At WakeMed, we provide patients from all walks of life with life-changing, state-of-the-art treatments to advance their health care.

The Advanced Gastrointestinal Center at WakeMed Cary Hospital is one of our centers where we specialize in top to bottom care for the entire digestive system — from the esophagus to the colon — we diagnose and treat a variety of digestive diseases and disorders with sophisticated procedures addressing everything from acid reflux, swallowing difficulties and polyps to Crohn’s, cancers — and even minimally invasive weight loss.

WakeMed Cary Hospital’s Advanced Gastrointestinal Center and Dr. Christopher McGowan are pleased to offer our patients the ESG procedure for weight loss. Bentley, a patient, has seen a total transformation in his physical and mental health as a result of undergoing this procedure.

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During his high school years, Bentley lost his best friend — and was overcome with grief and despair at a young age. Soon after this trauma, food became an addiction and an emotional crutch. Between the ages of 17 and 25, Bentley gained nearly 250 pounds. Prior to this tragedy, weight had never been an issue –in fact, he was an active gymnast for many of his childhood years. But the loss of his dear friend sent him spiraling into a world of depression and overeating. He never had energy for exercise and spent most of his time playing video games.

A Major Wake-Up Call for Bentley

As an adult, Bentley turned his love for video games into a career — he became a popular gamer, established a loyal following, and began traveling internationally to play for his fans. While Bentley had many loyal fans — he also experienced name-calling and hateful comments about his weight in various online communities — a sad reality that many individuals who are struggling with weight face on a daily basis. By 2021, though, he faced a more serious threat, as his weight approached 500 pounds. Bentley experienced a very real health scare that would ultimately kick off the weight loss journey that would change his life forever.

“I was at home playing video games, and all of a sudden my vision turned off,” Bentley explains. “I yelled for my mom, and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. They told me I had suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA) stroke — I was only 24 years old. My doctor told me that if I didn’t lose weight, I was putting my life at extreme risk. That scared me, as did the next six months when I struggled with my memory and speech as a result of the stroke.”

Before this health crisis, Bentley hadn’t been emotionally ready to let go of his weight, and he didn’t realize how overweight he’d actually become. He was shocked that, while he was in the hospital, he couldn’t even fit into a hospital gown or onto a hospital stretcher. Bentley’s stroke was the wake-up call he desperately needed. After he recovered, he was ready to take whatever steps were necessary to reclaim his health and life.

Bentley Discovers True You Weight Loss

Over the next year, Bentley tried several methods to lose weight, but he quickly discovered he needed help. Bentley felt sure that medical intervention was the right answer, so he started looking online for weight loss surgery options. He made calls to multiple weight loss clinics and soon realized the challenge he was up against. Nearly every bariatric surgery provider he connected with in the US refused to operate on him – citing that he was considered too high risk due to his weight. He was told that in order to qualify for surgery, he’d first have to lose 100 or more pounds.

Bentley then turned to international searching and found he was a candidate for weight loss surgery in Canada, but the waitlists were up to three years long, and he did not have that kind of time. While all this news was discouraging, Bentley also wasn’t sure he really wanted surgery. He was nervous about the prospect of an invasive procedure, post-surgery scars and

recovery. So, he started scanning social media for other weight loss options, and that’s when he came across True You Weight Loss.

“I was drawn in by a video where a doctor was talking about ESG [endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty], a non-invasive procedure that could be performed through the esophagus,” Bentley remembers. “This was appealing to me — something I’d never heard of, so I gave them a call.”

That doctor, Bentley later discovered, was Dr. Christopher McGowan, founder of True You and world-renowned leader in endobariatrics. This discovery was just what he needed — offering the solution he needed to begin his weight loss journey.

“When I called True You, they were so nice, but they were also very real,” Bentley says. “They said that this procedure would change my life, but that it would require a lot of hard work and life-long dedication on my part. I knew this was going to be challenging, but I was ready to apply myself and do something that I knew I absolutely needed to do.”

Bentley Has His ESG & Never Looks Back

Bentley’s first consultation with True You occurred during the summer of 2022, and by December 15 of the same year, Bentley was arriving at WakeMed Cary Hospital in Cary, N.C., with his brother for his ESG. With the help of therapy, kicking his soda habit, and dedicating himself to a walking routine, Bentley quickly lost 70 pounds before his procedure. He was eager to get started and take this major step toward a new life.

“I was excited and nervous,” Bentley remembers. “But any nerves that I felt were put at ease by Dr. McGowan and the awesome members of the True You team. The nurses and staff at WakeMed Cary Hospital were wonderful, too. They were kind, comforting, and took really good care of me during my stay.”

Two days later, Bentley was travelling home, feeling positive about the future. In the first three months after his ESG, Bentley committed to his recovery and post-procedure diet restrictions. He even enjoyed his required protein shakes (that he also made into delicious coffee drinks), and he found a way to enjoy exercise by taking long walks while listening to his favorite music.

