Michalyn’s Story: Bariatric Surgery Heads Off Health Problems

At 30 years old, Michalyn Soliman now finds herself 50 pounds lighter than she’s been for the last decade, and no longer needs the frequent rest breaks she used to take to get through a workout or a walk. Going up stairs is no longer a labor where she becomes winded and starts to feel pain in her knees. She feels better emotionally, too. In the past, she was frustrated because she thought she was doing all the right things: eating right, exercising a healthy amount, trying to limit calories. But she struggled to lose weight.

A contract specialist at a company that helps facilitate clinical trials, Michalyn was familiar with the hopeful potential of trying new things. She had already participated in medication-based weight loss programs for years before opting into the Center for Weight Management and Bariatric Surgery at Wentworth-Douglass. But when these efforts began to seem like patchwork solutions that were ultimately ineffectual, she decided that she was more attracted to the holistic approach.

“Here [at Wentworth-Douglass] you're getting all the support upfront, you're getting the nutrition classes, you’re getting a booklet, and you're really well-informed and aware of what you're getting yourself into [prior to surgery]. And then you have that support continuously. They even have an exercise program if people want to join that as well. It's very nice to know you have everything that you need all in one place.”