0 Results
Physicians
0 Results
View all Physicians
Related Search Terms
No related terms
Locations
0 Results
View all Locations
classes & Events
0 Results
View all classes & Events
Wellness blog
0 Results
View all wellness blog
View All Results
About Us
Contact Us
Bill Pay
Classes & Events
Careers & Volunteers
Education Programs
Support Palomar
Medical Services
+
Medical Services
Birth Centers
Heart and Vascular Center
Orthopedic and Spine Center
Stroke Center
The Patient Experience
Weight Management Center
Women's and Children's Services
Other Specialities
Behavioral Health
Diabetes Services
Emergency Services
Home Health
Rehabilitation Services
Wound Healing
All Services
A-Z List
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Find A Doctor
Select Specialty
Addiction Medicine
Advanced Endoscopy Services
Aesthetic Medicine
Allergy & Immunology
Anatomic-Clinical Pathology
Anesthesiology
Audiologist
Bariatric Surgery
Brain Injury Medicine
Cancer
Cardiac Surgery
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Cardiovascular Disease
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
Clinical Neurophysiology
Colon & Rectal Surgery
Dermatopathology
Diagnostic Radiology
Emergency Medicine
Endocrinology
Family Medicine
Foot and Ankle Surgery
Foot Surgery
Gastroenterology
General Surgery
Geriatric Medicine
Gynecologic Oncology
Gynecology
Hand Surgery
Head & Neck Surgery
Hematology
Hematology-Oncology
Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Hyperbaric & Wound Care
Hyperbaric Medicine
Infectious Disease
Integrative Medicine
Internal Medicine
Interventional Radiology
Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Medical Oncology
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Nephrology
Neurological Surgery
Neurology
Neuroradiology
Nuclear Medicine
Obstetrics
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
Orthopaedic Surgery
Otolaryngology
Pain Medicine/Pain Management
Pathology
Pediatric Allergy & Immunology
Pediatrics
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Plastic Surgery
Podiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry, Geriatric
Pulmonary Disease Medicine
Radiation Oncology
Radiology
Radiology, Vascular/Interventional
Reproductive Endocrinology
Rheumatology
Sleep Medicine
Spine Surgery
Sports Medicine
Surgical Critical Care
Thoracic Surgery
Urogynecology
Urologic Surgery
Urology
Vascular Neurology
Vascular Surgery
Wound Care
Advanced Search
Patients and Visitors
Award-Winning Care
Palomar Medical Center Escondido
Palomar Medical Center Poway
Mayo Clinic Care Network
Locations
Locations
Palomar Medical Center Escondido
Palomar Medical Center Poway
Arch Health Medical Group
Graybill Medical Group
Palomar Medical Center Escondido
2185 Citracado Parkway
Escondido, CA 92029
Open in Google maps
Learn more
Palomar Medical Center Poway
15615 Pomerado Road
Poway, CA 92064
Open in Google maps
Learn more
Palomar Health Medical Group – Formerly Arch Health Medical Group
Palomar Health Medical Group – Formerly Graybill
Or search by type:
Hospital
Emergency Room
Skilled Nursing
Outpatient
Lab
Specialty Care
Imaging Services
Pharmacy
Birth Center
Urgent Care
Community Wellness
Wellness Blog
Health Library
Health Classes
Reaching Out
Community Action Councils
Community Health Needs Assessment
Flu/COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
MyPalomarHealth
Bill Pay
My Palomar Health Login
Request Medical Records
Our Program
Qualifying for Bariatric Surgery
Medical Weight Loss
What to Expect
Success Stories
Contact Us
Home
Bariatric Center
Big Ron
LaVonna hated her husband’s nickname “Big Ron” because of what it represented to her, a husband who was eating himself to death, literally.
Big Ron didn’t see it that way. He was enjoying donuts, fried chicken and other high-calorie foods in large proportions. He’d been raised to always clean his plate. As a truck driver, Ron didn’t get much exercise and the weight gain didn’t hinder his ability to successfully navigate an 80,000-pound rig.
