How Ondrea said goodbye to her medications

For Ondrea Leikvoll, the decision to pursue bariatric surgery didn’t happen overnight. “I actually met with Dr. Friesen [from GBMC’s Comprehensive Obesity Management Program (COMP)] twice, over a year apart,” she recalls. “There was never any pressure—just the information and support I needed to make the decision in my own time.”

After years of yo-yo dieting, Ondrea received a gentle nudge from her GBMC Health Partners primary care physician, who helped her rethink what bariatric surgery could offer. “She helped me move past the idea that surgery was the ‘easy way out.’ She helped me realize I deserved a real opportunity to lose the weight—and keep it off.”

That decision has changed her life. Since her surgery on January 30, 2024, Ondrea has lost over 160 pounds, going from a size 26/28 to a 12/14. “My knees and hips don’t hurt anymore. I jog up the stairs now. I’m no longer diabetic. No high blood pressure. No high cholesterol. All those medications? HISTORY.”

Thanks to the support of the COMP team—and guidance from Jana and Madison along the way—Ondrea now has more energy, more mobility, and more joy in daily life. “I can play with my nieces and nephews instead of watching from the sidelines. And I feel more comfortable in my skin than I ever remember.”

The changes, she says, go beyond words. “This has completely improved my quality of life.”

Take control of your future. Reclaim your life. Schedule your COMP consultation today.