“Following my procedure, I followed the diet guidelines provided by the True You team to a T — I didn’t want to risk messing anything up,” Bentley says. “I also walked 10,000 to 15,000 steps per day, no questions asked. For me, the process overall really wasn’t hard physically, but it was challenging mentally. I had to transform that negative relationship I had with food and turn it into a positive one. I was ready to take care of myself and prove wrong all the people in my life, and all my viewers, who had ever treated me poorly because of my weight.”

Amazing Results & a Life Transformed

Just nine months and a few days after his ESG, all of his hard work had paid off. Bentley was down to an astounding 270 pounds and was feeling fantastic. With a weight loss of more than

200 pounds in just a year, Bentley was no longer depressed, and his energy level was through the roof.

Today, life in general has gotten a whole lot easier and more enjoyable for Bentley. Even though he has been travelling non-stop since March 2023, he has still been able to successfully lose the weight by carefully watching what he eats, replacing pastries and treats with protein bars and shakes, and doing a lot of walking.

“It has been so much easier to travel in my new body,” Bentley adds. “I can actually fit into an airplane seat now and click the seatbelt, and I can navigate the airport with ease, without losing my breath or feeling as though everyone is staring at me. When I travel to Europe, I have no trouble walking everywhere, as most Europeans do, and I can also fit into the chairs in restaurants. Meanwhile, my shirt size has gone from a 5XL to a large. It’s insane!”

Support That Makes a Difference

Through it all, Bentley’s family has been extremely supportive of his ESG experience, as has his True You dietitian Kathleen, who has taught him all about monitoring calories, balancing his food choices instead of eliminating foods, and creating a healthy relationship with food. She also supported him through a stressful month-long weight loss stall.

“Kathleen helped me stay the course by reminding me that I should ignore the scale and stop comparing myself to others,” Bentley adds. “She’s been incredible, and I really appreciate all the ways she has helped me on this journey. In fact, all of the staff at True You, including Dr. McGowan, have been kind, totally supportive, available to me when I needed them, and non-judgmental all the way through.”

Bentley Pays it Forward as a Role Model for Others

Meanwhile, Bentley has now taken it upon himself to be a source of support and a role model to other people with obesity, especially his viewers.

“I’ve helped many of my video game viewers who are struggling with weight by recommending True You and also encouraging them to understand that obesity is a disease that requires life-long treatment,” Bentley says. “If you are obese, you can’t lie to yourself. The ESG weight loss process begins with changing your mentality about food and your body in order to reach success.”

Now that he has lost the weight, Bentley says that he receives much more respect in his work as an online video gamer and is treated better in general by people he encounters daily. He feels amazing when he gets dressed in the morning and is reveling in how much energy he now has to enjoy his life.

“I finally realized that the weight gain was my fault,” Bentley explains. “I had abused myself, and I was the only one who could fix this problem in order to change my life. I now look like a completely different person, and it is very satisfying.”

The Future is Bright

In the future, Bentley is looking forward to skiing with his family for the first time in several years and feeling more comfortable in his own skin. He is also savoring simple things, like being able to walk places with his friends without feeling out of breath. To those who are considering a weight loss procedure with True You, Bentley offers a resounding, “Do it!”

“I believe that if you want things to happen in your life, you have to go get them for yourself. My only regret in this process is not having done it sooner,” Bentley adds. “It’s totally worth the investment — ESG has changed my life by 180 degrees. Also, remember that weight loss is a marathon and not a race. If you are consistent and you put in the hard work and effort, you will reach your ultimate goal.”

Success at a Glance

Top Non-Scale Victories:

• More energy, better overall health
• Transforming from a 5XL to a Large shirt size
• Establishing a healthy relationship with food
• Traveling with ease through airports and European countries

December 2022

• Age: 25
• BMI: 58.3
• Weight: 430 lbs.

November 2023

• Age: 26
• BMI: 36.6
• Weight: 270 lbs.

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About WakeMed Advanced Gastrointestinal Center

Our board-certified physicians are experts in diagnosing and treating your entire digestive system. And, we also offer comprehensive care from nutritionists and dietitians, diagnotics and much more – right here, close to home at WakeMed Cary Hospital. Plus, we offer the convenience of an easy-to-navigate community hospital, where the parking is close to the front door and our buildings are easy to navigate. This means you will have the very best care for your digestive system from top to bottom.

We serve adult patients with the very latest diagnostics and highly advanced treatments for digestive disorders ranging from GERD, indigestion, heartburn, ulcers, IBD and colitis to Crohn’s, IBS, hepatitis, colon cancer, polyps, diverticulitis and more. All provided by expert gastroenterologists.

Visit Our Advanced Gastrointestinal Center