‘I just want my life back,’ says Hamilton woman who has been in hospital for more than two years awaiting weight-loss surgery

Jaime Babin wants to go shopping again.

She longs to spend time with her three grandchildren.

She dreams of taking courses at Mohawk College in radio broadcasting.

But mostly the 61-year-old Hamilton woman simply wants to go home after spending more than two years in limbo in three different hospitals.

The latest is the Juravinski Innovation Tower at the Charlton Campus of St. Joseph's Healthcare, where Babin has lived for more than a year. This Christmas was her third spent on a hospital unit.

I just want to get my life back," she said. Just live my life again like everyone else."

Babin weighs 452 pounds (205 kilograms) and stands at five-foot-three (160 cm). She is desperate to get bariatric surgery to get her weight to a point where she can manage to care for herself at home again.

I'm willing to do anything I can to get out of here," said Babin. I literally feel like I'm in a prison.'"

It's unclear why Babin has had to wait so long, especially considering St. Joseph's is the province's lead centre for the life-changing surgery that makes changes to the digestive system to help patients lose weight.

We do the most number of cases and the most complex patients," said Dr. Mehran Anvari, Hamilton surgeon and chair of the Ontario Bariatric Network.

St. Joseph's can't comment directly on Babin's case due to patient confidentiality. But Anvari spoke generally about how referrals in Ontario far outpace the ability to keep up.

Ontario's 11 centres together do about 4,000 surgeries a year and treat a further 2,500 patients who lose weight using other medical strategies such as diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, meal replacement, therapy and medication.

The numbers treated are far below the 10,000 who are referred for surgery, and 5,000 referred to the medical program each year.

Ontario now is the largest bariatric program among all of the provinces but still well below where it needs to be," said Anvari. We need to increase our resources for bariatric surgery and medicine."

St. Joseph's performs 750 of the surgeries annually - just over one-third of the 2,000 patients who are referred. A further 200 to 400 patients are treated with other medical interventions.

COVID has only exacerbated the backlog - bariatric surgery has often been the target of pandemic cancellations. Even now, Anvari said six bariatric surgeries were cancelled during one week of October alone because of COVID.

For almost four months at the beginning (of the pandemic) and then intermittently for several months, we were cancelled completely," said Anvari. We have tried to ramp up a little bit, but COVID hasn't gone away."

Anvari also has to work continuously to convince the ministry of health and other doctors that bariatric surgery deserves more resources.

Obesity is a metabolic disease. It is not just somebody eats too much," said Anvari. It's a deep-seated prejudice that obese patients are experiencing. This is something that we're trying to overcome."

The stigma is so strong that Anvari says politicians are wary when it comes to publicly discussing funding for obesity treatment.

The biggest issue is the fact that this group of patients are still facing a lot of challenges and not enough attention," said Anvari. Dollar for dollar bariatric surgery saves taxpayers because it gives people longevity, gives them productivity, gives them their life back and reduces their reliance on medical care for a number of conditions from diabetes to joint replacement."

Babin says it was pneumonia that first brought her to Juravinski Hospital on Sept. 16, 2020. She weighed 540 pounds and also had congestive heart failure, sleep apnea and celiac disease.

Staff recommended St. Joseph's because it has complex care and the bariatric program.

I literally cannot cope at home anymore with that weight," said Babin.

She stayed at Juravinski for months, waiting for a spot at St. Joseph's. During the summer of 2021, she was transferred to St. Peter's Hospital, which specializes in complex continuing care but doesn't have a bariatric program like St. Joseph's.

The program is key because Babin needs treatment to lose weight and get her life back on track. She can't go home because she can't take care of herself anymore. After so much time in hospital, she can't stand on her own for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Her apartment hallway and doors can't fit the size of wheelchair she requires. In addition, a mechanical lift is often used to get her in and out of her hospital bed.

I'm so frustrated," said Babin. Lots of nights, I will literally cry for about an hour - I'm that frustrated."

Babin has polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormone problem which can affect weight. Another contributor has been her lifestyle.

