Vielka's Story

Vielka has an impish side she probably didn't show before her surgery. Her lovely features are well defined now, but it's hard to be "impish" when you weigh 285 lbs. "I never expected to lose the weight," Vielka says. But she had seen a heart specialist about palpitations, and diabetes was threatening, so the writing was on the wall. It helped that her mother, a St. Vincent's employee for 20 years, was considering the Bariatric program, too.

"Dr. Craig Flock did my Lap Banding - and Mom had the gastric bypass on the same day," she laughs. "Two days later, I was back at work." Her husband and 11-year-old son were supportive, but her younger son, Neno, worried. Now, a year and a half later, she's lost 146 lbs and Neno, seeing his mother taking good care of herself, is happy, too. "These days I control the amount I eat," Vielka explains. "I put makeup on, and I go to the gym. Before, I never used to do those things." With a modest giggle, she adds, "My older son loves it when his friends tell him 'Your mom is so pretty !'"

Would she choose St. Vincent's Bariatric team if she had it to do over? "Always!" Vielka says. "They call back, they're there for you and they always know exactly who you are."