Daniel Nalborczyk is off the diabetes medication and enjoying a new lifestyle after gastric sleeve surgery. Chiropractor Daniel Nalborczyk describes life before and after gastric sleeve surgery as like the difference between night and day. It hasn’t even been six months since his surgery, but already he has lost 34kg and his blood sugar has normalised. Diagnosed with diabetes and struggling to get the weight off, Daniel tried working with a dietician and starting an exercise program, but like many people, he could only get so far on his own. He was also on a number of diabetes medications for many years. “Things would go okay for a little while, then fall apart. I found it really hard keeping that momentum up and my blood sugar control was getting worse,” Daniel says. “As a healthcare professional I’m very aware of the problems associated with being unhealthy, but I just couldn’t get the control over food and I always felt very self-conscious about that.” Daniel did his homework researching surgical solutions, which led him to the team at the North Queensland Obesity Surgery Centre. “After consultation with Dr Sam Baker and his staff I felt comfortable,” Daniel says. “I was very impressed with his qualifications and track record. We discussed alternatives and I decided gastric sleeve surgery was for me, because it’s a permanent solution and, after 43 years of struggling with my weight, that appealed to me.” There is a 95 to 100 per cent diabetes resolution rate
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“Wish I’d done it sooner!”
with sleeve gastrectomy surgery, which, in turn, adds 10 years to a person’s life expectancy. Daniel explains: “With sleeve gastrectomy, they take a section of your stomach out, then staple your stomach back together. I preferred it over lap banding because, with lap banding, you do need some monitoring and adjustments post-op. As a busy chiropractor, I just don’t have the time to fit that into my schedule.” Daniel was given an expected recovery period of two weeks, but found he could return to light duties after eight days. Dan was discharged home from hospital after only three days – no longer needing any of his diabetes medications. Looking back, he wishes he’d opted for the surgery much sooner. “Everything is easier since the surgery,” he says. “My job is reasonably physical. There’s a lot of bending and lifting and that is much more manageable now.” Daniel says his confidence has skyrocketed, his health improved, and his relationship with food has changed for the better. “I’ve gone from someone who had a real love-hate relationship with food to having a much healthier perspective,” he says. “When you can only take in smaller portions, you have to put more thought into your meals and what kind of fuel you’re putting into your body.”
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Specialising in: Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrecomy Laparoscopic Gastric Banding Intragastric Balloon Procedure
www.nqobesitysurgery.com.au DUO MAGAZINE JULY 2012 duomagazine.com.au
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