A couple's gastric bypass journey: Together on the ride

Catherine and Jeff Jones are world travelers with a zest for life. Always embracing new, exciting experiences, they had a specific goal in mind: Ride a roller coaster at Busch Gardens. But there was a problem: Their larger bodies could not fit the rides’ safety restraints.

Now the Wilmington couple has conquered roller coasters at Walt Disney parks and Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia.

So, what changed? Catherine and Jeff underwent gastric bypass surgery with Dr. William “Borden” Hooks at Novant Health General Surgery & Bariatrics - Wilmington in December 2022.

Motivated to change

It was during a European vacation in 2018 that Catherine, then 40, and Jeff, then 35, began to notice health issues. After exploring London and Paris, Catherine ended up in the emergency room in their next stop of Berlin. Her ankle was severely swollen from a previous injury, and she knew her body weight was exacerbating it.

Jeff’s health was starting to decline. He had Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

“I was starting to get all these things that I saw in my family history, and I didn't want to deal with,” Jeff said. “My mom passed away too early in life, in her early 60s, due to health complications because of diabetes. I didn’t want to do that.”

Plus, Jeff said, he had to sleep with a CPAP machine — obviously not a joy for either him or Catherine.

Catherine first considered gastric bypass surgery following the trip. She gathered information about the procedure in Winston-Salem, where the couple lived at the time, but didn’t think the timing was right. After gaining about 70 more pounds during the sedentary days of the COVID-19 pandemic, moving to Wilmington and hearing success stories from friends, she reconsidered.

Catherine, a French teacher at South Brunswick High School and foreign language coordinator for Brunswick County Schools; and Jeff, a pastor at Covenant Moravian Church, wanted a transformation that would help them lead their active lives.

Making the commitment

When Catherine and Jeff first met Hooks, they were upfront: “This is a possibility, but we’re not sold on it yet. Just tell us more.” Hooks told them exactly what they could expect if they decided to undergo gastric bypass surgery.

People often have the misconception that gastric bypass surgery is the “easy way out” for weight loss. But Hooks explained that it’s not a quick fix. It requires significant preparation and a true lifestyle overhaul afterward.

It’s also a highly effective treatment for many health conditions commonly caused by being overweight or obese. Gastric bypass surgery reduces the risk of premature death, especially due to obesity-related illnesses like cardiovascular disease and cancer, a study published in 2023 found.

How gastric bypass surgery works

Hooks recommended robotically assisted Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, a procedure that reduces the size of the stomach and connects it to a lower part of the small intestine. This means that food essentially bypasses the stomach and first part of the small bowel. It’s a minimally invasive surgery, which means smaller incisions that result in less pain and a faster recovery.

“The procedure affects the amount of food the patient can eat at one time and also limits absorption downstream, so it's very effective for weight loss and long-term maintenance of weight loss,” Hooks said. “Long term, patients eat a normal diet with an altered quantity of food as well as healthier food.”

The surgery involves making several tiny incisions, each one less than 1.5 centimeters in length. Typically, robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery requires a one-night hospital stay, but a patient is up and walking around the same day.

Catherine and Jeff decided to undergo the procedure together, scheduling their surgeries for just two weeks apart.

In it together

Nearly two years after their surgeries, Catherine and Jeff are living the lives they envisioned, free of the medical problems that once weighed them down. Today when they travel, they can sit comfortably in airplane seats and ride all the roller coasters their hearts desire.

In 2023, they visited the Czech Republic with a group of 73 students and youth directors. The couple found they had plenty of energy to walk for miles, keeping up with, and sometimes even leading, the pack of 20-somethings.

“We were like, ‘Y’all better keep up with us,’” Catherine said.

Yes, that’s right — you might say people were having trouble keeping up with the Joneses.

Catherine and Jeff have also made big changes in how they eat, consuming about 10 very small meals a day, and taking a daily bariatric multivitamin. They no longer tolerate refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol or carbonated beverages, so they’ve eliminated those things from their diets. When they dine out, they usually split a kid’s meal. Both agree: It’s been a great lesson in communication and compromise in their marriage.

Ongoing support

The Joneses continue to receive support from Hooks and the bariatrics patient care team.

“Dr. Hooks is amazing and really answered all our questions,” Catherine said. And family nurse practitioner Lisa Watson, with whom the couple frequently has their follow-up visits, “is phenomenal,” she added. “They’re just amazing. They were there when we woke up, they were there to take care of us, and they’re there to check on us and call us.”

Jeff and Catherine agree: To be successful with gastric bypass surgery, it takes a big commitment.

“I think if you can do it with somebody, it makes a difference,” Jeff said. “We were fortunate that we did it together. But if you can't do it with somebody, make sure you have some kind of support system out there, whether it be an online group or meeting with a group in town or something.”

Catherine also notes the importance of “listening to your body,” especially in the few weeks following surgery. “We hit the jackpot,” she said. “You can't be successful in this if you don't have a great medical team around you. And we have a great medical team around us.”