Surgical Weight Loss at Parkwest Transforms Rockwood Man

Can you imagine weighing a quarter of a ton? Dane Griffith from Rockwood can.

He credits surgical weight loss at Parkwest Medical Center with Dr. Stephen Boyce for helping him lose 330 pounds.

Griffith has spent a good portion of his life on the road working various shifts which continuously challenged his lifestyle choices.

"I know I can't blame my weight on anyone but myself," said Griffith.

In 2002 he smoked about two packs a day and weighed about 400 pounds when he experienced a heart attack. Four stents were used to open the blockages in his heart.

"I met my wife Lind just before this happened and she has stood by me ever since," said Griffith.

"She married me when my health was at its poorest state and I'm forever thankful to her for that."

His love for her helped him stop smoking. She works as a respiratory therapist for Covenant Health so he naturally turned to her when he wanted to pursue gastric bypass surgery.

"I was about 575 pounds at my heaviest and wore a 62-inch waist with a 6XL shirt," said Griffith. "My weight was holding me back and causing my health to decline. I knew that if I wanted to live much longer, I needed to do something serious."

The birth of his grandson, Landin, in August of 2005 was a major turning point for him. When Landin turned two, Griffith knew it was time to make weight loss a reality.

"I'll never forget Landin saying, ‘Why can't papaw play with me anymore?' and my heart broke because I knew my weight was holding me back," said Griffith.

After consulting with a variety of medical professionals - a requirement for anyone seeking surgical weight loss - he was scheduled for gastric bypass surgery on Jan. 29, 2008.

"This was an ideal time for not only me, but for my family too," said Griffith. "I didn't want them to be impacted or worry about me and what I could or couldn't eat through the holidays."

Many people who turn to surgical weight loss to improve their overall health and quality of life also celebrate the date of their surgery much like a birthday because of all that it represents in turning their life around.

"I wish I could have done it sooner," said Griffith. "I just didn't think I was ready for it mentally until I heard the disappointment in Landin's voice. I really hadn't realized just how big I had gotten."

Griffith views his surgery as a tool because it has helped him learn how to make better eating and lifestyle choices.

He once spent a tremendous amount of time and money on buying larger sized clothing.

Now, with a 40-inch waist, he is able to buy clothes just about everywhere.

"Watching the weight vanish has been a miraculous experience," said Griffith. "Once I bought clothes to fi t me, I would lose more weight in a blink of an eye."

He wore a suit for the first time in a decade last year which was something he didn't ever think he'd be able to wear again.

Griffith isn't the only one tickled with the results of his weight loss.

"It was awesome to watch Dane turn himself around like he did with the weight loss. He has transformed into a totally different person," Linda said.

He not only feels better, but he is healthier too. His daily routine used to include 17 medications, but now he only needs four.

Unfortunately, Griffith's health took another downturn when he experienced another heart event about two years after his surgical weight loss procedure. He asked Linda to drive him to the Parkwest Emergency Care Center where further testing confirmed he had significant blockages and needed to have open heart surgery.

"If I hadn't lost the weight I did, I don't think my outcome would have been so good," Griffith confides. "Not only do I question if my body could have endured such an invasive procedure, but the surgical equipment probably wouldn't have accommodated me when I weighed more than 500 pounds."

"The medical professionals that helped me throughout my weight loss surgery have given me my life back," Griffith confides. "If it wasn't for them, I don't know what would have happened to me."

Griffith now shares his weight loss success with others by volunteering at Parkwest in its Bariatric Angel Program, where he offers support to patients who are in the hospital recovering from the procedure.

"A strong support system is integral to the healing process. That's why we created the Bariatric Angel Program so those patients in need of additional support may benefit from someone who has been through the same surgery and recovery process," said Parkwest Bariatric Surgery Service Coordinator Jessica Flanary. "This helps our patients know what they can expect."
This network cultivates relationships that not only helps the patient learn from someone else who has been down the same road they are embarking, but it also reinforces to the volunteer providing the patient support just how far they have come on their own weight loss journey.

"If sharing my experience can help comfort and inspire someone else, then it's more than worth it," said Griffith.

For more information about surgical weight loss services or the Bariatric Angel Program at Parkwest, call (865) 374-PARK.