Then about 12 years ago before his 50
th
birthday, he had what doctors first thought was a heart attack, but what turned out to be kidney failure. He discovered he needed a kidney transplant and was placed on the donor list. He went on dialysis that at its peak, included eight hours of treatment per day, three days per week. He became extremely lethargic, had to quit his job and slept up to 20 hours a day.
LaVonna said Ron would only get out of bed to eat and shower. When people came over to visit, he’d get up to see them but as soon as they’d leave, he’d go back to bed.
“It made me mad,” LaVonna said.
This also affected his relationship with his teenage daughter.
“He probably spent only four years in her life,” LaVonna said because of the amount of time he spent in bed. People asked LaVonna if she was a single parent because they never saw Ron at their daughter’s school functions. In his defense, Ron says he was sick and tired all the time.
To receive a kidney transplant, doctors told Ron he needed to lose weight and lots of it. He tried several weight loss plans, directed by doctors and dieticians, throughout a 10- year period. All failed. In fact, he continued to gain weight, reaching more than 400 pounds.
“I was scared for him,” LaVonna said.
At one point, Ron spent a month on life support in the hospital. He says he would often talk about death, as dying seemed better than living. He was in and out of the hospital and had multiple surgeries. It wasn’t until he ran out of options, LaVonna says, that he took the advice of someone from the dialysis center and inquired about Bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is often a last resort for people seeking drastic weight loss. Bariatric surgery includes reducing the size of the stomach and/or rerouting the small intestine to reduce the patient’s appetite.
He began searching for a Bariatric surgeon and was rejected by several because of the risk he brought. He had severe scarring in his abdomen and had other health issues that made him a high-risk patient. He finally found Dr. Charles Callery and Palomar Health.
“There’s a special place in heaven for Dr. Callery,” Ron says.
Dr. Callery did some research and couldn’t find any case history of patients who had Bariatric surgery with similar complications to Ron. However, he agreed to perform the surgery with two caveats: Ron had to lose 40 pounds and he would abort the surgery if he found it to be too dangerous during the procedure.
For the first time in his life, Ron said, he had the motivation to follow a diet plan. It was either get the surgery, LaVonna said, or not be here anymore.
Ron did lose the 40 pounds and on August 30, 2017, Dr. Callery performed successful Bariatric surgery at Palomar Medical Center Poway. As far as they know, it was the first surgery performed on a patient with Ron’s complications at any hospital, ever.
“He (Dr. Callery) was amazed at how fast I recuperated,” Ron said.
Today Big Ron isn’t so big. He’s lost more than 150 pounds and weighs a still declining 260 pounds.
“My whole lifestyle has changed,” Ron says. “I recently bought a donut and only ate half. I’ve eaten half a dozen donuts but never half of one donut.”
“He’s living again,” LoVanna said.
Ron and LaVanna are now taking walks on the beach. Ron is riding his bike, gardening and cleaning the house. He’s spending quality time with his daughter who recently graduated with an MBA from Pt. Loma Nazarene. He’s preparing for a kidney transplant and even wants to go back to work after 12 years of lying around at an age when most people are thinking of retiring.
“Dr. Callery, he saved me,” Ron says.
Do you have questions about the Palomar Health Weight Management Center at Palomar Medical Center Poway in North San Diego County? Visit
Our Services
for more information or
Contact Us
.
Palomar Health Weight Management Center
Program Overview
Types of Bariatric Surgery
Classes & Events
Our Team
Contact Us
Related Links
Palomar Health Facilities
Patient and Visitor Information
Patient Financial Services
Newsletter Signup
Newsletter Signup
Palomar Health
ADA Compliance
Privacy Info
Terms of Service
Contact Us
Sitemap
Board of Directors
- Agenda
-
Financial Info
MDWired Login
Clairvia