HAVE A CUP OF JOE WITH JOE – My Weight Loss And Surgery At Shouldice Hernia Hospital
If you noticed my Cup of Joe column was missing from the April 2026 issue and being posted on our Website, you get a gold star! For those who did not notice — shame on you . . . just kidding!
In the first week of March, I became a patient at the renowned Shouldice Hernia Hospital in the GTA where I underwent bilateral inguinal hernia surgery. Biz X magazine Publisher Deborah Jones knew
I would need post-operative home recovery and rest. She insisted I take the month off, and I thank her for her thoughtfulness.
Coincidentally timed with our Safety & Health edition — which looks at many different aspects of wellbeing — I’m sharing the 12 month journey that reshaped my health, from major weight loss to the outstanding surgical care I received at Shouldice Hernia Hospital.
I hope my story motivates readers tackling their own health goals!
Let’s start with a bit of background on my recent health transformation. Back in April 2025, I stood 6’2″ tall and weighed 302 lbs. For decades, I battled chronic high blood pressure (145/95, even with three different medications). I experienced lower leg edema and was frequently short of breath when climbing a flight of stairs.
Then . . . by April 1, 2026, I had lost 100 lbs, weighing in at 202 lbs — nope, this wasn’t an April Fool’s Day prank! My daily blood pressure improved to 115/75, I was down to only one blood pressure medication,
and the edema was negligible. I was no longer feeling short of breath when climbing stairs.
What methods contributed to my substantial weight reduction over the course of 12 months?
With support and encouragement from my friend and doctor, Frank S. DeMarco, I started Wegovy, a widely used GLP-1 medication. Wegovy is a weekly self-injection that suppresses appetite. Combined with daily use of my two home exercise bikes, thrice-weekly strength training at Performance Fitness & Wellness Centre (2451-D Dougall Avenue, Windsor), and better eating habits, I’ve reached my healthiest state in 30 years.
While Wegovy can cause side effects, I have not experienced any. Over the course of many years (decades) of my weight gain, an earlier diagnosed chronic right inguinal hernia remained asymptomatic.
Following my 100-lb weight loss, that all changed. The hernia reemerged, accompanied by increasing discomfort and swelling. I humorously referred to it as “My Mount Everest.”
Dr. DeMarco referred me for an ultrasound — which identified a significantly larger right-side inguinal hernia — as well as a smaller left- side hernia that had not been previously detected.
On November 28, 2025, Dr. DeMarco wrote a referral letter to the Shouldice Hernia Hospital (Shouldice) recommending me as a patient for bilateral inguinal hernia surgery. I am incredibly grateful that I was
accepted.
Shouldice is an internationally renowned specialty facility in Thornhill (GTA), Ontario. It is recognized as the global leader in non-mesh hernia repair, utilizing a proprietary “natural tissue” technique developed by Dr. Edward Earl Shouldice in 1945.
The hospital is located in a 17,000 square foot mansion on a 23-acre estate in Thornhill, which was originally constructed in 1937 and owned by George McCullagh, founder and publisher of The Globe and Mail newspaper, until his death in 1952.
In 1953, Dr. Shouldice, with his surgical practice in downtown Toronto, acquired the property and established a second facility within McCullagh’s mansion, intentionally selected to provide a “non-hospital” atmosphere reminiscent of a country club or private home. This unique setting is designed to encourage early patient mobility and foster social interaction, both of which are integral to Shouldice’s recovery methodology.
As Cindy Giroux, Manager, Public Relations & Communications at Shouldice, explains: “A three-level wing was added to the mansion in 1968, raising capacity from 36 to 89 beds.”
Administrative offices and admissions are in the former mansion area. The first level houses five operating rooms, a pre-op room, the medical device reprocessing department, and workstations for the surgeons to
update patients’ medical charts. At the opposite end of this level there is a commercial kitchen, a formal dining room for patients and staff, and rooms for maintenance and building supplies.
