Silver Cross Supervisor Sees the Light After Losing 125 Pounds with BMI Surgery

Jamie Rowe knew for a while what she wanted to do—had to do—but she wasn’t ready.

Since her son, Jameson, born at 25 weeks, passed away three days after his birth in 2015, Rowe had been resorting to food for comfort.

“I was in a bad place,” said Rowe, 33, of Plainfield. “I was depressed.”

Her weight that had hovered around 200 pounds on her 5-foot, 7-inch frame, swelled to 304 pounds.

“But then, I began to realize I wanted to be healthy enough to do things with my son, Jordan,” she explains. “He’s eight, and I couldn’t go on amusement park rides or to waterparks because I was too heavy. I couldn’t fit on the rides. My husband works for an airline, and I was always so nervous, I would have to ask for a seatbelt extender.”

Rowe, Telecommunications Supervisor at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, was familiar with Dr. Brian Lahmann of BMI Surgery at Silver Cross, which to date has helped more than 10,000 individuals reach their weight-loss goals through bariatric surgery at Silver Cross Hospital. What’s more, it’s the only program in Will County that has been named a MBSAQIP accredited center – Comprehensive and Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery.

“Every Wednesday, we would be transferring calls to the BMI Surgery about that day’s weekly seminar. Or we would tell them what time the program started and where it was being held,” said Rowe.

Still, it took a friend’s weight-loss transformation from BMI Surgery to help her make the call for herself.

“I met with Dr. Lahmann on May 9, 2021, we came up with a plan, and I was so excited to get started on all my pre surgical clearances, which includes clearance from the cardiologist, pulmonologist and psychologist.”

Then, it was time for the high-protein, liquid diet required for 14 days before the July 12 surgery.

For the diet, you make two shakes per day from the protein powder you receive from BMI. Then, you get to have four ounces of a protein and a half cup of non-starchy vegetables. Rowe took it very seriously.

“The diet also prepares you mentally for your journey to your new lifestyle. Because gastric sleeve surgery is a lifetime commitment,” she added.

Rowe said the surgery went fine. And with a lot of support from Silver Cross BMI Surgery and her family, including husband, Jimmy, she has lost 125 pounds, getting her down to 179, nearly 10 pounds less than the goal weight set by Dr. Lahmann.

“I can’t wait for him to see me next month at my check-up. But I want to get down to 165-170.”

To do that, Rowe makes high-protein meals—such as egg, cheese and spinach bakes, grilled chicken and salad—supplementing her daily intake with a protein shake to help her reach the 60-ounce daily requirement.

“And 64 ounces of water a day. That’s very important. Even more important are the BMI vitamins three times a day,” she said.

Rowe said she’s been tempted a few times to fall off the wagon. But the choice for her always is easy.

“I tell myself nothing will taste as good as how I feel now. And I don’t want to feel the way I felt ever again. I feel like I’m 21 again, and I’ll be turning 34 this month.”

Rowe knows she owes her life changes to Silver Cross Hospital.

“After our son passed away, I had been in such a dark place,” she added. “I started working at Silver Cross later that year. It was the light at the end of my tunnel.”

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