150-Pound Weight Loss Relieves Severe Back Pain

Mel Poole distinctly remembers the pain, pride and determination he felt slowly making his way to the stadium where his daughter, Katie, would receive her college diploma.

Herniated disks in his back had kept him out of work and on the couch for eight months. But Katie had pleaded with him to attend her graduation ceremony in Ft. Campbell, Ky. So, he made the painful five-hour drive from Cincinnati.

As he posed for a picture with Katie following the ceremony, he felt pride for her mixed with embarrassment at his appearance. He had gained nearly 80 lbs. since his back injury, his weight climbing from 290 lbs. to 367 lbs. The pain in his back, compounded by the extra weight he carried, made it impossible to walk more than a few hundred feet at a time without stopping to rest.

“Imagine walking up steps with 10 gallons of milk strapped to your back. That’s what it’s like to gain 80 lbs.,” he says

Mel Before Surgery

The Drive to Lose Weight

Mel knew he wanted to get his life back. He visited an orthopedic surgeon who told Mel he’d need to lose weight to help his back. Mel lost 50 lbs., and his surgeon urged him to lose another 50. Mel faithfully did aquatic therapy in a warm-water pool and some walking, but he knew he needed help to get more weight off.

As he started investigating weight loss surgery, “My friend told me Good Samaritan is the place to go,” Mel says. He attended an information class and worked with the staff to gain insurance approval.

“I’ve been to a lot of doctors’ offices, and none of them has a staff like this. They’re super people. The doctors set the tone, and everyone treats you like you’re family.”

Bariatric Surgeon George Kerlakian MD, performed a sleeve gastrectomy on Mel in 2013. During a minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Kerlakian removed two-thirds of his stomach to provide a quicker sense of fullness and to decrease his appetite.

“I had no issues with the surgery, and the weight started coming off right away,” Mel says. “I eat a lot less, but I still eat things I like. Now, though, it’s not every day and just a little bite. Before the surgery, I could eat a large pizza by myself. The other night I had a spoon of sweet corn, a spoon of mashed potatoes and meat — and that’s all I wanted.”

A “110 Percent Success”

Mel has continued to lose weight. In fall 2015, Kevin Tymitz MD, another Good Samaritan Hospital bariatric surgeon, performed an abdominoplasty (commonly known as a “tummy tuck”) to remove additional fat from Mel’s core.

“The purpose of both surgeries was to relieve my back pain,” Mel explains. “In two years, I’ve gone from a size 58 to a size 36 and lost 150 lbs. I still have herniated disks and my back is still fragile. But my back pain has been cut in half, and I’ve drastically reduced powerful painkillers.”

Because he has had three back surgeries over the years, his orthopedic doctor doesn’t recommend further back surgery at this time. Mel is grateful for the weight loss that has improved his quality of life. His back, hips and knees all feel better. He’s off the couch. “I got back my life,” Mel says. “This has been a total positive experience — a 110 percent success.”