In June we told you about Jennie Staines, the 41 year old obese woman who was among the first to try a new procedure that’s now being offered in Belize. It’s called a gastric balloon – basically a specialized balloon that’s put in the patient’s stomach to make it so that they always feel full don’t have the capacity to eat too much. We were there when Jennie Staines got her one put in and though we said we’d check on her three months later – with the progress reports we’ve heard we didn’t even have to wait that long. When we visited her today the results were very visible. And even more impressive when you consider that we found her at her workplace which is a kitchen.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
The last time we saw forty one year old Jennie Staines was on her back at Healthcare Partners Limited. She was about to undergo a procedure to help lose the weight that she has been battling for most of her life. The procedure called bio enteric intro gastric balloon placement or bib drastically reduces the amount of food Jennie eats and is guaranteed to lose weight.

Well just over three months later, we paid Jennie a visit at her work place Elvi’s Kitchen in San Pedro Ambergris Caye where of all things she works as the chef. We not only found Jennie Staines up on her feet and yes busily preparing food for today’s lunch but she was a lot lighter. The weight loss can be visibly seen especially in the face, waist and legs. Jennie admits it has been an uphill struggle to remain on a the strict regiment that also includes healthy eating and exercising. And as relieved as I was to have seen the progress I am glad that the stress did not make her also lose her good sense of humour and overall pleasant personality.

Jennie Staines, Lost thirty two pounds
“And it is the first two weeks, it is a big struggle. The first week it is a foreign object that is in your stomach and your body wants to reject and it is really tough because you feel like you have the worst goma in your life and you want to take this out and nothing settles but if you are strong and you really want to change your life, it is a blessing. Like me, I feel 30, I don’t feel 41.”

The procedure is performed by endoscopist Dr. Irvin Gabourel of Healthcare Partners. On June third, 2009 Dr. Gabourel securely placed the saline filled balloon which has already been insufflate occupying most of the upper portion of Jennie’s stomach that will obstruct the intake of food.

Jennie Staines,
“Pretty tough for the first few weeks because you have to learn how to eat and you can’t be eating what everybody else is eating. You have to try to stick to a healthy routine which now is like a piece of cake but for the first week it was difficult especially with my job, I am around rice and beans, stew chicken, salad, and all of those nice food and I can’t eat it. The first five days was a little depressing for me. I didn’t even want to come to work because it was very very difficult but I got through it and I am doing good and I am eating a lot of greens which was never in my diet. I used to eat lots of protein and just forget about the veggies and now I feel healthier.”

And while Dr. Gabourel had estimated that his patient would have lost drastic weight in one month she managed it in just seven days.

Jennie Staines,
“My weight dropped from the first week. I lost ten pounds in one week but then it slowed down and when I started going to the gym, the weight fell drastic and when I weighed myself I had already lost 22 pounds.

I started to get up a little earlier. Instead of half an hour I spend an hour at the gym, not exaggerating but doing what the trainer had said that I can do but the hour helps me in taking a little routine to do a little arms, legs, and not only bike and the other machines.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“So the weight reduction from ten to twenty two to what is it today?”

Jennie Staines,
“Today, the last time I weighed myself was 12 days ago and I lost 32 pounds.”

Jennie says she not only feels healthier but her new lifestyle is helping her cope with other serious health problems like rheumatism. Jennie says she also no longer suffers from planter’s faciatis.

Jennie Staines,
“It is gone. I got it because of being standing up all day and my feet couldn’t take it anymore so now that’s gone. My knees are well and I am not suffering any pain. I have had rheumatism from when I was 11 years old and from then I struggled like I’ve lost the cartilage in my jaw, my knees gotten surgery, both knees, and I don’t know if it is because of stress or whatever related with but I have always had a struggle to lose weight and then I quit smoking and I gained. In a year I gained about 56 pounds besides the weight I had and that is why I went into obesity and weighing 231 pounds. So I would highly recommend it.”

So what’s next for this chef? Well Jennie’s goal is to lose more weight before she decides to remove the balloon from her stomach but that is when she admits she will have to remain even more committed because there will nothing restricting the amount of food she eats.

Jennie Staines,
“I really want to lose at least 25 more pounds so that I can feel very happy with myself. And the challenge of this thing is that I need to learn to eat and I am doing that. I already went through the boundary of not eating rice; since I left Belize City I have not had any rice in my diet. I have had potato but just boiled, very little portions which they don’t make you gain weight. I haven’t had sweets, the sweets that I eat are from fruits and I have pretty much adapted myself but the challenge now is after they remove it, continue doing what I am doing and if I don’t do it I am going to gain back weight because I am a person who gains back weight easy.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“You think that will happen?”

Jennie Staines,
“I don’t think so. You’ll be around, you can check back with me. I don’t think it is going to happen.”

Dr. Irvin Gabourel says the balloon can be put in as many times but it is being recommended to get persons suffering with obesity on a good start and motivated to remain committed to the diet and not to procedure to control the weight. The balloon is usually put in for six months which is typically enough time for patients to normalize their weight.