5/18/2026
Today, I turn 45 years old, and like many birthdays that mark a meaningful chapter, this one has invited a level of reflection that feels especially profound. As I think about where I’ve been, what I’ve built, the people I’ve had the privilege of serving, and what I hope the next 45 years might look like, I find myself returning again and again to the extraordinary experience of our recent Body By Transformation Retreat, held on May 1st and 2nd. I have had many rewarding moments throughout my career as a bariatric surgeon, and I have experienced immense joy in helping patients reclaim their health through bariatric surgery, obesity medicine, and transformative lifestyle change. But this event felt different. It was not simply successful. It was not merely memorable. It was one of the most meaningful professional experiences of my life and, if I am being completely honest, perhaps one of the most meaningful personal ones as well.
As physicians, we often define success through measurable outcomes. We celebrate weight loss milestones, improved lab values, medication discontinuation, remission of disease, surgical safety, and life expectancy gains—and rightfully so. Those outcomes matter deeply. But what struck me so powerfully at this retreat was the reminder that transformation is never solely physical. What unfolded over those two days had very little to do with numbers and everything to do with human connection. Watching individuals from different walks of life come together in a shared space with openness, vulnerability, humor, and encouragement was profoundly moving. There was no competition, no comparison, no scarcity mindset. Instead, there was camaraderie. People celebrated one another’s victories as if they were their own. They offered practical advice, emotional support, perspective, and genuine enthusiasm without reservation. They shared their journeys honestly, including the hard parts, in ways that created safety for others to do the same.
As I stood back and observed what was happening, I felt something I can only describe as euphoria. It is rare in adult life to witness something so authentically beautiful that it catches you completely off guard. I found myself overwhelmed not because the event had gone according to plan, but because it had evolved into something far greater than anything we could have scripted. The atmosphere was electric in the most meaningful sense—not because of entertainment or production value, but because of the unmistakable energy that exists when people feel seen, accepted, and inspired. In medicine, particularly in the field of bariatric surgery, so much of the patient journey can feel deeply personal and at times isolating. To watch people discover community, friendship, laughter, and belonging in that setting was incredibly emotional for me.
One of the most unforgettable moments of the retreat was the opportunity to give in a way that felt deeply aligned with my values. Announcing that we would be gifting a free bariatric surgery and a free cosmetic skin removal surgery was one of the most exhilarating moments I can remember. My heart was pounding, my hands were trembling, and I felt a kind of joy that is difficult to articulate. It was not excitement for the spectacle of the moment; it was something far more personal and far more meaningful. It was the experience of practicing true generosity. There is something profoundly moving about being in a position to offer someone not just a procedure, but a possibility. Not just treatment, but hope. Not just a service, but an act that communicates, in no uncertain terms, “You matter. You are worthy. Your future matters enough for someone to invest in it.”
That experience led me to reflect more deeply on the role that generosity plays in a meaningful life. We often think of generosity as something transactional or occasional, reserved for financial gifts or major acts of giving, but I believe it is far more expansive than that. Generosity is a way of moving through the world. It is how we choose to show up for other people. It is the decision to celebrate someone else’s success without envy, to share knowledge without withholding, to encourage rather than critique, to create opportunities rather than guard access. Generosity is rooted in abundance. It reflects the belief that there is enough success, enough healing, enough joy, and enough opportunity to go around. In a culture that often rewards comparison and competition, choosing generosity can feel radical. Yet I have rarely felt more alive than in moments where giving—not receiving—was at the center of the experience.
If generosity shapes how we engage with others, gratitude shapes how we experience our own lives. As I enter this next chapter, I realize with increasing clarity that gratitude is not simply an emotion that arises when circumstances are favorable. It is a discipline. It is a perspective. It is a conscious decision to anchor ourselves in appreciation rather than deficiency. Gratitude does not require a perfect life. In fact, its greatest power often emerges in imperfection. It asks us to recognize what is present rather than obsess over what is absent. It invites us to honor the journey, not just the milestones. In medicine, entrepreneurship, leadership, and even personal growth, it is incredibly easy to become consumed by what remains unfinished. There is always another goal, another benchmark, another challenge to solve. But gratitude reminds us that life is happening now, not at some future point when everything feels neatly resolved.
The retreat also reinforced something I have come to believe deeply: that the most transformative experiences in life happen at the edge of vulnerability, courage, and intentionality. Meaningful things rarely happen by accident. Community does not build itself. Purpose does not reveal itself to the passive observer. Extraordinary experiences are often the result of people deciding, often imperfectly and sometimes fearfully, to create something that matters. That lesson resonates with me not just as a physician, but as a human being. Turning 45 has made me think less about achievement and more about aliveness. What makes us feel fully alive? What experiences create the kind of fulfillment that lingers long after the moment has passed? For me, the answer is increasingly clear. It is connection. It is generosity. It is gratitude. It is building things that bring people together. It is taking bold action in service of something meaningful.
As a bariatric surgeon, I have devoted my career to helping patients transform their lives through weight loss surgery, obesity medicine, and long-term metabolic health. But the longer I do this work, the more convinced I become that true transformation is never just about the physical body. Transformation is emotional. Psychological. Relational. Spiritual, even. It is about identity. It is about courage. It is about deciding that your life is worthy of effort, reinvention, and intentional design. The Body By Transformation Retreat was a vivid reminder of that truth. It was not simply an event. It was a living demonstration of what becomes possible when people come together with honesty, hope, and shared purpose.
On my 45th birthday, I feel profoundly grateful—for our patients, for our team, for every individual who trusted us enough to attend, and for the extraordinary privilege of doing work that feels deeply meaningful. If the first 45 years of my life have taught me anything, it is that fulfillment is not found in accumulation, titles, or endless striving. It is found in contribution. It is found in gratitude. It is found in generosity. And if I have any intention for the next 45 years, it is to build even more of the kind of life that makes my heart race for all the right reasons.
If you are reading this while considering bariatric surgery, navigating life after gastric sleeve or gastric bypass surgery, exploring body contouring after massive weight loss, or simply standing at the threshold of your own transformation, I hope you know this: your story is still unfolding. You are worthy of support, worthy of community, and worthy of extraordinary things. Sometimes transformation begins with surgery. Sometimes it begins with a single decision. But it always begins with the belief that something more is possible.
XOXO, Dr. Betsy Dovec
