Blog | Bailey Bariatrics

Family exercises together after bariatric surgeries

Let’s be clear – there is nothing easy about having bariatric surgery, but the rewards can be great.

“There's a common misconception that bariatric surgery is the easy way of losing weight,” said Brandon Cranor, 47, who lives in Bartlesville with his wife Mindy and their two sons.

“The changes in what you eat, how active you are and what you learn about living a healthy lifestyle can be mentally and physically difficult. However, the new lifestyle that arises from these challenges makes the hard work well worth it,” he said.

Cranor was used to living with... Read More »

Single parent gains confidence after bariatric surgery

Before her surgery, Courtney Edwards, 37, didn’t have much time, energy or confidence to work out at a gym. That all changed following her sleeve gastrectomy surgery at The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center.

“My daughter Cheylee, who is now 4 years old, was still pretty young when I had my surgery,” said Edwards. “It was during the COVID-19 pandemic when a lot of people, including me, were working from home. The only time I exercised was when we went outside and I’d push her in the stroller. At that time, I weighed 246 pounds, so walking was the limit of what I could... Read More »

Don Taylor staying the course during bariatric surgery journey

After receiving a difficult medical diagnosis and then losing his wife, Don Taylor began a journey that he would be on for the rest of his life. The responsibility he felt for his two daughters led him to undergo bariatric surgery and start on a pathway to a life without limits.

Making a change

At 46 years old in 2014, Taylor was diagnosed with severe atrial fibrillation (A-fib), a type of abnormal heartbeat. The Claremore resident... Read More »

Bariatric patient blooming after gastric bypass surgery

Dorothy Checotah is blooming after bariatric surgery

For someone who loves to garden and travel, walking a short distance used to be difficult for Dorothy Checotah.

Whenever the 69-year-old retired social worker/counselor left her Tulsa home, she had already thought out where to park, whether there would be stairs to climb and how many steps it would take to reach her destination. She developed these habits years ago when she had a series of surgeries.

“I had back surgery that involved fusing my spine,” she recounted, “and later had both knees replaced. It was hard for me to get around without the use of a cane. On top of... Read More »

Melissa Purdy finds overall health improvement after bariatric surgery

After years of researching options and planning for bariatric surgery, Melissa Purdy, 49, is finally experiencing life without limits. In 2020, she attended a seminar at Bailey Bariatrics, where she learned her employer's provided health insurance didn't cover the cost.

"At that point, it kind of got put on hold and I was exploring how I was going to pay for it," said Purdy. "One of the reasons I switched jobs was so that I could get different insurance."

Feeling like she'd missed out on part of her children's lives and facing the possibility of a second knee replacement,... Read More »

Bailey Bariatrics inspires patient so much she joins the team

Stacie Burns could never find the motivation to take control of her health and her weight. But after a series of events enticed her to sign up for a class at Bailey Bariatrics, she followed through and eventually had bariatric surgery.

Along the way, she was so impressed by the care she received that she applied for a job and was hired by the same health care providers who helped her lose weight.

Jerred Richison living life without limits after bariatric surgery

After spending time in Bailey Medical Center’s metabolic management program (MMP), Jerred Richison decided he could use more of what Bailey Bariatrics has to offer. The 31-year-old Bristow native found some success with the program, but quickly realized he needed to make a more dramatic change for his health.

The goal of Bailey’s metabolic management program is to create a healthy life for overweight and obese patients with a body mass... Read More »

Hoskins, mother of six, makes new memories with family after weight-loss surgery

The summer before her 40th birthday, Meleah Hoskins decided she needed to make a big change. At 393 pounds, she found it difficult to keep up with her husband and children. When Hoskins, a school principal from Stilwell, received a recommendation to go to Bailey Bariatrics from two colleagues at a summer school session in 2021, she started on a life-changing path.

Hoskins was struggling to spend quality time with her family after long days at work. She said she had no energy to be a mother to her six children.

“By the time I got home every day, I was exhausted. My husband... Read More »

Kindergarten teacher gets her life back after surgery

For 45-year-old Tera Mitchell, a kindergarten teacher at Westwood Elementary School in Stillwater, it had been a long time since she was comfortable in her own skin.

“In high school, I suffered from two emotional eating disorders: anorexia and bulimia,” Mitchell said. “During that time, I convinced myself that I was totally in control. My ‘dirty little secret’ was that I thought I knew exactly what I needed to do to keep the weight off, even if it was going to mess up my health. I was so mistaken.”

Mitchell tried all kinds of diets and pills to help her lose weight... Read More »

Chika Okwufulueze receives bariatric nursing certification, will have positive impact on Bailey Bariatrics patients

Since she joined the Bailey Bariatrics team in 2019, Chika Okwufulueze, APRN, FNP-BC, has been passionate about giving her patients the best care possible. After three years, she has received a new certification that will help both her patients and her community at Bailey Bariatrics.

Inspired by her grandmother, who was a traditional midwife, Okwufulueze studied to become a registered nurse in 2015 and board-certified family nurse practitioner 2018. She became interested in bariatrics because it is easy to see when she successfully helps a patient achieve a total transformation.... Read More »

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