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Eufemia Tejeda battled her weight for years. But when she finally reached 228 pounds after her second child was born, she knew her 5-foot-2-inch frame – and her self-esteem – needed help.
“I’d come home crying after shopping because the clothes I liked didn’t fit,” says the 34-year-old from West Hazleton. “I tried dieting, but nothing worked. It made me feel terrible.”
One day an acquaintance who had lost significant weight shared that she’d had bariatric surgery. Tejeda immediately signed up for a free weight-loss surgery information session at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hazleton to learn more.
Surgical success
Excited by what she heard, Tejeda decided to move forward. Although she weighed less than some other participants, a physical exam revealed her body-mass index (BMI) was in the 35-40 range (considered obese), and she suffered from sleep apnea, a dangerous weight-related breathing disorder.
“People often think only morbidly obese people are candidates for bariatric surgery, but moderately overweight people with other medical conditions also can benefit,” says bariatric surgeon Jonathan Perry, MD, with LVPG Surgery–Health & Wellness Center in Hazle Township and Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence.
Guided by bariatric coordinator Brenda Derr, Tejeda entered a six-month pre-surgery program that included nutrition classes and behavioral health sessions. In October 2018, she underwent gastric sleeve surgery, a minimally invasive procedure that removes approximately 80 percent of the stomach where the hormone that stimulates hunger (ghrelin) is produced.
Eufemia Tejeda now weighs 140 pounds, and her sleep apnea has disappeared.