‘Uh, hello Mr. Slack, what would you like in your obituary?'”
Those were the first words out of Dr. Irineo Bustamante’s mouth when he received patient Adam Slack in his emergency room in June of 2008. He was rushed to a nearby hospital after nearly passing out during his shift as a security guard at an Atlantic City casino. Slack weighed 585 pounds, had high blood pressure, suffered from type 2 diabetes and struggled to complete routine tasks like tying his shoes.
“I yelled at him and told him to leave the room,” Slack told GMA. “It was the darkest place, but it was also a rebirth.”
Slack says there was something different about Dr. Bustamante’s words, compared to the many doctors who had told him he needed to lose weight. It finally got through to him.
“For the first time, it clicked,” Slack said. “If I had one doctor, I had 100 doctors tell me ‘you need to lose weight,’ but it was the bluntness of what he said.”
It was time to say goodbye to the man who used to eat one dozen eggs, a load of white bread and a half-pound bag of shredded cheese for breakfast alone. Slack started walking everyday and eating a much healthier diet. Within 6 months, Slack lost 110 pounds. He’s now down to a size 34 and weighs 209 pounds! All because of one doctor who wasn’t afraid to tell him the brutally honest truth.
With the help of hospital officials, Slack tracked down Bustamante as the physician who treated him 3 years ago, and the two were reunited on Nov. 15. S lack’s family and friends brought Bustamente cards and momentos to say thanks for saving a loved one. “I was touched,” Bustamante said.
Slack’s healthy new lifestyle has become a family affair, with the whole family getting active together. Slack is now able to coach his son’s baseball team, something that has meant a lot to the family. In fact, it was on the baseball field that it all hit home for Slack. “We had just won a real big baseball game and he went to go give me a hug and he clasped behind my back,” Slack said. “That was the first time I realized that my son could ever give me a hug. It was a real emotional moment for me.”
Photo credit: Good Morning America