Success Story – Tracy & James

James Doyle weighed 320 pounds and was taking medications for diabetes, high blood pressure and knee pain. He also suffered from sleep apnea. Today, he is 199 pounds and no longer needs medication. His wife, Tracy, went from 240 to 150 pounds. What changed? Their mindset.

The Doyles of Ewa Beach had bariatric surgery at Queen’s and committed themselves to making lifestyle changes. Better health was the main goal. “We were looking at our future,” said Tracy. “We wondered, ‘How are we going to take care of each other?’”

They had done the usual diets together – and lost weight – but the difficulty was keeping if off. Then they attended an information session with the team at the Queen’s Comprehensive Weight Management Program (CWMP). “The doctors spoke to our heads and the patients spoke to our hearts,” said Tracy. Now she encourages everyone who truly wants to lose weight and get healthy to attend a session.

“When you’re overweight,” said Tracy, “you spend your whole life trying to hide and be in the background because you’re embarrassed by your size.” After the surgery and subsequent weight loss, she felt like a different person. There was definitely a physical transformation, but she still felt like the same person on the inside – although that’s changing. “Now, I’m less fearful, more confident and more energetic,” said Tracy.