NJ Cops Feb18 | Page 59

Success Stories: Spotlighting PBA members who have changed their lives Make that change West Orange Local 25 President Chris Jacksic transforms after committing to gastric surgery n BY AMBER RAMUNDO Just as a farmer may never know life in a big city, or a millennial can’t remember a time without computers, Chris Jacksic didn’t realize how carrying extra weight for most of adulthood was holding him back. They say you can’t miss what you’ve never had, and so for a long time, being overweight was just a part of who Jacksic was. It never stopped him from doing what he loved, like serving as West Orange Local 25 president for more than 10 years, or spending his time off the job officiating high school football and base- ball games. But weighing 344 pounds at the age of 51, Jacksic couldn’t help but notice the way his body ached after a long day of traffic control on his motorcycle or an active weekend refereeing numerous football games. He also couldn’t ignore the health conditions brought on by obe- sity, requiring him to take medications for high blood pressure and high choles- terol, as well as hooking up to a machine to control his sleep apnea each night. There’s no one major event that caused Jacksic to commit to a serious lifestyle change. He was simply tired of carrying the weight and all of the burdens that came with it. “I wasn’t embarrassed where I start- ed,” Jacksic explains. “But, I sure wasn’t happy.” Like many law enforcement officers who feel determined to overcome chal- lenges on their own, Jacksic was against solving his weight issues with a surgical procedure for a long time. “Just get it together and do it the right way,” Jacksic reasoned for years, trying every diet out there, only to gain back double the weight he had lost after fall- ing off of the wagon each time. It wasn’t until Jacksic crossed paths with another Essex County Conference officer at the NJ State PBA Mini Con- vention in 2017 that his perspective on obesity treatment began to shift. Jacksic had known this officer for 15 years but couldn’t believe his weight transforma- tion after going through gastric sleeve surgery. Suddenly, Jacksic started to ask questions and do his research. It didn’t Sick of struggling with his weight and trying new diets, West Orange Local 25 President Chris Jacksic decided to undergo gastric sleeve surgery by Dr. Michael Nusbaum and has since watched his body transform. Before the surgery, Jacksic topped out at 334 pounds. Seven months post-surgery, Jacksic has reached his goal weight of 200 pounds. take long for him to find out just how many people he knew, both on and off the job, who had gone through gastric surgery and seen great results. Jacksic was put in contact with Obesi- ty Treatment Specialist Dr. Michael Nus- baum, after speaking to a good friend who raved about his success under Nus- baum’s care. After hearing similar re- views from many people that Nusbaum had treated, Jacksic decided that it was time for him to turn around his life, too. He committed to the extensive consul- tation process with psychiatrists, nutri- tionists and other medical professionals before finally setting the date for surgery. “All of the doctors were saying the same thing: ‘You’re obviously ready and prepared for this,’” Jacksic details. “I did my homework. I spoke with other people and mentally started saying, ‘OK, I’ve got this. I’m moving forward. I’m going to make myself better.’” July 27, 2017 is the date Jacksic will always remember as the turning point in his life when he finally went through with the surgery that will allow him to live the rest of his days the way he’d al- ways wanted. It was the day Nusbaum performed the gastric sleeve procedure, double sealing the fold in Jacksic’s stom- ach to assure its precision and making individualized adjustments to best ac- commodate his recovery while allowing him to comfortably return to work as soon as possible. “We have a lot of patrol officers come in here, and I understand their struggle,” Nusbaum notes. “We are sure to make the incisions a little bit higher than nor- mal so that their duty belt doesn’t rub on it, and we use extra stitches so they can get back to work quicker without having to worry.” Jacksic was up and walking the same night of the surgery, and he was able to go home from the hospital the very next day. Within days, the results started to show on the scale. He stayed in touch CONTINUED ON PAGE 60 www.njcopsmagazine.com ■ FEBRUARY 2018 59