From wheelchair user to marathon runner, Central Florida woman, doctor describe weight loss journey
Neisa Fetes, 54, received gastric bypass in 2024 and details what she describes as a life-saving and life-changing decision
I WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR FOR A WHILE, AND NOW I, I’M IN MARATHONS AND A LOT OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF MY WEIGHT. MY HEALTH HAS REALLY IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE SURGERY, FROM A WHEELCHAIR TO MARATHONS. THAT’S 54 YEAR OLD LISA FATE’S THE CLERMONT NATIVE WAS STRUGGLING WITH OBESITY, AND SHE SAID IT WAS A BATTLE HER WHOLE LIFE UNTIL SHE GOT GASTRIC BYPASS AND LOST 200 POUNDS. NOW SHE TRIES TO COMPLETE ONE MARATHON EVERY MONTH. THAT’S IMPRESSIVE AND YOU CAN CATCH HER WALKING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 8 TO 10 MILES A DAY. AND SHE’S A PATIENT OF ORLANDO, HEALTH SURGEON, DOCTOR MOHAMMED. GOD, I’M GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. WHAT A REMARKABLE STORY TO SEE HER GETTING HER LIFE BACK. TRULY, INDEED. YES, I REMEMBER STILL THE DAY THAT SHE CAME INTO THE OFFICE AND SAW ME, AND SHE WAS LIKE, YOU GUYS SHOWED UP IN A WHEELCHAIR, STRUGGLING WITH A LOT OF OTHER HEALTH ISSUES. AND TO SEE THAT AGAIN, AND THAT SHE’S RUNNING MARATHONS. AND SHE EVEN INVITED ME TO JOIN ONE OF THE MARATHONS. I RESPECTFULLY DECLINED. OKAY. AND LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT JOURNEY OF SAYING, I’M GOING TO TAKE CONTROL OF MY HEALTH. AND SHE HAD TO LOOK FOR SURGICAL INTERVENTION, SORT OF. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? YEAH. SO SHE CAME IN, AND I THINK THE DAY THAT SHE REALIZED THAT SHE COULDN’T DO BASIC THINGS, BEING IN A WHEELCHAIR AND HAVING A LOT OF HEALTH ISSUES AS WELL, LIKE JOINT DISEASE AND REFLUX, THAT HAS BEEN DEBILITATING FOR HER. THAT’S WHEN SHE DECIDED TO TAKE OWNERSHIP AND DO SOMETHING. AND I THINK SHE HEARD ABOUT BARIATRIC SURGERY, AND SHE CAME INTO OUR OFFICE, AND THEN WE DISCUSSED ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND THE GASTRIC BYPASS IN HER CASE. AND SHE WAS STILL KIND OF IN DISBELIEF. I WOULD SAY THAT THIS WOULD TRULY SOLVE ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS, BUT HERE WE ARE. YEAH. AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SORT OF TELL YOU HOW IT CHANGED OUR LIFE, BUT LET’S HEAR IT FROM HER, BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE SLEEP APNEA ANYMORE. I JUST FEEL BETTER IN MY SKIN. I DON’T HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. I DON’T HAVE HIGH CHOLESTEROL. I DON’T HAVE FATTY LIVER DISEASE. SIMPLE THINGS LIKE MY RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY DOG WHO LOVES TO WALK NOW TOO. I’M MUCH MORE SOCIAL THAN I THINK I EVER HAVE BEEN. I ENJOY LIFE, I NOW ENJOY LOOKING FOR CLOTHES BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE TO WEAR A FIVE ANYMORE. I CAN ACTUALLY GO TO THE REGULAR SECTION OF THE STORE, SO IT’S REALLY CHANGED SO MUCH ABOUT MY LIFE. BUT I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT’S CHANGED MY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD AND MADE ME REALIZE THAT I’M I’M WORTH LOVE AND I CAN LOVE MYSELF. I MEAN, BEAUTIFUL TO HEAR THOSE WORDS FROM HER. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW YOU WORK WITH PATIENTS ON A WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY, BECAUSE WE HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT THOSE GLP ONE MEDICATIONS, OR MAYBE THE NEED FOR SURGERY, HOW DO YOU TALK THEM THROUGH THAT? YEAH. SO ONCE I COME IN FOR THE CONSULTATION INITIALLY WE GO OVER THE PATIENT, SPECIFICALLY THEIR WEIGHT AND BODY MASS INDEX, THEIR EATING HABITS, THEIR MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY AS WELL. AND ONE OF OTHER FACTORS THAT WE REALLY TALK ABOUT IS THEIR ACCESS AS WELL, BECAUSE THOSE MEDICATIONS SOMETIMES CAN BE COSTLY. AND IF THEY DON’T HAVE INSURANCE COVERAGE, SO ONE OR THE OTHER. SO THAT’S ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT ALSO COMES INTO PLAY. WHAT IS THE RECOVERY LIKE AND THE TIME AFTER HAVING SURGERY. YOUR WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY. IS THAT A MAJOR SURGERY. YEAH. SO YOU KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT. IT’S ACTUALLY VERY SMOOTH FOR MOST PATIENTS BECAUSE NOW WE DO IT IN A MINIMALLY INVASIVE FASHION OKAY. SO THEY’RE ABLE TO GET UP AND WALK ALMOST FOUR HOURS AFTER SURGERY. THEY’RE STARTING TO DRINK A FEW HOURS AFTER SURGERY, AND MOST PATIENTS ARE HOME THE VERY NEXT DAY. WOW. SO IT HAS CHANGED A WHOLE LOT OVER YEARS AND DECADES. THE SUPPORT GROUP IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT THAT YOU TALK ABOUT BEING VERY HELPFUL FOR ANYONE ON A WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY, THAT WE