(NAPSI)—If you ever fear you have a fat chance of being slim, consider the case of Bayyinah Guerrant. She grew up slim. It wasn’t until her early 20s, after having her two daughters, that she started gaining weight. She could track her weight gain by which size scrubs she had to ask for at the dispenser machine in the hospital in New York, N.Y., where she is a nurse in the pain management department.
“I was always so busy balancing taking care of my kids and working that I didn’t eat as healthy and couldn’t find time to exercise,” said the now-44-year-old Guerrant. “It got to the point where I was asking for XXL scrubs, which was embarrassing.”
She did what anyone would do after gaining some weight: She started dieting. Fad diet after fad diet, and she would always gain the weight back.
Despite the setbacks, there were periods of success. In 2000, she joined a popular weight loss nutrition program, lost 70 pounds and kept that weight off for almost three years. Then Guerrant’s schedule changed to 12-hour shifts and making lifestyle changes proved challenging. She gained all the weight back, plus some. Still persistent, she turned back to dieting.
“You name the diet and I’ve done it,” she said.
But for Guerrant, losing the weight was never all about fitting back into clothes she had outgrown; it was about health. She was born with a congenital heart condition. A hole in her heart caused her to develop ventricular tachycardia, and she has had three open-heart surgeries to correct the issue. Still, today, her condition limits the level of exertion she can undertake. For her, it was about making sure she’s around for her daughters, now 19 and 20, as long as possible.
When weighed in at 209 pounds, her heaviest ever, she knew she needed to take action. She wasn’t heavy enough to qualify for the gastric sleeve, but her friend told her about the ReShape Dual Balloon for Weight Loss. Designed for patients with a BMI of 30−40, ReShape is an intragastric balloon inserted into the stomach for six months to curb appetite. The patients get a year of nutritional counseling to assist with developing a long-term plan for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, while they have the balloons in place and after removal. Guerrant looked into it and made an appointment with Dr. Shawn Garber at New York Bariatric Group, one of the first surgeons to begin performing the nonsurgical procedure and who has performed it more than anyone in the world.
“Every day, I see patients who are looking to break the fad-diet cycle but need a jump start,” said Dr. Garber, who performed Guerrant’s procedure. “Bayyinah was the ideal candidate. She was motivated and ready to do the work to lose the weight and keep it off.”
Since the procedure, Guerrant has lost 50 pounds. She is taking Zumba classes, watching what she eats and has started traveling again. And while her main goal wasn’t to fit into old clothes, Guerrant admits that has been a nice added benefit.
Now, when she shows up for a 12-hour shift, she heads to the scrub dispenser machine, pauses, and makes her selection: medium.
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For further facts, visit www.reshapeready.com.
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Important ReShape® Integrated Dual Balloon System Safety Information
Indications: The ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System is indicated for weight reduction when used in conjunction with diet and exercise, in obese patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30−40 kg/m2 and one or more obesity-related comorbid conditions. It is indicated for use in adult patients who have failed weight reduction with diet and exercise alone.
Contraindications: The ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System is not recommended for patients with conditions that may increase the risk of poor results (e.g., prior gastrointestinal surgery with sequelae, prior open or laparoscopic bariatric surgery, inflammatory diseases of the GI tract, potential upper GI bleeding), who are unwilling to participate in an established medically supervised diet and behavior modification program, who have alcohol or drug addictions, who receive daily prescribed treatment with aspirin, anti-inflammatory agents, anticoagulants or other gastric irritants, or who currently are or may be pregnant or breast-feeding.
Warnings: The maximum placement period for the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon is 6 months. The risk of intragastric balloon deflation and intestinal obstruction (and therefore possible complications related to intestinal obstruction) is significantly higher when balloons are left in place longer than 6 months. The presence of blue-green urine or sudden loss of satiety, increased hunger and/or weight gain may be a sign of balloon deflation. Patients experiencing symptoms of acute pancreatitis (e.g., acute abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting) should seek immediate care. Failure of patients to take prescribed daily proton-pump inhibitor medication increases the risk of gastric ulceration or perforation.
Adverse Events: Placement of the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon requires an endoscopic procedure with sedation. Potential risks associated with an endoscopic procedure and sedation include adverse reaction to sedation (headache, muscle pain, nausea), infection, pneumonia, and respiratory distress. Potential risks associated with the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon include acute pancreatitis, ulceration, significant gastric bleeding, gastric outlet obstruction, aspiration pneumonia, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, bloating, belching, heartburn, dehydration, and sore throat. These complications may be severe enough to require early removal of the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon. Although the ReShape Dual Balloon design provides an anti-migration feature, there is the potential risk of device migration and intestinal obstruction. The risk of intestinal obstruction is increased if the device is not removed after 6 months. If intestinal migration occurs, surgical or endoscopic removal may be required.
Important: For full safety information, please talk with your doctor or call ReShape Customer Support at 844-YES-RESHAPE (1-844-937-7374).
CAUTION: Rx only.