Ron's Before & After Photos

Ron before surgery at 329#:

Ron six months after surgery at 174#:

Ron's phone  918 630 2970
Email:  RMortie@hotmail.com

Michelle phone 602 539 0970
Email: Bipley@gmail.com

Is Weight Loss Surgery For You?

If you are here you are likely either thinking about WLS or you have already had WLS. Either way, you are in the right place.

I think most obese folks consider WLS and due to the unknown we tend to fear it. Everyone knows someone *or* knows someone that knows someone that had serious complications including possible death from WLS. WLS isn't as scary as it sounds, to be honest obesity carries more risk than the surgery itself. We tend to get used to the risks associated with obesity but surgery? Not so much. We don't worry as much about high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, joint damage, heart disease, dialysis, and all the other complications that go with obesity but the fear of surgery scares many away. This is not acceptable, surgery is safer than obesity!

You have probably tried to lose weight before, right? Are you still trying? Please tell me in detail how well you are doing with this? Some can lose weight but they cannot keep it off. Others are unable to lose weight to begin with. This is NOT your fault! Obesity is a disease, it is not a character flaw. Recent studies coming out of Canada are showing that doctors who suggest traditional diet and exercise for weight loss in the obese are seriously under-educated about this disease and if they understood what they believe they know, they would realize the chances for our losing weight on our own are close to zero percent. Old studies show those who are obese and diet and exercise their way to a healthy BMI make a whopping total of 4% of us. New studies indicate that is 0%.

Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, meals delivered to your home... do you know what all these have in common? They all survive on repeat business. Stop and think about how many people you know (including yourself) that have tried these? Many lose quite well. Kirstie Alley comes to mind. She did very well but as soon as she stopped the program she regained her excess weight and maybe added a few pounds on top of that. These programs survive on repeat business, people lose well, stop the program, regain, and return to do it again. Is this really productive?

WLS isn't a sin, obesity isn't a sin. It isn't a character flaw either. It is a disease. It's time we all start treating it as such. Being obese is not a horror, staying obese is a horror and especially if you have options. Where there is a will there is a way.

Typical feelings we have about ourselves is a lack of discipline, a lack of self control. A lack of self esteem is common. I will cop to them all! I just didn't have what it took to do it on my own. But then had I been diabetic I couldn't have treated that on my own without medical intervention either! We often times start hating ourselves, our lack of ability to lose weight, we don't like the way people look at us, we don't leave our homes, self loathing. It's all a part of what we go through.

Surgery does not cure everything but it sure gives all of us an opportunity to start a new life with improved self esteem.

Take a chance, get your life back!


Ron's phone  918 630 2970
Email:  RMortie@hotmail.com

Michelle phone 602 539 0970
Email: Bipley@gmail.com

What is Duodenal Switch, aka DS

In this procedure, the surgeon removes about 80 percent of the stomach, forming a thin sleeve-like stomach. The valve that releases food to the small intestine remains (duodenal switch) along with a limited portion of the small intestine that normally connects to the stomach (duodenum). The surgery bypasses the majority of the intestine by connecting the end portion of the intestine to the duodenum near the stomach (biliopancreatic diversion). This weight-loss surgery is effective but has more risks, such as malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, and requires close monitoring.


This is a procedure that is nice in the sense that the first half of the surgery is a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy and the second half is the DS, or bypassing of intestine. There is no concern for dilating a stoma as in Gastric Bypass and the long term weight loss is the best of all surgical procedures. The thing about WLS is that the less the risk, the less the weight loss. The greater the risk in surgery the greater the weight loss. This is the greatest risk of all surgery types for malnutrition and various vitamin deficiencies yet it provides the best long term weight loss stats. It does not have "more" complications than Gastric Bypass but if complications occur, the complications are greater in nature.


By the time you have this procedure you will not absorb 80% of fat, 50% of protein, and about 40% of complex carbs. A high fat diet is not only permissible with this surgery type, it is necessary.


One down side to this surgery types more-so than other surgery types is that if you consume a great deal of white carbs such as flour, sugar, rice, or pasta you will have gas that is not pleasant to the nose. This happens with RNY as well but not to the same degree.


Not all surgeons can do this surgery type. It requires a skill as well as an art, much experience is necessary to perform this particular surgery safely and effectively. 


Advantages of this surgery:


1) Best weight loss and best long term weight loss stats of all surgery types.

2) Not only the ability but the necessity for the patient to consume a very high fat, high protein, low carb diet.

3) A more normal stomach than bypass, there is no pouch and no stoma.

