A man who once said he had given up on life is now 68 pounds lighter and a whole lot happier, thanks to the new Wellness Center at IU Health Starke Hospital. Rob Dickey said he had lost his will to live after a number of job opportunities didn’t pan out, his health was going downhill, and worst of all, his wife Wendy had died from complications following a weight loss procedure.
Fortunately, Dickey’s life turned around when his mother convinced him to give life one more shot for not only her, but for his son.
So, he became the first client of the Wellness Center. On top of being several pounds overweight, Dickey was dealing with heart and back issues, hemodialysis treatment, diabetes, and a dangerously high sugar level. Sonja Beron, a physical therapist assistant at the center, said he could hardly walk from the car to gym – but that changed after Beron and Therapist Bob Lee devised a program for Dickey, and, along with words of encouragement from his mother, got him started.
After only eight months, Dickey has lost 68 pounds and works out four hours a day: two in the morning, and two in the afternoon. Beron called Dickey the center’s “biggest cheerleader,” and said he encourages everyone else to keep with it.
While he wouldn’t reveal his ultimate goal, Dickey said he’s on a three-year program to get healthy and is even working with a dietician at the hospital. He said he doesn’t expect to get back to his ’80s football weight, but he’s going to drop the extra weight and get his health back in the green.
