Patient Story: For Eric Lahti, A “Way Better Life” After Bariatric Surgery
Eric Lahti weighed over 300 pounds ever since he was 18. A long-time athlete, his weight increased rapidly when he turned 30. Now that he is 56, he is the healthiest he has been since his childhood. After
gastric bypass surgery performed by
Dr. Laura Doyon in August 2018, Eric weighs 220 pounds (129 pounds less than what he weighed on the day of his surgery) – just 11 months after surgery. Even more important, he no longer has diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, his general contract business is booming, and he is enjoying activities on his lifelong bucket list.
Before surgery, Eric was taking medication for Type 2 diabetes, and, as he explains, “my sugar was out of control. My wife works for an eye doctor and is aware of the health problems people can have with diabetes. I was taking high blood pressure and cholesterol medications. I had suffered a stroke five years prior. We became more nervous and I realized I had to do something about my weight.”
“Some of our friends had bariatric surgery at Emerson, so I looked online to find the next
info session. When I attended the session, I knew it was the best choice. I felt a connection with the team. Dr. Doyon is great and really understands me. I was not treated like a number – it was personal. There are amazing people who work at the Surgical Weight Loss office, people who understand the human side of what we are going through,” Eric explains.
Dr. Doyon told Eric there was a 90 percent chance his diabetes would go away after bariatric surgery. Two weeks after surgery, he was no longer diabetic. He no longer needed to take his blood pressure and cholesterol medications. “It was unbelievable and well worth going through the surgery.”
As a general contractor, Eric’s work entails building and expanding the facilities of many pharmaceutical companies throughout the greater Boston area. His clients are focused on good health and saving people’s lives with the latest advances in science and medicine. “I have had more business opportunities since my surgery. I think it is because I am healthier and fit more into my clients’ healthy-lifestyle culture,” says Eric.
In addition to being busy at work, Eric has done some exciting bucket list activities that he was never able to do before. Two months after surgery, he took his wife zip lining to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Three months after surgery, Eric and his wife went on vacation to the Dominican Republic.
“I was able to sit in the middle seat of the airplane,” he explains. “Traveling is much more comfortable now.” He can now ride a bicycle comfortably and the couple bikes every weekend. He sits comfortably in his two-seater dream car that he built himself. “Everything is so much better, it makes such a difference to have the weight off and to feel energetic and healthy.”
Eric is not afraid to tell people about his weight loss journey, as he says, “there is nothing to be embarrassed about. I think everyone knows someone who has had the surgery.” His main tip for people who have challenges with their weight is: “Don’t wait to go to a surgical weight loss info session. It is a life-changing experience. Everything is way better now and I feel great.”