I am a binge eater, and I've acknowledged that I'm a binge eater," said Babin. Over the years, I just ate way too much and I literally sat and watched TV - that's what I did for years and years, like decades."

There is also a family history of obesity. Babin's older sister weighed 700 pounds (318 kilograms) when she died at age 62 in February 2010. She spent the last six months of her life in hospital. Babin thinks of her everyday.

When her kidneys eventually failed, the doctors could do nothing for her," said Babin. She was just too big, too many health issues as a result, in a lot of pain and she had given up."

Another big influence on Babin has been her younger sister who had successful bariatric surgery in March 2021.

She went from walking around holding onto furniture to walking," said Babin. I noticed the difference in her right away."

Babin got into St. Joseph's in September 2021 full of hope that she too would get the help she needed and get back to the home she shares in west Hamilton with one of her two adult sons.

But she said the bariatric program never took her on as a patient despite doctors and her sister pleading her case.

Within three months, Babin said she was moved to what is known as alternate level of care (ALC) in December 2021. These beds are for patients who are medically ready to be discharged from hospital but can't safely go home. During her time in hospital, Babin has lost 88 pounds with medication and physiotherapy but she needs the help of the bariatric program to make enough of a difference to go home in the near future.

It's really affecting my mental health being in the hospital so long," said Babin, adding that she started taking anxiety medication for the first time.

It's a double-edged sword because mental health is a major consideration in qualifying for bariatric surgery.

Mental health issues need to be stable and under control because patients have to be compliant with significant life changes after the surgery, such as diet, and they also have to reliably attend appointments. Patients are followed closely for one year after the surgery and annually for about 10 years after that.

If patients are not willing to follow what is necessary, it can be quite dangerous," said Anvari. If you don't take enough vitamins and proteins, you can actually die from it. So we are not going to put somebody into harm's way."

Weight-loss surgery limits how much patients can eat or reduces the body's ability to absorb calories and nutrients or does both. It's a last resort for patients who haven't had success with diet, exercise and other interventions or have serious health problems connected to their weight.

Bariatric surgery is a life changing operation," said Anvari. It does take a bit of time to get patients prepared and ready for surgery. We have very good outcomes because we don't rush ... We've never had a single mortality because we are very selective and prepare our patients well."

The treatment is also not a quick fix as it usually takes 18 months to two years after the surgery for patients to lose 30 to 40 per cent of excess weight.

We change the metabolic pathway so they ... burn more calories and hopefully take in less calories," said Anvari. People lose weight slowly."

The higher the body mass index (BMI), the more challenging and complicated the surgery becomes. Babin's BMI of 80 is double the 40 required to be eligible. Those with serious health problems can qualify with a BMI of 35. Anvari says options for treatment narrow once a BMI is over 60.

I'm fighting to get the surgery," said Babin. I worry about not waking up, but compared to everything, I think it'd be a small risk. It's a risk I'm willing to take."

Babin says she has looked at other options. While waiting at St. Joseph's, she tried to get into a bariatric rehab program in Toronto that uses diet and exercise to lose weight. However, she says she was turned down because she didn't meet the criteria.

I just want things to happen quicker," she said.

Babin says she has finally become a patient of the bariatric program - more than one year after she arrived at the hospital and days after The Spectator reached out to St. Joseph's on Oct. 19 to inquire about her situation.

I'm happy - like super happy," she said. Finally, I have a chance to get out of here. I'm literally stuck here."

Babin says her sister was screaming, laughing and crying with joy when she found out.

To get the surgery, Babin says she needs to lose at least 100 pounds (45 kilograms). She is taking medication that often leaves her ill, and going on a special diet. She's also doing physiotherapy. She says the staff on the ALC unit, who have cared for her over the last year, have been a crucial support.

I will do what I need to do to get the surgery and get back home," she said. Even though it is hard work, I am willing to put in the work."

Most of all, Babin has hope again. Babin is aiming to leave the hospital by late summer. She even has a goal of taking part in the 5 km Around the Bay Road Race one day.

Next Christmas I hope to be home," she said.

Joanna Frketich is a health reporter at The Spectator. jfrketich@thespec.com