4) For Type II diabetics this surgery provides a 97% reversal of diabetes.  As a matter of fact, doctors in Europe are doing this surgery in normal size adults to treat uncontrolled diabetes.


Three disadvantages of this surgery:


1) Highest risk surgery type when using inexperienced surgeons.

2) Highest risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

3) Not appropriate for vegetarians or vegans or those unable to comply with a high fat diet.


Ron's phone  918 630 2970
Email:  RMortie@hotmail.com

Michelle phone 602 539 0970
Email: Bipley@gmail.com

What is the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy? (aka VSG or Sleeve)

VERTICAL SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY

The VSG is a restrictive only procedure meaning that it will limit the quantity of food you can consume at one time but you will not malabsorb nutrition or calories.

The VSG (aka Sleeve) is where your surgeon will surgically make your stomach smaller. Your stomach has an elastic portion called the fundus. The fundus of your stomach can hold 16 - 18 cups of food. Clearly, this is not a benefit to those trying to lose weight. In the sleeve procedure your surgeon will remove the outer curvature of your stomach leaving a small, banana shaped portion of your stomach.

Studies show that obese people tend to produce three times the amount of Ghrelin as a naturally thin person. Ghrelin is a hormone that is mostly (but not all) produced by the stomach and Ghrelin is what tells your brain that you are hungry. People with the sleeve tend to lose the majority of their hunger. Doctors are not in agreement if Ghrelin will return later in life. Quantities of food vary from surgeon to surgeon but theoretically when your sleeve matures in 4-6 months you should be able to eat about 3oz of solid, dense protein such as steak or about 6oz of soft foods such as cottage cheese.

There is a bit of history with the Sleeve procedure. It used to be part one of a two part procedure. Today it is used as a stand alone procedure. If someone has a very large BMI they are often times too high risk for a full Gastric Bypass or DS surgery. So traditionally surgeons have performed a sleeve procedure and sent the patient home to lose enough weight to make a riskier and longer procedure safer. Later they come back and have the malabsorption added to their surgery type. Today they are making smaller stomachs and not doing the malabsorption for those that merely want restriction alone. The procedure itself is NOT new, what is new are the weight loss statistics since it was previously used as part one of a two part surgery.

It should be noted that in 2013 the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy was the most performed weight loss surgery in the United States passing over the traditional gold standard, Gastric Bypass.

There is a chance of a vitamin B12 deficiency. Your stomach produces an enzyme called Intrinsic Factor or IF. IF is needed to absorb Vitamin B12 via the stomach. Some people produce less IF after surgery and they need to take Vitamin B12 under their tongue instead of swallowing a tablet.

Three advantages of this surgery:

1) Safest surgery LONG term of all WLS types
2) Drastic reduction in hunger due to removing the portion of the stomach that over produces Ghrelin
3) No maintenance, no aftercare

Three disadvantages of this surgery:

1) Not reversible
2) Less than 1% additional *surgical* risk over the Adjustable Band
3) Risk of B12 deficiency



Ron's phone  918 630 2970
Email:  RMortie@hotmail.com

Michelle phone 602 539 0970
Email: Bipley@gmail.com

Ron's Weight Loss Journey

Near the end of 2008 it was very clear, if I wanted to live and take care of my family I had to do something about my health problems. Wendy knew how bad I was getting, she had done her best.  Now, it was up to me. Diets just didn't work and time was running out.

Wendy and I talked about weight loss surgery, but we knew very little about it. Lo and behold a friend's husband had surgery a few months prior and was having great success losing weight and was doing well. We started doing some research and found out that most insurance companies don't pay for the surgery. They wanted me to go to counseling, exercise, and diet for a full year. That is a great idea if you have a year to wait and have not yet tried that. Self pay seemed like the best option for us.

Now the hard part, finding the right doctor. Wendy did her homework checking on many doctors, some local and some far away. She researched everything, checking on the cost, the doctors, and the care they gave their patients, as well as if they would even take me on as a patient. To Wendy's credit she always was able to smell BS when she heard it, and trust me there are some bad doctors out there! For whatever reason some of the people she talked to were less than honest about what they were selling. When she got in touch with the team who did my surgery she knew she hit pay dirt. The people were very up front, honest and told the whole story, the good and the bad. Every detail was talked about, even the risks. The choice was clear, the date was set.

On February 9, 2009 I started on a journey that saved my life. Mexicali here I come! Wendy didn't think I would go, but I did. The thought of not being there for my family was reason enough to get this done. I wanted so much to be a good husband and a good dad, I would not let them down. I flew into San Diego and was met by a driver who took me straight to the hospital. I met with the doctors, the staff, and went through some tests. I was a little nervous! The staff was great, they me feel at ease, and yes many of them spoke better English than me! HA HA The surgery was performed the next morning with no complications. There was some mild discomfort, I was up and going outside for a smoke in a few hours. Three days in the hospital and back to the airport and back home. The flight home was the worst part of the whole thing. Airline seats weren't made for fat people.