NEED PEOPLE LIFTING US UP AND HELPING US. ABSOLUTELY. I ALWAYS TELL MY PATIENTS THE SURGERY IS THE EASY PART. IT TAKES ONE HOUR, ONE HOUR, ONE HOUR AND A HALF, AND THEN AFTERWARDS. IT’S REALLY THE SUPPORT THAT YOU NEED TO MAINTAIN YOU FOR LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS. SO THIS IS WHY WE HAVE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM AT ORLANDO HEALTH WEIGHT LOSS AND SURGERY INSTITUTE. YOU NEED TO CONNECT THE PATIENTS TO OTHER PATIENTS THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE JOURNEY TO THE DIETICIANS, TO THE PSYCHOLOGISTS AS WELL, SO THAT THEY CONTINUE TO SUCCEED. AND SOMEONE THAT WE’VE SEEN SUCCEED RIGHT HERE AT WESH TWO NEWS IS FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST ERIC BURRIS AND ERIC. WHEN YOU SEE THIS STORY AND YOURS, WHAT COMES TO MIND AS YOU YOUR OWN JOURNEY HAS BEEN LIFE CHANGING. SO I MEAN, I HAD MY BARIATRIC SURGERY AT THE ORLANDO HEALTH INSTITUTE. THERE WITH DOCTOR MOHAMMED JAWAD, WHO HAS RETIRED NOW. BUT THAT SAID, I MEAN, THIS WAS ME JUST SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I WAS HAVING TO WEAR CUSTOM SUITS BECAUSE I COULDN’T GET ANYTHING OFF THE RACK. RIGHT. AND I WAS STRUGGLING JUST TO BATHE MY CHILDREN, GETTING ON MY KNEES TO BE ABLE TO GET DOWN TO THE BATHTUB AND ENDED UP IN DOCTOR JAWAD’S OFFICE. AND HE ESSENTIALLY GAVE ME THE BLUEPRINT. AND WHEN I SAID TO HIM, I FELT LIKE THIS PROCEDURE IS CHEATING, AND HE LOOKED ME RIGHT IN THE EYE AND SAID, IT’S NOT CHEATING, IT’S TAKING AND HELPING GIVE YOU THE TOOLS TO SUCCEED. AND I CAN TELL YOU, YEARS LATER, IT’S STILL A PROCESS. IF I DON’T, IT WILL BE UNDONE. SO TO ANYONE THAT WOULD LOOK AT THIS PROCESS AND SAY THAT THIS IS JUST THE EASY WAY OUT, I WOULD SAY IT’S NOT. IT’S JUST A MATTER OF. AND DOCTOR, YOU EVEN SAID THIS TO ME OFF CAMERA. IT’S EITHER A STRUGGLE TO BE MORBIDLY OBESE, WHICH I WAS, OR YOU HAVE TO TAKE AND NOT STRUGGLE, BUT GO THROUGH THE PROCESS IN ORDER TO BE HEALTHIER. EACH ONE HAS ITS OWN PATH. I CAN TELL YOU, THOUGH, I KNOW WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, I’VE GAINED YEARS OF MY LIFE. I HAVE MORE ENERGY THAN I’VE EVER HAD, AND IT IS BECAUSE OF BEING ABLE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS. I THINK ERIC SAID IT SAID IT BEST. THE MORE LIFE FACTOR HERE, EVEN THOUGH THE JOURNEY IS, IS DIFFICULT AND YOU DON’T SUGARCOAT THAT, YOU REALLY DO LET PEOPLE KNOW THIS IS TOUGH. ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, WE NEED TO TELL THEM WHAT TO EXPECT. AND LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT BEFOREHAND, ERIC KIND OF TOUCHED UPON IT. BEING 300 POUNDS IS HARD AND ALSO BEING ACTIVE AND CHOOSING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES. HARD. CHOOSE YOUR HEART. YES. AND TELL US HOW WE GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU AND THE TEAM THERE. ORLANDO. YES, YOU CAN ALWAYS LOOK US UP AT ORLANDO HEALTH WEBSITE A
From wheelchair user to marathon runner, Central Florida woman, doctor describe weight loss journey
Neisa Fetes, 54, received gastric bypass in 2024 and details what she describes as a life-saving and life-changing decision
Updated: 10:27 AM EST Mar 5, 2026
Orlando Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute surgeon, Dr. Muhammad Ghanem, joins WESH 2 to outline determining factors between GLP-1s, surgery and patient lifestyle changes.Ghanem’s patient, Neisa Fetes, 54, received gastric bypass in 2024. Since then, she has lost 200 pounds, according to Orlando Health.Fetes describes going from being a wheelchair user to marathon runner.Now, she maintains an active lifestyle, achieving her goal of one marathon every month, 8-10 miles every day and a transformed diet. Fetes lifechanging procedure is in the spotlight during Obesity Care Week, a time to raise awareness, educate, advocate and provides the opportunity to create lasting change. Click here to learn more about Orlando Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Orlando Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute surgeon, Dr. Muhammad Ghanem, joins WESH 2 to outline determining factors between GLP-1s, surgery and patient lifestyle changes.
Ghanem’s patient, Neisa Fetes, 54, received gastric bypass in 2024.
Since then, she has lost 200 pounds, according to Orlando Health.
Fetes describes going from being a wheelchair user to marathon runner.
Now, she maintains an active lifestyle, achieving her goal of one marathon every month, 8-10 miles every day and a transformed diet.
Fetes lifechanging procedure is in the spotlight during Obesity Care Week, a time to raise awareness, educate, advocate and provides the opportunity to create lasting change.
Click here to learn more about Orlando Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute.