Phil's Story

Phil Rathosky had always been a little overweight, but by 2019 it had increased to the point where he couldn’t do the things he wanted to do, like go for a walk or meet friends at a restaurant.

He tried weight-loss programs and they helped him to stop gaining weight, but “I had so much to lose,” he said. “And going to the gym was intimidating.”

As for surgery, “it was in the back of my mind, but I was hesitant. I had never been to a hospital, so the idea kind of freaked me out.”

One Moment Changed His Life

“The impetus for this process really began in earnest due to one particular event. Our CEO was speaking at an event in one of our campus auditoriums, and I was seated in the second row with a few colleagues,” he said. “When I sat in the auditorium chair, the chair broke in front of the CEO as well as my peers. That was the single turning point that pushed me in the direction to get myself together and prioritize my own health.”

After gathering information from his insurance company, he knew he wanted a MBSAQIP Accredited Center which led him to Penn Medicine and Dr. Kristoffel Dumon.

We connected really quickly and he was with me the entire way,” Phil said, who was 594 pounds and at risk for complications.

Dr. Dumon recognized that Phil had done his homework.

“From the start, it was clear Phil was motivated to make changes in his life,” said Dr. Dumon. “He worked the program — he asked questions, communicated with the team, and did his best to set himself up for the moment and the future. Phil is an exceptional individual.”

They agreed that a vertical gastric sleeve was the best procedure and Phil’s preparation came into play.

“All patients going through our program are extremely motivated, but there is a specific story related to Phil’s care,” Dr. Dumon said. “He was scheduled for surgery, came to the hospital, waited patiently in the holding area, to then being told that his surgery needed to be rescheduled because of an emergency. Other individuals might have reacted disappointed, because canceling and rescheduling surgery does have a major impact in an individual’s personal life and should only be used as a last resort. Instead of expressing his disappointment, Phil was extremely understanding and re-scheduled his surgery.”

Surgery Was One-Part of The Solution

Phil researched support groups and found that a lot people who didn’t have great success hadn’t taken the six-month preparation process seriously. Phil did, taking full advantage of the psychological support and nutritional coaching that is part of the Penn Medicine Bariatric Surgery Program and that made all the difference.

“The psychologist and the nutritionist helped me get into the mindset that this wasn’t just surgery, it was a complete lifestyle change,” he said.
The nutritionist check-ins “were the biggest help,” Phil said. He began logging his food intake.

“I’d never done that before,” he said. “I’d log my food and say, ‘wow, that’s a lot of fat and calories’ and my nutritionist helped me discover different options.”

While the nutritionist helped him understand the “what” about his eating, the psychologist helped him understand the “why.”

“This helped me understand why my eating habits were what they were,” he said. “I found in the online support groups that the reason a lot of people fail is because they don’t know the root cause. I’m 125% a stress eater. I know if I’m anxious or stressed, I need to go take a short walk or something other than grabbing food.”

In May, he made another important connection with his trainer, Chris Cooke from Anytime Fitness.

“He’s in my inner circle and a great friend,” Phil said. “I was completely uncomfortable with the whole thing and I never thought I’d be one of those people who look forward to going to the gym. But I am!”

All that work has paid off and he’s lost 300 pounds. He said sometimes it was hard for him to see, but he passed his landlord in the hallway and he asked who he was. “He didn’t recognize me!”

Looking Ahead to “Normal” Activities

“When I was young, I used to ride all the roller coasters,” he said. “And I want to travel more. I’ve been really limited. And I’m really close to being able to buy normal clothes from normal stores. I haven’t been able to do that for years.”

His advice for those considering bariatric surgery is simple.

“You have to change your lifestyle before the surgery, make that mindset shift as early as possible,” he said. “Think about it long-term. Take the step to get a trainer. It’s all uncomfortable at first and it can be nerve-wracking, but it’s worth it.”