Losing Weight and
Feeling Grand in Grand Island
A driving factor for Jaymie Gammon to ultimately pursue bariatric surgery was her health. She was on medication for high blood pressure. She had back troubles and suffered from plantar fasciitis in her feet, causing her to wear custom shoes. The pain she was in made it difficult to keep up with her three kids.
"They want me to be active with them, like going to the trampoline park and jumping with them or even just getting on the floor to play with their toys,” Jaymie said. “It was excruciating. I knew I wanted to do this for myself, but I also wanted to do it to be a better mom.”
Before her surgery, she weighed around 310 pounds. She’s a hairdresser in Grand Island and works for a local funeral home as she goes to college for mortuary sciences.
Jaymie has struggled with weight loss her whole life. She had tried many diets and other treatments, but nothing had ever stuck. She learned more about bariatric surgery from a friend who had it.
I figured it was never going to be in my financial means to have it done, but then I found out that insurance would cover it.
— Jaymie Gammon
She started the process by talking to her primary care provider, who referred her to Christopher Seip, MD, a general surgeon on Grand Island Regional Medical Center’s bariatric services team. From there, she went through the pre-operation process, which includes medical weight management, dietitian and bariatric coordinator visits, psychiatric evaluation, exercise planning and pulmonology clearance.
Jaymie had sleeve gastrectomy surgery, during which a portion of the stomach is removed, on August 31, 2023. The stomach shrinks from around a two-liter bottle-sized organ into one roughly the size of a banana. After her surgery, she recovered in the hospital for two nights.
“I had a really good experience,” she said. “All the staff were wonderful; everyone took really good care of me.”
She returned to Dr. Seip for consistent follow-up appointments to track her continued weight-loss progress. She said he and the whole bariatrics team did a great job of “hyping her up,” letting her know that she was advancing well.
“From the initial consultation, I could tell Jaymie was a very motivated patient,” Dr. Seip said. “For patients undergoing this type of surgery, they really have to have commitment to the process to be as successful as we want them to be.”
She was soon referred to GIRMC’s bariatric support group, which is a small but mighty community that meets once a month. Every session has educational programming about wellness topics related to weight loss and maintenance. Jaymie has become a leader within the support group and has enjoyed getting to know people and answering their questions about the surgery.
“It’s nice to have support from and ask questions of people who have also been through this or who are about to go through this,” she said. “It also provides important accountability for my health and continuing the lifestyle changes I’ve made.”
Like most patients, Jaymie had hanging belly skin after her gastrectomy. By her one-year appointment post-surgery, Dr. Seip referred her to his partner Brant Luebbe, MD, for a panniculectomy that removes the loose skin and fatty tissue. The procedure was, to her surprise, also covered by her insurance.
“It’s so crazy not having a belly sitting in your lap,” she said. “I can wear pants that fit top to bottom without having to compensate for the hanging skin. It’s so nice, and it’s something that I didn’t even expect when I started this whole process. It’s much more in reach than people realize.”
Now at about 160 pounds, Jaymie no longer takes blood pressure medication and doesn’t have pain in her back or feet. She loves to be active with her kids and exercise outside on her bike or roller blades. She’s able to enjoy life in ways she couldn’t before.
“It’s the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”
More Information on GIRMC’s Bariatrics Services Team
Akshay Agrawal, MD, is a recent addition to the bariatric services team. He specializes in obesity medicine, helping patients achieve their weight loss goals through personalized and evidence-based care. The GIRMC Bariatrics Services team works together to determine the best treatment plan for patients.
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To learn how you can support the work of Grand Island Regional Medical Center, please contact the Grand Island Regional Medical Center Foundation staff by calling 308-675-5000.
