Silver Cross Bariatric Surgery Helps Nurse Stay in the Running for Marathons

Rachael Greeney had struggled with her weight since growing up in southeastern England. But that didn’t stop the registered nurse from running the Chicago Marathon in 2019, even though she weighed 275 pounds.

“I always had a lot of energy, so the weight didn’t hold me back,” said Greeney, 39, who moved to the Joliet area in 2013. She began to think seriously about weight loss to improve her running times.

The First Step

“I attended a BMI Surgery at Silver Cross seminar, and we set up the gastric bypass procedure,” she said. At the time of her surgery in 2020, Dr. Brian Lahmann and partners had performed over 7,000 weight loss surgeries at Silver Cross, the only program in Will County that is a MBSAQIP accredited center – Comprehensive and Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery.

Silver Cross also offers a broad range of bariatric surgery care services. “They don’t just do the surgery and say, ‘See you later.’ There are follow-ups every few months,” added Greeney.

Multiple Marathons

Greeney was down to 170 from the 383 she weighed when she had the BMI surgery. Two years later, she ran three marathons in 69 days, each with times under 6 hours.

She timed under 6 hours in the Chicago Marathon last year. Now, her goal is to hit the 5-hour mark in two marathons this year, including the Chicago event in October, on her father’s birthday.

“Bariatric surgery is only a tool,” Greeney explained. “It’s up to me what I eat. I have tea with collagen in the morning, and 4 ounces of protein and a cup of veggies each for lunch and dinner.”

“I really liked Silver Cross,” she added. “They treat you like a person, not a patient. All the people care about you.”

For more information, call (815) 717-8744 or visit bmisurgery.org to attend a free informational session on weight-loss surgery.

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