The second and third levels contain nurses’ stations, common areas for patients and semi-private patient rooms (and one private room). Shouldice operates as a private, for-profit hospital, a model unique in
Ontario’s healthcare system. The Private Hospitals Act of 1973 prohibited new private hospitals, but Shouldice, existing before the law, kept its license. Unlike most Ontario hospitals, which are non-profit
corporations overseen by community boards, Shouldice is a publicly funded, privately owned enterprise managed by the Shouldice family.
“The hospital specializes exclusively in the surgical repair of external abdominal wall hernias,” states Giroux. “Surgeons at Shouldice, trained in the unique hernia surgical technique, collectively perform over 7,000 procedures annually with notable expertise.”
Giroux continues: “While most current hernia surgeries use synthetic mesh, the Shouldice method employs a four-layer suture technique to overlap and reinforce the patient’s own tissue.”
The hospital reports a 98.5% success rate for primary inguinal hernia repairs. Complication and recurrence rates are well below the global average, often less than 0.5%.
Patients usually stay for three to four days. During this supervised recovery they participate in prescribed exercises and communal dining to encourage movement, following a “walk-it-off” philosophy that aids
healing and reduces the risk of blood clots.
Situated within 23 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, the Shouldice hospital stands out for its non-clinical atmosphere. Each patient room has private closets, dressers and a private washroom (toilet and sink) and is intentionally free of a television and telephone, promoting patient mobility during recovery.
There are pool tables, shuffleboard tables, exercise bicycles throughout, and the common areas feature large-screen televisions and tables for cards and board games.
Several prominent individuals have chosen Shouldice for their hernia repair including celebrities, athletes, and politicians such as the late NDP Leader Jack Layton, former Prime Minister Joe Clark, U.S. Senator
Rand Paul, and U.S. Consumer Advocate Ralph Nader. The hospital keeps patient identities confidential, but some former patients share their Shouldice experience publicly.
Shouldice manages its own intake process. Local patients (within 1.5 hours) attend their clinic directly, while those farther away, like me in Windsor, complete an online Medical Questionnaire.
After it was reviewed, I received admission confirmation for Monday, March 2, 2026, along with instructions for blood work, ECG, allergy and diet forms, and medication lists.
The staff at Shouldice were helpful throughout, from admissions to nutrition advice and payment assistance. All medical costs were covered by OHIP, and my room and board were $50 per night after my
hospitalization insurance coverage.
Meals in the formal dining room were fresh, nutritious, prepared onsite, and served by attentive staff — nothing like typical hospital food. The meals were more like five-star restaurant dishes. My favourite was Eggs Benedict one morning for breakfast.
Dr. Simmons and Dr. Yilbas performed my two surgeries over three days with support from surgical nurses and an anesthetist providing local anesthesia and IV conscious sedation. Four hours post-surgery, floor nurses assisted me with getting out of bed and walking as part of the recovery protocol.
After being discharged Saturday, March 7 in the morning, I took the VIA Rail train home to Windsor. Six weeks later, my recovery is complete. I’m back to gym sessions, daily cardio, and long walks with my dog, Bess.
I have consistently supported Canada’s national health care system. While not flawless, it offers better options than many other countries and lets me choose my preferred medical delivery model.
I chose Shouldice for my surgery due to long wait times of 10 to 12 months with Windsor’s general surgeons. While Windsor has excellent surgeons, feedback from many local Shouldice alumni, plus Shouldice’s mesh-free, natural tissue technique, convinced me it would offer a better outcome with less risk of recurrence.
The Shouldice Hernia Hospital employs 10 to 15 specially trained surgeons (and several assisting physicians) and provides free annual check-ups at the hospital or through Mobile Exam Clinics across
Canada.
PLEASE NOTE: There is a mobile clinic in Windsor scheduled for May 25 to 29 at the Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton Windsor at 1840 Huron Church Road.
Alumni patients can book appointments for exams and rechecks online at the beginning of May through their booking portal.
The clinic also welcomes anyone wishing to consult with two Shouldice surgeons about hernia surgery.
Thank you to Cindy Giroux for generously helping me share my Shouldice experience with Biz X readers.