Kindergarten teacher Abby Smith headed back to the classroom 90 pounds lighter for the new school year. The 38-year-old Conroe resident now has the energy needed to keep up with her students, she said.
Weight gain happened over time, during Smith’s 16 years in education, she said. The culprits included eating out, grabbing quick meals and making unhealthy choices. Her weight eventually climbed to 256 pounds.
Smith noticed that she was getting winded just walking up the entrance ramp to Cedric C. Smith Elementary in Magnolia Independent School District. The rest of the day was even more challenging.
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She struggled to squat down to her kindergarteners’ tables without getting short of breath. Standing for hours left her with sore ankles and swollen, tired feet.
“My job requires me to be up and down, on the floor sitting around for circle time,” she said. “And I just couldn’t do it anymore.”
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Smith also began having related health problems, including a diagnosis of fatty liver disease in 2022. Her aha moment came last summer with her 9-year-old daughter, Scarlett, who plays soccer.
“I couldn’t go out and kick the ball with her,” Smith said. “And I want to be able to go out and play with my kids. It just hit a point where I realized I couldn’t be this big anymore.”
She attempted keto, paleo and vegetarian diets. Nothing seemed to work. “I had tried them all,” she said. “The weight just wasn’t coming off.”
So Smith began to look into other options. A friend from high school had successfully undergone bariatric surgery. “She gave me some insight into how it goes,” Smith said. “She said it was 100 percent worth it, that her whole life had changed.”
Since Smith has two autoimmune diseases, she consulted her gastroenterologist and rheumatologist for advice about weight-loss surgery. Both pointed her to Dr. Jason Balette, bariatric surgeon at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center.
Balette spends initial visits with patients going over options. “We tend to have a couple of visits before we make the decision,” he said.
Which is better, a gastric sleeve or bypass?
Depending on their needs, patients may opt for a “gastric bypass,” which involves attaching a small pouch to bypass the stomach, or a “gastric sleeve,” which removes part of the stomach.
Because Smith has ulcerative colitis, the gastric bypass seemed too disruptive to her digestive tract. It would limit Smith’s stomach capacity, Balette said, and interfere with the management of “hunger hormones,” like ghrelin and leptin, cells that are associated with controlling appetite.
“With the gastric sleeve, people feel full, and they have less cravings,” Balette said. In addition, she would not have “dumping syndrome” — diarrhea, nausea, cramping and light-headedness after a meal that can occur when those with a gastric bypass eat the wrong foods.
The recovery time is also faster with the gastric sleeve procedure, Balette said. That was another boon for Smith, who hoped to quickly return to teaching.
Smith elected to have her surgery at the first opportunity, Thanksgiving break, with husband Joshua Smith’s support.
What happens before and after bariatric surgery?
Before the surgery, patients meet with a psychologist for an evaluation. They also take a nutrition class, where they learn how to maintain weight loss after surgery.
“It’s a wonderful way to set people up for success and minimize any risks,” Balette said.
Before the surgery, patients must begin to use weight-loss strategies, like lowering carbs and reducing sugar. “We focus on healthy eating and proper choices,” he said.
A nurse coordinator helps each patient navigate the process, both before and after surgery.
Patients are able to get up and walk on the day of the operation and are typically discharged the following day, Balette said.
They follow a liquid diet for a few weeks. Once they resume eating normally, the focus is on protein intake. Carbs and fats are kept low.
“This is a tool for weight loss, and it’s a powerful tool,” Balette said. “But you have to make lifestyle changes — and then it’s emotionally successful.”
Gastric sleeve brought quick results
Because the operation was laparoscopic, incisions were minimal, Smith said.
She hopes that the stigma of weight-loss surgery will go away. “If you are struggling with weight and have tried everything, there’s still hope,” Smith said. “There are options out there.
“It was a complete lifestyle and mindset change,” she said. “If I can do it with my busy schedule and two kids, anyone can do it.”
Sticking to liquids and pureed food for months was a challenge, she admitted. “But I knew it was going to be worth it.”
She started to drop weight quickly. Now, 10 months later, she has reached her goal weight. Her fatty liver disease is a thing of the past.
“My energy is so much better,” she said. “I’m back at school. I’m up. I’m down. And I’m not winded.”
She can kick the soccer ball with her daughter — and feels like a better mom to both Scarlett and 13-year-old Aubrey.
Smith said she also feels like she can shine at the head of the classroom. “My whole life I have wanted to be a teacher,” she said. “These kids are awesome. Watching them learn and grow in every way, I cannot tell you how gratifying that is. Now that I have all this energy, I feel like I can be the best I can be for them.”