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Why this newly adoptive father is eager to continue his weight loss journey

Christopher Nagy never thought much of his weight. The 48-year-old father didn't have health complications — up until a few years ago. “I was always happy with myself,” he says. “It’s how I was made, and I accepted that fact.”

In fact, up until 2018, Christopher had only been in the hospital once when he had his tonsils removed at age 4. But suddenly, when he was working at his job in retail, he noticed he was starting to lose his breath.

“I was eventually rushed to the hospital and stayed overnight,” Christopher says. “I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, and then diabetes. Everything hit me at once. All of a sudden, at 46, my body started to break down.”

Christopher’s wife, Wendy, had previously had bariatric surgery, and the Mifflinburg resident decided to look into it for himself. He began the program at a different hospital but didn’t complete it or receive the surgery.

But when he and his wife began the process of adopting their youngest son Aiden, now 6, he decided to revisit having bariatric surgery.

“After we had Aiden for a few months, I started thinking ‘I have a family who depends on me. I want to travel with my wife,’” he says. “I want to spend a lot of time with her — she’s my best friend. I want to see Aiden graduate.”

That’s when Christopher started having serious conversations about revisiting bariatric surgery with his doctor.

Beginning bariatric surgery at Geisinger

Christopher soon began Geisinger’s bariatric surgery program. “That was truly a blessing,” he says, “I think it was meant to be for me to come to this program.”

He believes the way the bariatric surgery program is structured at Geisinger makes reaching a person’s goals attainable. And, he notes, he never felt like he was alone. “The nurses know you by name, and you have the same dietitian every time you go. Everyone is very welcoming, including people at the support groups and classes.”

Surgery postponed due to pandemic

Christopher’s original surgery date was set for April 1, 2020 — right in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. He was two days into his pre-operation liquid diet, a requirement before surgery, when he received a call that his surgery would be postponed.

“They asked a few times if I was OK,” he says. “It was hard to hear. I had everything ready to go. I wasn’t scared anymore. But no one had control over what was happening with the virus.”

Christopher received his new surgery date quickly — just two weeks after the cancellation. Since then, he has been connecting with his dietitian and doctor regularly through telemedicine appointments to make sure he was on track leading up to his new procedure date.

“I like telemedicine appointments. It’s nice that I don’t have to drive to the hospital to get care. And Geisinger is making sure we’re still getting taken care of throughout the pandemic.”

Today, Christopher is eagerly awaiting his new surgery date, feeling confident that Geisinger’s precautions set in place will help him continue to succeed throughout his weight loss journey and beyond.

New safety measures for surgery and appointments

Whether you come to one of our hospitals or doctors’ offices for surgery or a medical appointment, getting you the care you need — safely — is our top priority.

Here’s what we’re doing to keep you — and everyone — safe when you visit us:

  • Isolating those with COVID-19 or related symptoms in separate, designated areas and units.
  • Requiring staff, patients and visitors to wear a mask at all times. Wearing a mask helps protect others around you — and yourself — from the coronavirus. All of our medical personnel are wearing masks and taking extra steps to protect our patients, communities and themselves.
  • Limiting the number of people in our waiting rooms and expanding the space between chairs.
  • Arranging our exam rooms to reduce unnecessary contact with high-touch surfaces.
  • Deep cleaning our care sites between patients and multiple times throughout the day.
  • Limiting the number of visitors in our hospitals and clinics.
  • Screening every person when they come in — patients, visitors and employees — including taking temperatures with a no-touch thermometer.

 Next steps:

Upcoming appointment? Learn more about what we’re doing to keep you safe
Learn more about weight loss services at Geisinger
Schedule a telemedicine appointment

Christopher Nagy prior to bariatric surgery

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COVID-19 updates: Visit Geisinger's Coronavirus Resource Center for the latest information and helpful resources.

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