Local Focus: Nurses choose surgery to save their own lives

Jess Saxby, Tai Lolohea,and BJ Taare have more than just a nursing degree in common - they’ve lost over 200 kilograms between them after undergoing weight loss surgery together.

Taare had weight loss surgery in 2021 through the public health system and is now 80kgs lighter than her heaviest weight of 152kgs.

A nursing team leader at De Lautour Medical in Gisborne, her decision to have weight loss surgery was about getting her own health on track.

“My girls had already lost their dad 13 years ago, and I wasn’t about to let them lose the second and only parent [they have] left,” she said.

“I decided that I needed to look after myself if I wanted to be here for my whānau and my mahi.”

Taare is “loving her new life” and now exercises because she enjoys it, rather than because she has to.

BJ Taare before and after weight loss surgery.

Lolohea and Saxby both went private for their surgery last year after medical conditions made it hard to manage their weight.

Lolohea, also a nurse at De Lautour Medical, had respiratory issues as a child and was prescribed prednisone, which increased her appetite.

She tried keto for four years, which helped her lose some weight, but after two of her grandparents passed, she went off it.

“As soon as you go off keto, all the weight comes back on. That’s when I was like, ‘No, stuff that, it shouldn’t be this hard’, and decided to have surgery,” she said.

Lolohea lost 73kgs and said her energy and confidence levels have improved following the procedure.

“I just feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin. The awesome thing is being able to walk into a clothing store and fit clothes straight off the rack, which I would have never dreamed of before,” she said.

Tai Lolohea lost 73kgs after surgery.

Saxby lost 61kgs and now has more motivation to do day-to-day tasks “like cleaning”.

She enjoyed exercising but found it hard on her body, and was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, a metabolic disorder that makes it harder to lose weight even when living a healthy lifestyle.

Following weight loss surgery, Saxby and Lolohea enjoy exercising together: “It’s been amazing. Now I am running, which I would never said a year ago. I’m going to the gym with Tai, focusing on resistance training,” Saxby said.

Jess Saxby lost 61kgs following weight loss surgery.

All three women understand this is a life-long journey.

Taare has seen what happens if you allow bad habits to creep back in: “We’ve seen people after five, six years post-surgery, just put it all back on and some.”

“I’m very conscious of that, and I don’t want to go do that.”

Lolohea believes one’s psyche and the input of dieticians are essential for success: “If food is an issue for you, you need to deal with a lot of those issues before having surgery just so that you set yourself up for the best possible results.”

Saxby’s only regret is not having the surgery sooner: “I think if people are on the fence about it they should look into it, because it’s life-changing.”

Public Interest Journalism Fund.