Winning the Weight Game
Renew Program
Gives Man New Lease on Life

Millions of Americans struggle with their weight, but Jimmy Desormeaux's
battle was a full-scale war. At his heaviest, the 36-year-old New Iberia
resident weighed 515 pounds.

"Everything in my life was a challenge because of my weight," Desormeaux
says. "It was hard to drive, walk up and down the stairs, and get up from the
sofa. I couldn't do anything but work." Jimmy knew he was at risk for heart
disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other obesity-related
complications. So he tried every diet and weight-loss strategy imaginable. He
lost hundreds of pounds over the years but always gained the weight back.

Finally, Jimmy began researching the pros and cons of bariatric surgery. These procedures help
patients lose weight by restricting the amount of food patients can eat and reducing the amount of
calories their bodies absorb. The National Institutes of Health says bariatric surgery is the only
treatment for obesity that offers lasting results.

"I had to do something if I wanted to live longer," says Jimmy. "Bariatric surgery was my last hope."

He also looked into the services offered at his local hospitals. But Jimmy opted to drive more than two
hours and chose the Renew program at Methodist Hospital. Renew is a comprehensive weight-loss
program that involves gastric bypass surgery, nutrition support and counseling. Patients must undergo
an extensive pre-surgery evaluation and sign a contract agreeing to stick with the follow-up program for
at least two years.

Surgery is only a start," says Ruary O'Connell, M.D., F.A.C.S., a general surgeon and nutrition
metabolism expert. "A patient's ongoing participation is essential. How patients see their goal and
resolve the problems that led to their obesity affects their long-term success and well-being."


The first step

Nearly a year and a half ago, Dr. O'Connell performed Jimmy's surgery, a procedure called the Roux-en-
Y gastric bypass, at Methodist Hospital. First, he created a small pouch to reduce the size of Jimmy's
stomach. Then Dr. O'Connell bypassed a portion of Jimmy's small intestine.

After surgery, Jimmy worked hard to change his eating habits and become more active. He also attends
monthly follow-up Renew meetings and support groups in Lafayette. Jimmy says bariatric surgery isn't a
quick fix, but his hard work is paying off.

"I weighed 484 pounds at the time of my surgery," he says. "I've lost 215 pounds -- the weight of a
whole person -- and my life is 100 percent better. I feel great, I have more energy than most of my
friends, and I'm always on the go. I finally see a long and exciting future ahead of me."


Featured in Methodist Hospital Healthy Views Fall 2004 issue.