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 was literally coming and peeling me out of the car,” said Hoskins. “I was not able to be a mom, and I knew I was probably not going to be around to see grandkids one day. Two days after my 40th birthday was my initial visit to Bailey Bariatrics.”
After a consultation and information session, Hoskins started seeing Brooke Hunt, APRN FNP-C, to start her bariatric journey.
“My goal for all my patients is safety, first and foremost. It is imperative they understand the process prior to surgery,” said Hunt. “This is a lifetime, long-term commitment, lifestyle change. We really try to get them to focus on what their lives will look like permanently after this procedure.”
“I think you go in with hesitation because you hear the good, the bad and the ugly from other patients,” said Hoskins. “One of the things that drew me to Bailey Bariatrics was the very thorough and long-term follow-up process.”
After several educational appointments with providers, Hoskins had a duodenal switch surgery performed by Christopher Cole, D.O. on Nov. 10, 2021. This surgery involves removal of part of the stomach and a bypass of the small intestines.
“A duodenal switch is the most invasive bariatric surgery completed in the clinic,” said Hunt. “It is a restrictive and malabsorption surgery, mostly used in patients with body mass indexes (BMIs) greater than 50. It also dramatically improves Type 2 diabetes.”
“Dr. Cole was very thorough in explaining what the process is going to entail, used graphics to show what he’s doing, and definitely makes sure you’re comfortable with what the process is going to be,” said Hoskins. “I think if I would’ve ever shown any kind of hesitation or concerns, it would have been immediately addressed.”
Hoskins lost 193 pounds in the year after her surgery and has since been able to make new memories with her family that she never could before her weight loss.
“For the majority of my kids’ lives, we would go to water parks, and I could never ride any of the slides or the rides or enjoy myself with them,” said Hoskins. “This summer, for the first time, I got to live life with them at the water parks. I got to ride roller coasters with them for the first time in my adult life.”
As part of the bariatric process, Hoskins revisits Bailey Bariatrics to stay on top of her exercise and diet. She sees Liz Burgess, M.S., RD/LD, who helps her stay on track.
“My goal is helping them stay up with those habits, but everybody’s different. I figure out how to help them fit it into their lifestyle, what’s going to work for them, their schedule, their pace,” says Burgess. “Meleah is a very hard worker. She’s really trying hard to make habits, because with the switch, it’s not easy. But she’s doing awesome, and she’s very receptive to everything.”
The duodenal switch procedure makes a substantial change to the small intestine, where much of the body’s nutritional absorption happens.
“That’s why it’s so important to focus on the nutrition side after a switch procedure,” said Burgess. “A big thing with Meleah was energy levels. We just want to make sure she’s staying on top of her protein intake and her hydration.”
Hoskins says guidance from her bariatric providers on her weight-loss journey helped her find the motivation she needed to stick to her healthy habits.
“They answer questions you don’t even know you have. It’s a process I would recommend to anybody,” said Hoskins. “I never felt a level of discomfort. I would encourage people to step out and do it for themselves. I was living what I thought was life, but now I know that I wasn’t.”
Hunt and Burgess agree that the team approach to patient care sets Bailey Bariatrics apart from other weight-loss surgery programs.
“Everyone that works here really cares,” said Hunt. “We care about individuals, we care about outcomes, and we care about success. We get to see people really start living life, not just existing.”
“The team approach is hands-down the best thing about Bailey,” said Burgess. “We have everything all in one shop; you really can’t find that anywhere else. We do actually care about the patients as a person, it’s not just a number on a surgical dashboard. We’re invested in their health just as much as they are.”
Learn more here about Bailey Bariatrics’ free seminars. You can also call 918-376-8410 to speak with a staff member about weight-loss surgery or about the metabolic management program.