On July 17, 2009, Darcy Sliger and her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Jake Sliger, sat in on a briefing at Womack Army Medical Center. The two sat against the wall, watching slide presentations and talking with each other. The scene is a familiar one for Fort Bragg Families who are used to newcomers’ orientation briefings and other classes. This meeting was different though — it was one of the first steps toward changing Darcy’s life.

One of the many surgeries available to Fort Bragg Family members at WAMC is bariatric surgery. Candidates considered morbidly obese along with other health problems can undergo a surgical weight loss procedure if they qualify.

The program requires much more of the candidates than the desire to lose weight. They are psychologically and physically screened. They must take numerous nutrition classes and attend support group meetings. With the help of the WAMC staff they develop their own exercise plan. They begin to break-up with food, saying goodbye to caffeinated coffee, all sodas, chocolate, carbohydrate-laden foods and much more. Their after-surgery diet plan is a high protein/low carb one that cannot be ignored.

As she sat in the orientation meeting, Darcy listened as the briefers gave her a glimpse of what would become her new life, if she passed their screenings and qualified for the surgery.

Lieutenant Colonel Sandra Allen, a nutritionist at WAMC was one of the first speakers. She said the lifestyle and diet change needed to start now, not after surgery.

“It’s a big change. You need to get used to monitoring what you eat and your activity level before surgery,” said Allen. “This will help prepare you for the changes after surgery.”

The changes not only include what the patients eat, but how much and when they are eating.
The required physical and psychological exams, along with the education classes and support group meetings, make the process from orientation to surgery date last about three months. Jasmin Black, the bariatric nurse coordinator, helps the patients manage their pre-operation requirements.

“The decision to have bariatric surgery is by no means the easy way to lose weight,” said Black as she told the patients about the contract they needed to sign promising to give up all alcohol consumption and tobacco use. “In addition to altering the body, you’re committing to a full lifestyle change.”

Dr. Amy Olsen, one of WAMC’s three bariatric surgeons, then told them how the surgery would alter their bodies. She said that the surgery was not about their ego, but about their health.
A few conditions that obesity can bring are: type 2 diabetes, heart disease, gallbladder disorders, respiratory problems and sleep apnea.

“The surgery helps get rid of your co-morbid conditions or improve them. We are not here to make you skinny or more attractive, we are here to potentially save your life,” said Olsen.
Darcy’s journey began that day. She knew her surgery would probably be right at the time her husband was deploying to Iraq and that it would be difficult to care for her daughter, who was only 6 months old at the time. As she walked out of the meeting, she said she was ready to face all the challenges in store over the next few months.

(Editor’s note: This is part one in a series of three about Fort Bragg Family member Darcy Sliger’s gastric bypass surgery and Womack Army Medical Center’s bariatric surgery team.)