T.J. Samson | Destination Health | April 2020

‘I did this for my health’ A look to the future prompted one woman’s decision to have weight-loss surgery N ot very long ago, Shelby Pace saw a picture of herself taken shortly before her bariatric surgery at T.J. Samson Commu- nity Hospital last October. She was near her highest weight: 292 pounds. Pace was stunned by the image. “In my heart, I knew I was close to 300 pounds,” says the 28-year-old Glasgow resident. “But I didn’t realize how heavy I actually was.” Still, it wasn’t her size that motivated Pace to turn to surgery. “Even at my heavi- est, I was comfortable in my own skin,” she says. “I did this for my health—not my appearance.” A PRECIOUS RESPONSIBILITY Pace’s health has never mattered more to her. She and her husband, Wesley, are the new and proud parents of 9-year-old Chloe Shea Elizabeth, whom they adopted last year. She entered their lives as a foster child and was barely verbal—Chloe has autism— when they first opened their home and hearts to her. With their care, love and therapy, Chloe is now a chatterbox. “But I want and need to be fully there for her,” Pace says. But Pace’s weight was a serious health threat. Both her blood pressure and choles- terol were high. She had sleep apnea, also a complication of obesity. She had prediabe- tes, too, a condition where blood sugar lev- els are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. It raises the risk of full-blown diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Those risks frightened Pace, whose weight gain was a complication of polycys- tic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder that affects women. Up to 80% of women with the syndrome are obese. For many, los- ing weight can be a constant struggle. A MOTHER’S EXAMPLE That was certainly true for Pace. Noth- ing had helped her shed pounds—eating well, exercising, even taking two different weight-loss medicines her doctor prescribed had not made a difference. “I was running out of options,” she says. Still, one effective option remained: bar- iatric surgery. Besides the benefit of dra- matic weight loss, bariatric surgery can send a host of obesity-related health problems into remission, including those Pace faced. And she had a firsthand look at surgery’s power to boost health. In 2018, Pace’s mother, once also severely obese, had minimally invasive gastric sleeve surgery at T.J. Samson. Dur- ing that surgery, most of the stomach is removed, leaving only a banana-shaped sec- tion. Patrick Klapheke, MD, a surgeon with T.J. Regional Health, performed it. “I saw what a huge difference it made in my mom’s health and quality of life,” Pace says. “And I thought if this is something I could qualify for, it might really help me as well.” She was a candidate for the same surgery, which Dr. Klapheke also performed—and with the same success. A GIFT FOR THE FUTURE Three months after her surgery, Pace was 87 pounds lighter. Her blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels were all nor- mal, and her sleep apnea was in remission. Recently, Chloe hugged her and said with genuine delight, “Mom, I can put my arms around you!” “That was such a special moment,” Pace says. “This surgery was a gift to myself, my family and our future.” Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Platteville, WI Permit No. 7 T.J. Samson Community Hospital 1301 N. Race St. Glasgow, KY 42141 APRIL 2020

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ4ODYx