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Karen Pasacreta
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012
A Weight Loss Story: Jan and Kelly Curtis
have lost over 180 pounds
The Power of Two: By leaning on each other, Jan and Kelly Curtis keep on
losing...and losing with great SUCCESS.
There were days when Jan Curtis couldn’t walk up her driveway without huffing and
puffing. Her weight was literally bringing her down, affecting her health—both physically
and mentally. It had become a regular part of her life, though Jan was happy and
accepting of herself. She just thought: I’m a large person, and I will always be large.
Then something big was about to happen. Jan, now 51, was becoming a grandmother.
She had one of those Aha moments most do when facing a life change. “I wanted to be
around to watch my granddaughter grow up.”
That was three years ago before she had lapband surgery, a procedure that restricts the
stomach with a “band,” making you eat less and lose weight. Thanks to the Hospital of

2. Saint Raphael Center for Weight-Loss Surgery, Jan is “exactly 100 pounds lighter than I
was three years ago.” She now goes for extended walks with her granddaughter, loves
clothes shopping, and is happier with herself than ever. “I went from a size 28 to a 14,”
she said. “When I look in the mirror now, I see success.”
So does Jan’s husband, Kelly Curtis. The two Derby residents, who have been together
since they were 14, both looked into the Center for Weight-Loss Surgery at the same
time, but only Jan initially followed through. Kelly, a utility supervisor for the Town of
Bethel, was admittedly afraid. He had some more health challenges with Type 2 diabetes
and an irregular thyroid. Since he had advanced Diabetes, gastric bypass was a better
fit. It’s designed to induce food absorption and would allow him to lose more weight
faster—something his health greatly needed.
“I thought about the surgery, but I was skeptical,” he said. Just like his wife, Kelly had a
fat-person’s mentality or what professionals call cognitive distortion—he labeled himself
as fat and couldn’t conceive of that changing. But Kelly was witnessing first-hand how
Jan’s life was dramatically changing, and slowly became open to the idea. “I started to do
the research more. I read it was reversing [diabetes],” he said. With this, Jan became his
change agent, and diabetes his motivator. Two years after Jan, Kelly had surgery.
Today, Kelly weighs less than he did when he was a freshman on the Derby High School
football team when his then-girlfriend, Jan, was a pop-pom girl. “I no longer have an
insulin pump. I went from three vials of insulin a month a to a half of a vial!” said Kelly. “I
lost 100 pounds within a year, and now I am maintaining it.”
The fact is couples who plan weight loss together, keep it off longer. Studies have shown
that weight-loss surgery patients lose 30 to 40 percent more weight if they get surgery
with a close family member, and double the improvement in obesity-related health
problems. That’s why the Hospital of Saint Raphael has launched an outreach effort for

3. couples and other family members considering weight-loss surgery.
Dr. Geoffrey Nadzam, the Curtises’ Bariatric surgeon, says the Curtises’ have had
excellent success because of their support of each other. “When you do it with an
internal support structure you wouldn’t have otherwise, there is a bit more sympathy and
empathy for the other person. Both parties may end up altering their life habits in a way
that is successful.” It’s not easy, though. You have to eliminate your old tendencies to let
change happen. It can be quite daunting.
Dr. Nadzam believes that’s what separates The Hospital of Saint Raphael Center for
Weight-Loss Surgery from other weight-loss programs is its very tailored and
personalized approach, from preoperative to postoperative. “We hold their hand and lead
them through all obstacles and barriers before, through, and after surgery,” he explained.
“There is a caring touch. Patients who undergo such a big change in their life need to
know we are there for them, that they are not just another number and not just another
surgery.”
Each patient goes through an initial screening with a nutritionist and a psychiatrist to test
their mental capacity for the difficult journey ahead. It’s important because a patient can
enter many phases, from a beginning honeymoon phase when weight loss is great to
depression when loss tapers off to a more normal pace. These issues need to be
addressed. The Center offers a variety of services rich with weight-loss surgery
specialists, nutritionists, psychiatrists, and social workers who run seminars, workshops,
and support groups all designed to keep a patient on track and motivated to ensure
weight-loss success—for life.
Dr. Raymone Shenouda, the Center’s preoperative psychiatrist, says the road to success
begins with the first patient visit. “I tell them that their new diet begins now [before
surgery], because they have to be able to handle the change.” The first six weeks after
surgery is a complete liquid diet, something not easy for those who have never done it.
Jan and Kelly Curtis are a great success story because they made a huge commitment
to undertake their lifestyle changes together. They now have an entirely new relationship
with food. Their refrigerator is stocked with healthy options. They no longer host large
Italian Sunday dinners. Jan, who is a hairdresser and a nail technician, now eats yogurt,
eggs, toast, and focuses on protein. She rarely deviates and knows her limitations.
“Before I could do three cups of macaroni,” she said. “Now, one cup of food on my plate
is a lot for me.” “We still love to cook,” said Kelly, “but we just don’t cook as much. We
don’t thrive on it.”
To say the Curtises’ before and after pictures are dramatic is an understatement. “People
don’t recognize me [at first] then say I look great,” said Kelly, who admits after a lifetime
of being large, it feels good to hear. “It’s been such a positive experience. [Jan] has been

