Wilmington Husband and Wife Get Back Their Lives Following Bariatric Surgery at Silver Cross

Ryan and Daniele Bolyn of Wilmington married two years ago. That was about the time Daniele decided she couldn’t take the pressure of her weight any longer. 

No one in her immediate family was particularly overweight, but Daniele, 27, had managed to put 356 pounds on her 5-foot-five-inch frame by, as she admits, not exercising and making poor food choices. 

Working as a certified nursing assistant, the extreme weight was a liability to her and her job. 

“It was very hard getting around. I wasn’t able to stand more than 20 minutes at a time; my legs would go numb,” she said. “I would have to sit and rest for a while.” 

Daniele had tried several other weight-loss programs, including Keto, but it was tough to stick with it, and her weight rebounded when she stopped. 

Frustrated, she scoured the internet once more for answers and came upon the BMI program at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. 

“It had a lot of good reviews,” she said. “And it sounded interesting.” 

Taking That First Step

She attended a BMI program hosted by Dr. Brian Lahmann, who with now-retired Dr. Christopher Joyce, and new partner Dr. Joe Northup, have performed over 10,000 weight loss surgeries at Silver Cross, which has the only program in Will County that has been named a MBSAQIP accredited center – Comprehensive and Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery. 

After meeting with Dr. Lahmann, they decided gastric bypass was the best route for her. It is one of the most frequently performed weight loss procedures in the United States.

By adding malabsorption, food is delayed in mixing with bile and pancreatic juices that aid in the absorption of nutrients. The result is an early sense of fullness, combined with a sense of satisfaction that reduces the desire to eat. 

Before the gastric bypass surgery, Daniele had to go through pre-op testing, including cardiac, pulmonary and psychological exams. She passed all of those, and then got set for the pre-op diet, which not only helps shrink the liver before surgery, but prepares the person mentally for the lifestyle changes they will need to adopt for the rest of their lives. 

“You can’t go into this thinking it’s going to be easy,” she said. “It’s very hard. It’s a change in lifestyle. But it’s worth it.” 

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic sidelined her plans for a week so Daniele wound up dieting for three weeks instead of two. Following surgery on Dec. 1, 2020, she spent several days at Silver Cross and the next few weeks not feeling much like eating at all. 

Seeing the Results

Within a couple of months, Daniele started seeing the weight come off, not just due to surgery, but a change in lifestyle, including vitamins, high-protein meals and snacks. Sugars, carbs and alcohol are on the restricted list.

 Ryan admits he tried to stay with Daniele’s new diet, but he couldn’t. He also said he was scared when she went into surgery that day, mostly because he couldn’t be with her due to COVID restrictions.

Yet, none of this was enough to deter him from looking into the BMI surgery himself. Weighing more than 340 pounds on a 5’8” frame, he knew he needed to do something. And seeing the weight come off Daniele was a great motivator. 

“I had high blood pressure, and there is diabetes and heart disease in my family,” said Ryan, 28. “I had a desk job initially, but then I began training for a new one that had me moving much more.” 

Ryan met with Dr. Northup, who suggested they use the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, which changes the shape and size of your stomach, reducing the amount of food you eat at one-time. He had his surgery on Feb. 22, 2022. 

A Team Effort

Now on board with the new, healthy lifestyle, Daniele is down to 168 pounds and a 29.2 BMI (from 58.9), and Ryan, who wants to lose another 10, is down to 210 pounds and a 33 BMI (from 52.6). 

Like a good marriage, the weight-loss journey takes hard work, the two say. 

“A lot of people ask me about the surgery,” Danielle said. “Some think it’s easy. But I tell them it’s not. You have to commit to a new lifestyle. And Silver Cross was great.” 

Their new lifestyle includes not only eating healthier, but exercising every chance they get, including walking Bailey, their 5-year-old American bulldog. 

“And we bought bicycles,” Ryan said chuckling. 

The Bolyns said Drs. Lahmann and Northup were amazing to work with, explaining all the procedures and making sure they knew surgery alone wouldn’t help them. 

“But it is so worth it,” Daniele said. “I feel 10 times better. It’s life-changing.” 

If you’re ready to improve your health and transform your life with BMI Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital, visit silvercross.org/bmi or call 815-717-8744.