The day of my surgery I topped the scales at 329 lbs. In a few short months I was down to 174lbs. AMAZING! I would have never believed it. I had my life back, Wendy had a husband back that might live and be around for awhile. Things started to change very quickly. After 4 or 5 days at home I was back in the truck doing what I do best. It was not all that hard learning to eat healthy, there were not any cravings and I wasn't hungry. The first year after surgery I am sure what I saved on junk food and soda more than paid for the surgery. So many things happened the first few months after surgery.

The weight just kept coming off, Wendy wanted me to buy some new clothes but I wouldn't. One morning after checking in at a grocery warehouse I started to back in and jumped out to open my doors the wind was blowing like crazy, I had to make a choice hang on to my pants or hang on to the door. I made a poor choice, when I let go of my pants down they came right there in the middle of the parking lot. Must have been one hell of a sight for all those watching! Later that day I bought a pair of red suspenders.

One morning a couple months after surgery I walked into the Petro where Wendy was working, she did a double take didn't even recognize her own husband.  Her coworkers gave her a hard time about that.

The only regret I have is not being honest and telling people what I had done. People kept asking how I was losing so much weight. Not sure if it was shame or fear but for whatever reason I wouldn't tell people the truth. So many people could be helped if they only knew there was help out there. This is my way of giving back to this industry, and thinking Wendy and remembering her for all she gave to the trucking industry.

Don't wait any longer, you don't have to stay fat, there is help, there is hope. Give yourself and your family the gift of good health, enjoy life again. Please think about it, this is a life changing thing. You will not regret it. Save your life. Save your job. Get busy enjoying life again. Please join me and so many others on this journey back to good health.

You are free to call me or call my nurse. Just learn about this surgery. Save your CDL, save your life!

Ron – 918 630 2970 RMortie@hotmail.com

Michelle 602 539 0949 Bipley@gmail.com

Call now, don't put this off any longer.

There IS life after weight loss surgery!  We can go back to doing the things we love!  I would have never fit in this Model T before I lost weight!



Ron's phone  918 630 2970
Email:  RMortie@hotmail.com

Michelle phone 602 539 0970
Email: Bipley@gmail.com

So what do I have to offer you?

My wife, Wendy, cared a great deal about the Industry. Driver health was always a big concern for her. She saw the same drivers coming in week after week, getting larger and larger.

I am a truck driver just like you. I had a wife that cared enough about me to begin the research process and see what was available and what was safe. I did not want a Lap Band and I did not want Gastric Bypass. I do not have the time or the patience to deal with the aftercare, the vitamins, and the follow up work that is needed. My wife found something that was a perfect fit for me.

I have approached my original medical team and explained our collective challenges. We need to maintain our CDLs, we need to lose weight. We need a permanent solution to a lifelong problem. We do not have the time to deal with the aftercare and limited weight loss of a Lap Band, we cannot deal with the risks and blood sugar problems of bypass. This is why I chose a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy for my own medical needs. There is no aftercare, you have surgery, heal, and you are done. It is your stomach but smaller. There are no massive doses of vitamins or risks of Gastric Bypass. There are no devices doomed to fail like the Lap Band.

I explained to my medical team that we need fast and safe, period. I explained that I want to return to the community for the support my wife received while she was dying. Let's work together!

They came through for us. The surgery is usually $8500.00. If you show proof you are a truck driver you will receive a $1500 discount. There you go, weight loss surgery for $7,000 for just showing your CDL.

That is what I have to offer.

I am going to let Michelle, from my original medical team provide more information on the surgery.



Ron's phone  918 630 2970
Email:  RMortie@hotmail.com

Michelle phone 602 539 0970
Email: Bipley@gmail.com

Home Page

INTRODUCTION-

Welcome!  My name is Ron Morton.

We are starting this blog in the hope of honoring and remembering my late wife Wendy who spent most all of her life around trucks and serving drivers.  Some of you may have known her from theJoplin 44 Petro where she was also nicknamed Mouth of The  South.  The love of my life passed away a few short months ago.

And our children--

This page and the efforts for Driver Health is dedicated to my loving wife, Wendy Kenney Morton.



Ron's phone  918 630 2970
Email:  RMortie@hotmail.com

Michelle phone 602 539 0970
Email: Bipley@gmail.com