WINNING THE LOSING GAME

harlotte Viou gasps as she lugs her 302 pounds up another merciless flight of stairs. At last she reaches the top and leans against a wall. It takes five minutes for her to catch her breath. She hopes no one will see her.

“Walking up those stairs at work was the turning point,” says the 46-year-old charitable-gaming director for Red River Human Services Foundation in Fargo. “That’s what got me online to research weight-loss surgery. It was time consuming, but well worth it.”

A shortened life

Always “the big girl” in high school, Viou tried over and over again to lose weight through programs, medication, a doctor-prescribed weightloss plan, and more. None brought lasting results. As the years went by, Viou’s reasons for losing weight became more serious. Her obesity brought on early-stage diabetes and high blood pressure, plus she suffered back pain from an old injury. The excess weight made it hurt even more.

There were other hurts, too: ridicule when she went to an exercise class, frustration when told time and again to lose weight and embarrassment when she couldn’t squeeze into a chair.

“The emotional part was up and down, but I knew the health issues were only going to get worse,” she says. “I didn’t want to die at 50.”

A complete program

When Viou read about Sanford’s weight-loss surgery program, she wanted to know more.

“Sanford has the best weight-loss program in this area,” says Viou. “I did some research on it and looked at other organizations and they just didn’t offer the education that Sanford offers for this surgery. It was a better choice. They had everything: a good pre-surgery program, educational sessions with dietitians, a psychiatric evaluation and followup,” she says. “At Sanford it wasn’t just surgery. You also learned the habits that would lead to long-term success. That’s what was always missing for me.”

A nationally designated Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, Sanford offers a high-qualified team, a complete program (including lifelong support groups) and proven results.

Viou took the next step, attending Sanford’s free weight-loss surgery informational session.

“There were a lot of people there who had the same questions and concerns I had,” she says. “The information presented was awesome. The speaker didn’t just give vague answers, they were precise and detailed. It’s exactly the kind of information you need when you’re making a decision that’s going to change your life.”

Fully alive!

On May 12, 2010, Viou underwent laparoscopic (minimally invasive) gastric bypass surgery performed by one of three board-certified weightloss surgeons at Sanford. The surgery and recovery went smoothly. Viou immediately put into practice everything she learned about nutrition, exercise and vitamins. Just thirteen months post surgery she reached her goal of 145 pounds -- less than half her former self. Today, nearly four years after her surgery, Viou maintains her weight loss.

ARTICLE PROVIDED BY SANFORD HEALTH

She loves her life, including:

• Excellent health. The back pain, high blood pressure and diabetes have all subsided.

• Adventures. She has participated in many running events and has taken up bicycling.

• A new outlook. “I feel like I’m alive, not just living,” says Viou. “I also have a sense of self-worth that I never had when I was heavy.”

And those stairs she struggled with before surgery? She still climbs them and never has to stop and rest. Yet she still pauses when she reaches the top.

“Every time I’m on those stairs I think about what it used to be like, all that huffing and puffing,” she says. “Now I feel amazing.”

To view Charlotte Viou’s video interview go to sanfordhealth.org; keyword: Charlotte Viou.

Sanford weight-loss surgery offers several informational sessions for patients each month. For a complete listing of these seminars visit sanfordhealth.org; keyword: weight loss surgery Fargo. [AWM]