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Service: Non-Surgical Medical Weight Loss
Pounds lost in 1 year: 120
Motivators: Lack of energy, depression, back pain, knee pain & desire for knee replacement
The people here are wonderful. They were very nice from the receptionist to the person that checked me in – never any judgment. You know, when you weigh as much as you do when you’re that heavy, people look at you funny. They look at you like ‘oh what’s wrong with that person’ or they just don’t understand that it could be something that’s just not medically right, but they never give you that impression here. Molly walked in and she was just a bright sky. She just made my day; she just made me feel good even at the weight I was. Everybody has been very helpful here.
My highest was about 325 pounds. I started getting to a point where I wasn’t able to get around. I couldn’t [go] up and down steps, couldn’t be outside playing with my kids because of knee pain, so that sort of limited me on what I could do. My daughter loves to shop – I couldn’t even do that with her because I just couldn’t walk. I couldn’t handle doing the walking around the stores; that just wasn’t possible. I could go maybe 5 minutes and at that point I was done I had to go sit down somewhere.
I finally got to a point where I was like, ‘OK this isn’t working for me. I can’t enjoy my children. I can’t enjoy my life.’ It got to be depressing because I was in so much pain; I just couldn’t do it anymore. I told my husband I cried every day. I just looked at him one day and I said, “I’m done I cannot live like this anymore with this amount of weight and this pain that I was in constantly 24/7.”
I talked to a doctor about knee replacement and they said that I was a candidate but I needed to lose weight. So that sort of got me in the process of getting myself under some kind of management of my weight. I couldn’t do it on my own. I’ve tried so many different plans, pills, different things… nothing was working for me. I figured it was time for me to get some help on figuring out what was the best option for me to start losing weight.
[Molly] had given me a couple options of what she thought might work best for me. And then we decided that my best option would be to limit my carb intake and to help me more with proteins. I just had to start cutting back and that’s what was very helpful to me. She was able to show me what amount of foods I needed to eat to get started on the weight loss. You know… so many proteins a day, so many vegetables, cut back on the carbs – the sugary sweets, the sodas. I did start taking a multivitamin, but no medicines.
It’s not easy at all, it was very hard. It was a lot of getting used to, but once I started I didn’t realize how much less I was eating and how full I was getting. I wasn’t having the cravings for that piece of cake at 8:00 o’clock at night or those crackers that I would eat at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon. It did take time, but after a while it was it was lot easier than I thought. It’s a wonderful program. I have myself to the point now, like I’m gonna keep going. I am not stopping at where I am now. I want to keep going. My goal is to get down to at least 150.
I am down to 206. I’ve lost 120 some pounds all on my own, no surgery, just doing it. I went out and bought a stationary bike. I probably go 12 miles every night faithfully. I love it now that I can do it. I can tell you since I have lost the weight my knee pain isn’t as bad as it was. I don’t walk with my cane anymore. I’m able to get up and down steps. I’m able to go for walks. I can still not go as long as I’d like to but I can still go further than I’ve ever been able to go, no problems at all. It’s been a lot of change. I’ve gotten a lot of great compliments. People have just been very supportive and telling me I look great, which keeps me going. It keeps me motivated to keep going with this. It’s a great feeling and I love it. I wouldn’t change it. I’m never going back to the person I was that’s for sure. Never.
I would tell people that were in the same situation that I was, to talk to somebody about the weight loss, get an idea of where they’re at. There’s always a solution. The people here at this office have been wonderful. They work with you, they give you options and again, if I can do it anybody can do it. I tell everybody that it’s a hard thing to start, but it’s worth it in the end. It’s definitely a life changer. I have gotten my life back. I’m enjoying a lot more than I ever could, just even being able to go outside and walk and get off my chair without having pain. It’s just, it’s totally a life changer and I’m so glad I started this journey. I’m going to keep going until I reach my goal.
