For most of her adult life, Regina Howard of Plainfield, IL suffered from obesity, sleep apnea, pain in her joints and an irregular thyroid. The thought of running a 5K race seemed unthinkable due to her poor health. However after losing over 80 pounds in 24 months as a result of her weight loss surgery at Silver Cross Hospital, Regina’s prior health issues no longer exist enabling her to run an hour every other day and complete 5K races.

“As a result of my weight loss surgery, I am a 100% different person,” said Regina. “When I was overweight, I never wanted to spend time outside, but after my weight loss, I love being outdoors. I enjoy running throughout my neighborhood and feel this new activity gives me more energy and motivation to stay committed to a healthy life style.

"One of Regina’s challenges after her weight loss surgery was to find an exercise that she liked to do. “After not exercising for so many years, it was a challenge to find an activity that I enjoyed. So once I started walking on the treadmill and running outside, I really became interested in pushing my limits with running,” said Regina. “The key to my exercise success was doing a routine that I really enjoyed.

”Regina’s family medicine physician encouraged her to attend BMI Surgery’s free informational session.  “I was so impressed with Dr. Christopher Joyce’s inspiring presentation. It truly changed my life and I was instantly hooked to have the weight loss surgery and follow the program. After talking with Dr. Joyce and his staff at BMI Surgery, I felt so reassured because they were all so knowledgeable and supportive,” shares Regina. “They all made me feel so comfortable and at ease that I could actually have successful long-term weight loss as long as I was willing to follow the program.” With their support, Regina committed to the workout and diet plan and underwent REALIZE™ Adjustable Gastric Band weight loss surgery on June 4, 2010.

“Before I had my surgery, Dr. Joyce explained that the surgery was merely a tool to lose weight and the real success depended on me being accountable for my own health,” stated Regina. “Through the entire process, Dr. Joyce and his staff were always there for me right away to answer any of my questions. Also the nurses at Silver Cross Hospital were wonderful during my surgery and hospital stay. They made me feel so cared for and constantly informed me of my treatment plan.”

*Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care.  These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.