Kim Armstrong, 46, had considered bariatric surgery for years. During her consideration journey, Armstrong dealt with obstacles from her insurance company, personal doubts and concerns from loved ones over safety. After countless headaches and roadblocks, one day in early 2021 she decided she wasn’t going to let anything get in the way, and told herself, “I’m doing it, I’m getting the surgery.”
“I just said, ‘I'm doing this, I'm going to have it done before the end of the year, and nothing's going to stop me,’” Armstrong recalled. “I got in touch with Portneuf Bariatrics and started the program in February, following all the steps in the process. I was excited, but I actually recall that a few months in I had started gaining weight and was getting kind of discouraged. But Jessica Horst, NP, reassured me. We reviewed my medications and she had me talk to my primary care provider about making some changes to medications on my list that may be affecting my ability to lose weight. And after making some swaps, I ended up losing 13 pounds the following month. That got me excited and gave me more motivation.”
During the six-month program leading up to the gastric bypass surgery, Armstrong learned a great deal about the surgery, what to expect and how to properly care for herself pre- and post-surgery.
“She [Jessica Horst, NP] was a huge help, but I felt supported by everyone,” Armstrong said. “I got to meet with Alexa Roth, MD, and she went over everything. I was originally set on doing the sleeve and hadn't really thought about anything else. Dr. Roth sat down with me, and she said, ‘I'm not against the sleeve, but I think the gastric bypass surgery might be a better option for you.’ And then discussed her reasoning. I ended up changing my mind and decided to get the gastric bypass instead of the sleeve. I was really impressed with Dr. Roth.”
The surgery went well, but despite the education Armstrong received pre-op, there was still a learning curve during the recovery period.
“The surgery went well and the pain was managed well, I never needed anything stronger than Tylenol,” Armstrong said. “I went in, I believe, three weeks after surgery for a follow-up appointment and that went well. I had a lot of little questions in the weeks after surgery, just checking in to see if certain things were normal, and I always knew I could call them. I always felt supported and taken care of. They would answer any questions or help me through it or whatever it was that I needed.”
Armstrong’s journey to bariatric surgery came with its challenges, but she’s incredibly grateful to have started and is loving the payoff.
“I have just felt better,” Armstrong said. “I mean, I look better, and I’m so glad to be off medication. I've learned how to eat the right things, which didn’t come naturally at first, but I’ve gotten the hang of it now. To anyone that’s on the fence about doing the surgery, I’d just say it's so worth it. I know that sometimes it's really hard if you don't have the support. But there was great support staff from the hospital for me, you know, the doctors, Krista Diekemper, RD, LD, Alexa Roth, MD, Jessica R Horst, NP, and the nurse, everyone was great and made it a wonderful experience for me.”
Since her surgery, Armstrong has lost more than 40 pounds and is excited to continue her weight loss journey with the team at Portneuf Bariatrics.
To learn more about Portneuf Bariatrics, visit https://portneufmedicalgroup.org/services/bariatric-surgery or call us at 208-239-2620.