Inspira’s Bariatric Surgery program has the resources you need to be successful in your journey to...
For most of her life, Jacqueline “Jacki” Weatherby felt like she was fighting a losing battle.
“I’ve always been one of the bigger girls,” she said. “From the time I was young, I shopped in the ‘chubby’ department. I tried everything over the years—Weight Watchers, SlimFast, fad diets. I’d lose weight, but it always came back.”
Jacki once lost 90 pounds, only to regain it. Pregnancies brought temporary weight loss. But in the years that followed, the number on the scale climbed higher than ever. Even a GLP-1 prescription to address her diabetes didn’t make a difference on the scale. Then life brought even greater challenges.
Over the past decade, Jacki endured profound loss and serious health setbacks. She lost her son in 2017. In the years that followed, she underwent a shoulder replacement, battled breast cancer with chemotherapy and radiation, and suffered major fractures to her hip and femur after a fall.
“After everything I’d been through, I started to feel like maybe this was just my fate,” she says. “I even told myself, ‘Maybe I’m just meant to be fat.’”
But in 2024, something unexpected shifted her path.
A Conversation That Changed Everything
Jacki met surgeon Christopher Bashian, D.O., when she went to Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill for emergency gallbladder surgery.
“As he was getting ready to take me into surgery, I joked and said, ‘While you’re in there, you can take some of my stomach too.’ I didn’t even know he was a bariatric surgeon at the time,” she recalled. “He pointed at me and said, ‘I do that, and we’ll talk at your follow-up.’”
At her post-operative visit, she didn’t let the opportunity pass. “I said, ‘Wait a minute. You told me we were going to talk about bariatric surgery.’ And that’s when it really started.”
Despite insurance hurdles that temporarily postponed her surgery, Jacki was determined. She has endured grief, cancer, surgeries and serious injuries. Compared to those experiences, she says, bariatric surgery felt manageable. “After everything else I’ve been through, this felt like something I could handle,” she said.
With support from her endocrinologist, who advocated on her behalf, her surgery was approved. On February 14, 2025, she underwent a sleeve gastrectomy at Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill.
“It was the best thing I ever did,” she said.
More Than Surgery: A Team That Guided Her
For Jacki, the success of her journey didn’t come from surgery alone. It came from the team surrounding her.
She worked closely with Inspira’s bariatric program staff, including registered dietitians and educators who helped her understand nutrition in an entirely new way.
“I never knew how important protein was until after surgery,” she said. “All my life, I followed the old food pyramid. Now I know: Eat the protein first. That’s what matters.”
With guidance from her care team, Jacki learned how to:
- Read nutrition labels carefully
- Track her daily intake
- Prioritize protein
- Use supplements appropriately
- Make intentional, balanced food choices
“I don’t eat anything without reading the label now,” she said. “I write down what I eat. I’m responsible for what goes in my mouth.”
She also appreciated the hands-on approach. “Sometimes you just want someone to say, ‘Here’s what I would choose if I were you,’” she said. “They didn’t overwhelm me. They guided me.”
Finding Strength Through Diabetes Education
Jacki was diagnosed with diabetes in 2008. At one point, she was taking rapid-acting insulin at every meal and long-acting insulin at night, along with additional weekly medication. Today, her regimen looks dramatically different.
“I used to take insulin four times a day. Now I take just 15 units at night—that’s it,” she said. “I’m off almost all of my other medications.” A key part of that transformation has been Inspira’s Diabetes Education Program.
Jacki reconnected with the program before and after surgery and now works regularly with a diabetes educator. She also participates in virtual diabetes support groups and has attended in-person educational events.
“The support group keeps you accountable,” she said. “It makes you read labels. It makes you think about what you’re eating.” She especially values the practical, real-life approach. “They don’t just say, ‘Don’t eat this.’ They teach you how to make better choices and how to manage your life. That makes all the difference.”
Through education, peer connection and expert guidance, Jacki gained tools she wishes she’d had years earlier. “I learned things I should have known decades ago,” she said. “But it’s never too late.”
The Little Things That Mean Everything
Since surgery, Jacki has lost more than 100 pounds, and nearly 160 pounds from her highest weight. These changes go far beyond the scale. “I can slide into a booth at a restaurant without worrying if I’ll fit,” she said. “I don’t have to scan chairs with arms anymore. I can cross my legs. I can bend down and tie my shoes.”
Perhaps most surprising is what she doesn’t feel. “I don’t feel deprived,” she said. “I can look at cheesecake and think, ‘That looks good,’ and not feel sad that I’m not eating it.” After years of structuring life around food and insulin dosing, she now feels in control. “I used to think, ‘I’ll just eat it and take more insulin.’ That’s not how I live anymore.”
Jacki continues attending support groups and stays connected with her care team. Even when mobility challenges temporarily slow her down, she remains committed to her health. “If you’re hesitating, just call and ask questions,” she said to others considering surgery or diabetes education. “Do your research. Talk to the team. Don’t just assume it’s not for you.”
For the first time in her life, Jacki feels empowered rather than defeated. “I tried every diet there was,” she said. “Nothing worked long-term. This is working. And I’m finally living my life, not planning it around my weight.”
