. And I still had the energy to enjoy the day with my husband vacationing.

Cheryl Martin: I'm glad you brought that up. Physically, talk about some of the other changes as a result of having the surgery and how it's impacted your body and your lifestyle.

Erin Felix: So prior to the surgery, I was tired a lot, my knees were killing me. I knew that if I didn't lose a significant amount of weight, that I most likely would have to have knee replacement surgery, because I couldn't continue to run and work the way I did on my knees and not cause damage. So I work full time Monday through Friday, and then my husband and I also own a local business, a restaurant called Brewer Union Cafe in Brewerton to New York. And so I work seven days a week and I have three very active girls that are involved in everything under the sun. And if it wasn't for the surgery, I wouldn't be able to do all of that. I would be too exhausted at the end of the day to do anything else. And I'm a mom. I have lots to do when I get home from all of that as well.

Cheryl Martin: It's also my understanding that in addition to changing physically in terms of your energy, it also did something else for you internally. And what is that?

Erin Felix: So since the surgery, I have grown a confidence in myself, this empowerment that I've always been a strong woman, I believe. But, yeah, I feel like I can conquer anything now. I feel like if there's a hurdle in front of me, I can get through that hurdle no matter what. And prior to the surgery, I sometimes hemmed and hawed over situations and maybe didn't tackle something that I should have. And now, I feel like a very strong, powerful woman that I can do anything. There is nothing I can't do anymore.

Cheryl Martin: That is great. Do you love looking in the mirror and trying on a different wardrobe size now?

Erin Felix: Yes, I do. I feel like there's a lot more options now than I had previously. My husband actually has to stop me from shopping sometimes because it's nice to have those different options. And you know, this sounds really funny, but I work a professional job Monday through Friday, and I had always worn flats or I'd worn wedges because my feet hurt at the end of the day. Now, I wear heels almost every single day. And some of the staff here, we'd laugh, and they're like, "You're wearing heels again" and they're like, "I don't know how you do it." And I don't know how not to do it now because my feet don't hurt at the end of the day. I can wear them for 12 hours straight and I'm okay where I would've never in my past been able to wear heels like I wear now.

Cheryl Martin: Now, as part of making sure you avoid regaining the weight, how important has it been to change your diet and have a more healthy lifestyle and eating?

Erin Felix: It has been extremely important. When my friends or family come to me and ask me about the surgery, it's one of the things I tell them is that this isn't an overnight fix. This is something that you have to work on for the rest of your life. This is a journey. You can't just lose the weight and expect it to stay off.

So I eat healthy almost every single day. I run at least five days a week. I try to put in 19 miles a week right now, I'm currently in the process of trying to run a thousand miles for the year. So I have to run those 19 miles a week in order to hit my goal. But the eating healthy, not only is it important for me coming out of surgery, but like I said before I have three daughters, so eating healthy is that much more important for me to teach them because I never want them to have to struggle the way that I've had to struggle my whole entire life.

Cheryl Martin: When you look at the impact the weight loss surgery has had on your life, what would you say to a friend or family member who may be considering it as well as an option.

Erin Felix: If I had a friend or family member that was considering weight surgery as an option, I'd probably tell them that they have to be mentally prepared, that there are a lot of changes that they're going to have in their life, whether it's their diet or exercise, but that it is the best decision I've ever decided to make that I have put years back into my life. I can't wait to someday be able to run around with my grandchildren, that, you know, it's worth not being exhausted halfway through the day, that it is one of the greatest things I've ever done for me and my family.

Cheryl Martin: Erin Felix, this is wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring journey with weight loss surgery. All the best to you and continued success. And I'm assuming you are preparing for another marathon.

Erin Felix: Yes, I am running one locally in October. I'm really excited to be close to home this time to run it.

Cheryl Martin: That's great. Thank you for listening. To learn more about weight loss surgery options, just contact the program manager, Colleen Colley at 315-470-8974. That's 315-470-8974. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on social media. This is Crouse HealthCast, a podcast brought to you by Crouse Health. I'm Cheryl Martin.