4. my motivation.”
The Hospital for Saint Raphael Center for Weight-Loss Surgery
The Hospital for Saint Raphael Center for Weight-Loss Surgery
adopts a holistic multidisciplinary approach to ensure a high
success rate for its patients. Every patient interested in the
program must go through a screening assessment to determine
if he/she is a good candidate. It measures willpower as well as a
basic level of mental understanding for how difficult the road
ahead will be.
Patients meet with Center psychiatrist Dr. Raymone Shenouda,
and are screened through a series of questions. “We look at
whether or not the surgery will be beneficial to them mentally and
assess if there are other psychological problems that will interfere.” Dr. Shenouda tests
for eating disorders and depression, and will work with the patient and the patient’s
physicians to clear them for surgery. Depending the issues, it could take up to six months
or longer.
Gina Kessler, registered dietician with the Center, also does a nutritional assessment to
help patients understand their new dietary restrictions, especially the initial liquid diet
immediately following surgery. A weight history analysis and current food factors in the
house are also taken into consideration on whether a person is ready. If others in the
home are in need of a change, this patient can be a real motivator because they are all in
it together. “Families make changes as a whole,” she said, “even if only one person has
surgery.” Gina also has postoperative follow-up classes and is there as needed to help a
patient through any dietary issues.
Other postoperative care includes educational workshops designed to help patients
acclimate to their new lifestyle.
Elizabeth McMahon, a Psychiatric Utilization Review Coordinator and licensed social
worker for the Center, runs monthly behavior support groups. She also holds six-week
seminars, some in tandem with Dr. Shenouda. Aimed at developing success skills, the
goal is to help patients “think differently so you can change sabotaging behavior you had
in the past,” she said. Some of the Workshop themes include: How Your Thinking Can
Lead You Astray; Dieter’s thinking versus Think Thinking, Fighting Undermining Ideas,
and Learning the Power Of Oh Well. “You have to learn to accept the circumstances as
they are, not focusing on why me, poor me.”
Elizabeth also teaches coping mechanisms when each patient inevitably reaches that
plateau and the weight loss slows down. “We are trying to help patients [pinpoint]
physical hunger versus emotional hunger,” she said. The goal is for patients to feel in
control so they can “say no to food pushers” and embrace a lasting new lifestyle where

5. they are motivated daily.
GLOSSARY:
Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y) — Makes the stomach smaller (size of an egg) and
causes food to bypass part of the small intestine, reducing what can be absorbed. Leads
to greater and quicker weight loss. Recommended for diabetics and obese.
Adjustable Gastric Band — Laparoscopic: An adjustable band is placed around the
stomach restricting its size. You feel full, eat less, and lose. (Most common of all bariatric
procedures.) Vertical banded gastroplasty: A restrictive band is placed around the
stomach and the stomach is stapled above the band. (Least common.)
Sleeve Gastrectomy— The stomach is restricted by dividing it vertically and more than
85 percent of it is removed. Also involves stomach stapling.
Posted by Karen Pasacreta
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