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‘Every day is a gift’
  
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By Chris Michlewicz
“I no longer live life like I’m dying.”
The words of Jana Scheidler are profound and very serious. At 440 pounds, Scheidler felt she was nearing the end of her life, and no matter what she tried to do, she felt powerless to stop it. She tried dieting programs and even hypnotism, and nothing worked.
It was during a clothes-shopping trip with her daughter that she reached the breaking point. Scheidler was forced to find a bench every few minutes to catch her breath. When she discovered long lines at the checkout, she sat and waited for the people to disperse. When they didn’t, she considered calling her husband, who was working on a project at home, to come and stand in line for her.
“I thought, ‘this is crazy,’” she said. “That was the moment when I said ‘I’m done.’”
Obesity can lead to a greater risk of a wide range of medical issues, including heart disease, diabetes and asthma. Scheidler suffered from high blood pressure, knee problems and anxiety over seemingly small issues, like finding a parking space close to the store.
Her frustration with other methods of weight loss eventually led her to conduct research into bariatric surgery. While there are some risks involved with surgery, Scheidler knew her other option was persistent poor health and possibly death.
Scheidler, and countless patients over the last few years, found comfort in a man named Dr. Frank Chae, the chief of bariatric surgery at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree. He conducted a thorough evaluation to determine whether Scheidler, of Colorado Springs, was a good candidate for the procedure. It has been more than two years since the surgery, and Scheidler has lost more than half of her body weight: 267 pounds.
“It’s almost like being an alien in a different world,” she said. “My car feels too big for me now, my shoes are too big.”
The self-proclaimed “Queen of Goodwill” has hit the thrift stores in search of new clothing because of her drastic transformation. Parker resident Vicki Hurt also has become a thrift shop regular after dropping 116 pounds from her gastric bypass surgery. She struggled with her attempts at weight loss and found bariatric surgery as her last resort. Hurt remembers being unable to ride roller coasters and being physically incapable of teaching her daughter how to ride her bike.
With physical changes come mental changes, and both women knew it was important to seek therapy to cope with such a major change. Scheidler believes she failed to pick up certain social cues because she never had common life experiences in her younger days.
She has been helped by a colossal support system centered around her husband, who she described as her “rock” and constant companion throughout her ordeal. He even threw her a surprise birthday party last May and invited friends she had not seen in 20 years to celebrate her astounding weight loss.
Both Hurt and Scheidler were chosen for a makeover last month as part of “Pants Across Sky Ridge,” which celebrated their weight loss by displaying their old pairs of pants.
Hurt, 41, says she loves to squeeze through small spaces simply because she can, and even tried kayaking for the first time last summer. She plans to tackle a Colorado “fourteener” next.
Scheidler, who also enjoys activities she never thought possible, has a much different outlook on life these days.
“Every day is a gift,” she said. “In a lot of ways, I’m having a second childhood.”
The words of Jana Scheidler are profound and very serious. At 440 pounds, Scheidler felt she was nearing the end of her life, and no matter what she tried to do, she felt powerless to stop it. She tried dieting programs and even hypnotism, and nothing worked.
It was during a clothes-shopping trip with her daughter that she reached the breaking point. Scheidler was forced to find a bench every few minutes to catch her breath. When she discovered long lines at the checkout, she sat and waited for the people to disperse. When they didn’t, she considered calling her husband, who was working on a project at home, to come and stand in line for her.
“I thought, ‘this is crazy,’” she said. “That was the moment when I said ‘I’m done.’”
Obesity can lead to a greater risk of a wide range of medical issues, including heart disease, diabetes and asthma. Scheidler suffered from high blood pressure, knee problems and anxiety over seemingly small issues, like finding a parking space close to the store.
Her frustration with other methods of weight loss eventually led her to conduct research into bariatric surgery. While there are some risks involved with surgery, Scheidler knew her other option was persistent poor health and possibly death.
Scheidler, and countless patients over the last few years, found comfort in a man named Dr. Frank Chae, the chief of bariatric surgery at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree. He conducted a thorough evaluation to determine whether Scheidler, of Colorado Springs, was a good candidate for the procedure. It has been more than two years since the surgery, and Scheidler has lost more than half of her body weight: 267 pounds.
“It’s almost like being an alien in a different world,” she said. “My car feels too big for me now, my shoes are too big.”
The self-proclaimed “Queen of Goodwill” has hit the thrift stores in search of new clothing because of her drastic transformation. Parker resident Vicki Hurt also has become a thrift shop regular after dropping 116 pounds from her gastric bypass surgery. She struggled with her attempts at weight loss and found bariatric surgery as her last resort. Hurt remembers being unable to ride roller coasters and being physically incapable of teaching her daughter how to ride her bike.
With physical changes come mental changes, and both women knew it was important to seek therapy to cope with such a major change. Scheidler believes she failed to pick up certain social cues because she never had common life experiences in her younger days.
She has been helped by a colossal support system centered around her husband, who she described as her “rock” and constant companion throughout her ordeal. He even threw her a surprise birthday party last May and invited friends she had not seen in 20 years to celebrate her astounding weight loss.
Both Hurt and Scheidler were chosen for a makeover last month as part of “Pants Across Sky Ridge,” which celebrated their weight loss by displaying their old pairs of pants.
Hurt, 41, says she loves to squeeze through small spaces simply because she can, and even tried kayaking for the first time last summer. She plans to tackle a Colorado “fourteener” next.
Scheidler, who also enjoys activities she never thought possible, has a much different outlook on life these days.
“Every day is a gift,” she said. “In a lot of ways, I’m having a second childhood.”
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