For years, Lisa Steeples’ goal had been to lose weight. Despite difficult odds, she made a promise to herself and to her mother that she would do it. The Sarah Bush Lincoln Bariatric Program helped Lisa fulfill that promise, even though her mom did not live to see Lisa reach her final goal.
“I lost close to 50 pounds before she passed away last February, but I wish she was here to see what I’ve accomplished,” Lisa said. “She always told me that I needed to lose weight and become healthier, and I’ve finally done so.”
Through the SBL Bariatric Program, the Metcalf resident lost 125 pounds and now weighs approximately 160 pounds. “I probably haven’t weighed this since I was a teenager, and I plan to stay around this weight,” Lisa said.
After doing research, Lisa discovered SBL’s Bariatric Program and started it in May of 2023. The program offers medically supervised exercise and nutrition counseling to build healthier habits. After showing a commitment to good habits, losing weight and keeping it off, patients can receive bariatric surgery as the last step of the program.
Registered Dietician Michelle Schultz helped Lisa build and maintain better eating habits, which was especially helpful for Lisa. “I never really ate breakfast. I always had quick and unhealthy lunches at work, and I was a night eater,” Lisa said. “Now I eat better food and smaller portions.”
Andrew McDevitt, APRN, oversaw Lisa’s progress and care, and Surgeon Todd Bierman, MD, performed the sleeve gastrectomy in November of 2023. “Andrew was just amazing through the whole process, and the surgery went so smoothly with Dr. Bierman,” Lisa said. “I’m so grateful for them and the entire staff who helped me through the program.”
Lisa’s need to lose weight became crucially important after her right leg was amputated in 2020 for an adverse reaction to medication she received while hospitalized in Springfield for a blood clot. Called Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT), the drug caused more clots in her leg, so it had to be amputated.
That, along with a cancer diagnosis and caring for her mom in the final years of her life, led Lisa to one conclusion. She was ready for a change. “I wanted to walk again, and I wanted to be healthier for myself and my family,” Lisa said.
Following the bariatric surgery, Lisa decided to get a prosthetic leg so she could regain her ability to walk. McDevitt advised Lisa on the process for getting a prosthetic leg, which she received last year.
With the help of the SBL Bariatric Program, Lisa accomplished her goal to not only become healthier, but to walk again. Lisa also uses a motorized chair and a walker to complete everyday tasks.
Lisa is proud of who she has become. “I feel so much better than I have in a long time. I have more energy, and I’m maintaining a healthy weight,” Lisa said. “I’m doing this for myself, but I’m still doing this for my mom, too. She was my rock, and I love her so much and miss her.”