Mother and daughter fight obesity and Diabetes
as team
Newswise — Two months ago,
Phoenix residents Marlene Zytcer, 57, and her
daughter Aimee, 31, traveled to the University
of California, San Diego Medical Center for a
minimally invasive surgery to lose weight.
Called gastric banding, the simple procedure has
life-saving potential by helping the
mother-daughter team successfully fight their
genetic tendency toward diabetes and
cardiovascular disease.
“My mother is diabetic and
going blind. If I did not go to UC San Diego
Medical Center, this would be my future too,”
said Marlene, a retired kindergarten teacher who
was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 40.
“Aimee was headed in the same direction. By
working side-by-side to lose weight, we are
turning the tide against a family history of
disease. We have strength in numbers, even if
the number is two.”
“The surgery has been a
Godsend,” she added. “I no longer have to take
diabetes or cholesterol medication, and my blood
pressure is down. My stamina is back and I feel
great.”
Traveling from Arizona,
Marlene and her daughter flew to UCSD Medical
Center to see Santiago Horgan, M.D., director of
the Center for the Treatment of Obesity. After
it was determined they were ideal candidates for
gastric banding, Marlene and Aimee set a date
for treatment.
During the 40-minute
outpatient procedure, Horgan places an
adjustable band around the upper stomach to
form a small gastric pouch. The band creates
an hourglass shaped stomach, limiting food
intake. If necessary, the belt-like band can
be adjusted or removed any time.
Just six weeks after the
procedure, Marlene and Aimee have lost almost 70
combined pounds. Marlene started at 236 and is
down to 199. Aimee started at 195 and is down to
165. Their goal weights are 150 and 130 pounds,
respectively.
Before the gastric banding,
Marlene had been taking multiple diabetes and
cholesterol medications. With her reduction in
weight, she is now able to eliminate more than
four prescriptions and treat her diabetes and
cholesterol with diet and exercise.
Aimee Zytcer, a pharmacist,
said the procedure has helped reduce joint pain.
“I often stand for 12 hours per day. The drop in
weight has reduced discomfort in my knees and
feet. I feel better everyday.”
Key to the joint weight
loss has been daily communication between the
mother and daughter who live ten minutes apart
from each other.
“We are always talking,
emailing, and sharing online recipes. Together,
we solve ways to cook light and eat lots of
protein,” said Marlene. It’s nice to have
someone nearby who knows exactly what you’re
going through. And to help keep an eye on what
you’re eating.”
Even though the Zytcers
live in Arizona, they still receive personalized
care from the UCSD Center for the Treatment of
Obesity.
“We regularly call and
email the Center. If I send an email on a Sunday
night, there is a response waiting for me Monday
morning. I often receive a personal phone call
if the answer is more complex,” said Marlene.
In addition to regular
phone and email contact, The UCSD Center for the
Treatment of Obesity offers a monthly support
group to those trying to lose weight. While
Marlene and Aimee can not attend the meetings,
the Center sends them summaries of the meetings
along with any handouts.
Two months after the
procedure, Marlene and Aimee visited Dr. Horgan
for an adjustment to their gastric band. After
numbing the skin, a thin needle is inserted into
the band to inject a saline solution to continue
to limit the amount of food that can be
ingested.
“Whether it takes one year
or ten years, we will meet our goal weights,”
said Aimee. “It’s just a matter of time,
persistence, and talking to each other. We can
lose the weight together.”
UCSD Medical Center has a
comprehensive program dedicated to the holistic
treatment of obesity. Through a compassionate
team approach, patients and their families are
offered leading-edge medical care combined with
nutritional training, fitness counseling, and
psychological support.
