Alan's story | Gastric bypass patient
At 69 years old, Alan weighs almost exactly half of his lifetime maximum weight and is in the best shape of his life. But as with every success story, he first had an obstacle to overcome—and Alan's was his weight.
When Alan K. tells people he’s “half the man he used to be,” it’s not a put-down. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. At 69 years old, Alan weighs nearly half his lifetime maximum weight and is in the best shape of his life. The Castle Rock, CO retiree is a regular at the local gym six days a week, lifting weights and tackling cardio at high levels on the stair climber, elliptical machine, and erg rower. Armed with a smartwatch, Alan diligently tracks his heart rate and other fitness markers. The results are incredible: reports calculate his fitness age more than a decade younger than his chronological age. “Those are the kind of things I like to see!” Alan shares.
But as with every success story, he first had an obstacle to overcome—and Alan’s was his weight. “Every doctor I had for quite a few years had been recommending bariatric surgery,” Alan explains. “But I had never been in a position to be able to do anything.” During that time, he was a career school psychologist in Ulysses, KS. At his heaviest, Alan weighed more than 300 pounds and suffered from metabolic syndrome – a combination of high-risk conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abdominal obesity. Unfortunately, access to healthcare options and insurance coverage limited his possibilities. It wasn’t until he retired and he and his wife moved to the metro Denver area that things began to change. With the move came greater accessibility to high-quality healthcare. That coincided with changes in his insurance coverage. Together, these factors made weight-loss surgery a possibility for Alan.
In 2022, he met with Michael Snyder, MD, of HealthONE Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery, at the recommendation of his primary care physician. “He said Dr. Snyder was the best in the area. And I thought that [getting the surgery] would be the best thing to do for my health,” Alan explains.
At the visit, Dr. Snyder recommended Alan undergo gastric bypass surgery. This procedure creates a small pouch connected directly to the small intestine, limiting the amount of food absorbed and how much food it takes to feel full, resulting in significant and lasting weight loss. The surgery occurred in early 2023, and soon after, Alan went off seven of his regular medications and cut an eighth in half. From there, his health just kept improving. He found the motivation to join the gym and began going regularly. Soon, he was seeing results in his fitness. He and his wife started eating healthier. His A1C markers dropped dramatically. By 12 months after surgery, Alan is nearly at his stretch goal weight of 152 pounds—exactly half his heaviest weight of 304 pounds.
“The surgery gave me the encouragement I needed. One success builds on another, which leads to more success,” Alan says. “It’s all added up to just being healthier, which is the best life insurance policy you could have.”
Click here to learn more about HealthONE Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery.