Evelyn's Story

For Evelyn Gentry, 43, of Fresno, weight loss was a rollercoaster filled with physical and emotional twists and turns.

Originally from Chile, Evelyn spent much of her teenage years navigating the pressure to look thinner. Her family often drew comparisons between Evelyn and her cousins – sometimes restricting her food or demanding she go exercise to achieve a more desirable figure. 

After moving to the United States, Evelyn discovered the freedom to eat and act the way she wanted. “My mother wasn’t in my ear anymore, so I just ate and ate,” Evelyn says. “In America, people go out in their pajamas. That gave me a free ticket to abandon the restrictions I grew up with.”

In the span of a few years, Evelyn’s weight jumped up to 280 pounds. Though she started to develop other health conditions, it wasn’t until she became pregnant with her son Lucas that she began to consider the consequences of her weight.

“I had to deliver my son a month early via emergency c-section,” Evelyn says. “My blood pressure was so high that the doctors were afraid for Lucas’ life. I wasn’t healthy enough to push.”

After her son was born, Evelyn struggled for years to lose weight. She would get into a good habit of eating well and exercising and begin to lose weight, only to plateau around 190 pounds. “I could be doing everything right, but the weight wouldn’t come off,” Evelyn says. “It was so disappointing.”

Finding the right tool

Throughout her battle with weight loss, Evelyn developed serious health conditions including sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, severe hormonal acne and stage 3 kidney disease. With her life on the line, Evelyn realized she couldn’t get healthy on her own.

That’s when she decided to see Saint Agnes Care Metabolic & Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Daniel Swartz. Dr. Swartz explained the benefits of bariatric surgery and how it could be used as a tool to break the weight barrier her body had in place.

In 2019, Evelyn underwent successful bariatric surgery and began her road to recovery and a new life.

Putting in the work

When it comes to bariatric surgery, the hardest part comes after recovery – when it becomes the patient’s responsibility to maintain healthy habits. Without proper discipline, patients will often regain much of the weight they worked so hard to lose.

Knowing this, Evelyn and her family completely reworked the way they eat and relate to food. Evelyn eats small meals and snacks packed with protein and vitamins every three hours to keep her metabolism strong.

“No matter what your culture is, food is a love language,” Evelyn says. “We are constantly surrounded by holidays or gatherings. There’s always a reason to eat poorly. For me, I just think about how much work it took to get to this point. I don’t want to go back to that, so it’s not worth eating badly.”

With the weight loss, Evelyn’s body began to heal. She has now been effectively “cured” of kidney disease and her other chronic conditions. “I used to take tons of medications, but now I barely even need Tylenol,” Evelyn says. “I only have to get my kidneys checked once a year now. 

In addition, Evelyn has more energy for life. Before, it was a struggle to move, let alone leave the house. Now, she works two jobs, enjoys hot yoga sessions, and loves to watch her son play sports.

“I feel like I’ve had an injection of more life,” Evelyn says. “This surgery didn’t just save my body, it saved my life.”