Service: Non-Surgical Medical Weight Loss
Pounds lost in 1 year: 85
Motivators: Lack of energy, high cholesterol, knee pain
I was hopeless when I went into Molly’s office, I really didn’t have any idea. I got on a really good medicine. She knew what to give me, she had an idea right away, helped me with a diet plan that I can stick to and she followed through. She’s very thorough, very compassionate. She gave me the medicine and I have to say that she worked so hard to get that through insurance, too. It’s covered by insurance but only if you get pre-authorizations. She had to send in more paperwork and I just don’t know that other facilities would do that. She really jumps through hoops to make sure that I can stay on the medicine. I appreciate that. I think that it’s a really good place to go, they know my name when I walk in here. Everybody’s very gracious, everybody’s very compassionate, very nice in the office. The medical staff, Molly in particular, is very nice and she’s understanding, she listens, and [is] very supportive.
I have been battling obesity my whole life. I had twins and they were about 1 or 2 and I couldn’t get down on the floor with them. I couldn’t play with them, I couldn’t hike with them, I couldn’t take them to the beach. I couldn’t even chase my kids or take care of them or cook them dinner. I was down, down, down where I couldn’t even walk. I was in so much pain I couldn’t stand and do the dishes because I put so much pressure on my knees over the years, it’s just too much strain. I just was very unhealthy, high cholesterol, heading towards diabetes and I just couldn’t even care for my kids properly. It’s disheartening if you can’t even care for your own kids. Then it’s time. If it was just me, maybe I wouldn’t’ve, but they’ve given me the motivation that I need to be around. I just wanted to change my life for myself and for them.
I came in here and I was all scheduled for the [weight loss] surgery. They did the scope where they go down and check and they said well you have Barrett’s esophagus we can’t do surgery. I was devastated, but I was wondering if there’s some other help here. They said that Molly is available and you can see her if you want and I said, “Yeah I need some help.”
It is a diet, but the difference is I give myself an injection every day. It’s called Saxenda, and it’s the only medical weight loss medication that’s like an injection. What it does for me is that I’m able to follow the diet without starving to death. I’m able to eat right and exercise. It just takes that edge off with the hormones that I can do the right thing. It doesn’t make me crazy, it doesn’t make me jittery, it just lets me work hard. I always knew I can do it, I just needed that extra little bit of help. The diet plan that they have me on which is very healthy balanced diet fruits and vegetables and proteins and even a little bit of you know just a little bit of sweets too. I just I really feel like it’s been a miracle for me to get this help. That support from the staff and Molly the nurse practitioner and the diet plan and the medicine worked for me.
Molly never put any pressure on me to lose fast, because that makes it even harder. I’d say, “How much should I lose for the next visit?” She says, “I’m happy with anything. I’m happy if you stay the same. I’m happy if you just lose a little. Keep trying and doing your best.” There was never any extra pressure. Slow and steady, just keep working on it. Of course nobody’s perfect… you have to just forgive yourself and keep going down the road to health.
[Medical Weight Loss] changed my life. I’m now able to do a lot more than I could before. I’m able to go for hikes and walks every day, stay healthy, get exercise and fresh air. I feel like I can go out and be in public and go places and see things and just enjoy life now where I couldn’t before. I just feel like the world is my oyster now. I want to take my kids to Disney World and I’ll be able to walk that 11 miles a day. I’ll be able to enjoy going to the beach with the kids, playing with them and taking them to fun places, and see new things and teach them. I feel like I can do anything that I want; my world is open. Before I couldn’t walk half a block, now I can go anywhere and do anything.
I would say the hardest thing is thinking about it and wondering what would happen. The first step is to call and make an appointment and come in. Make the change, come in, and get the help that you need. Every person has to make up their own mind. They have to say ‘you know now’s the time, I’m going to be a better person. I am going to make the change today, tomorrow, the next day for the rest of my life.’ You just have one life to live, so I think it’s just that you have to make the commitment, get help if you need it, and make the commitment to yourself every day. It’s the best thing I ever did to come here and get the help for the medical weight loss.