Michael Junger’s health had forced him into an early retirement and was a primary cause in his need for a knee replacement.
Junger had a 40-plus year career as an electrician but being overweight had taken its toll on the Broken Arrow resident.
“I couldn’t kneel down anymore and getting up on a ladder was tough,” said Junger, who retired in 2018, four years after experiencing a heart attack.
Doctors would not perform the knee replacement until Junger lost some weight.
“Once I realized Medicare would help pay for bariatrics, I started looking around at places who did the surgery,” he said. “I initially looked at another health care facility, then I checked with Bailey. They were a lot more informative and more on top of what Medicare would pay for.”
Junger first met with The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center staff in July 2021 and found a program that connected with him. Through adjustments to his dietary and activity routine, he lost 57 pounds before he had the sleeve gastrectomy in October 2021.
“They listen to you,” Junger said of the Bailey staff. “They listen to what your thoughts are and try to work things out the way you like.”
He has continued to make progress since the surgery. Junger walks 2 ½ miles a day and has enjoyed greater mobility as a result. In a little over a year since first joining the program, Junger lost 164 pounds.
After previously taking three medications just for his heart, he requires just half of one medication. He recently went rowing with his wife, something he had never done and has more energy to play with his grandchildren as well.
“It’s a 180-degree shift,” he said. “Life is just unbelievable. I can do a heck of a lot more than I could before.”
Junger credited the staff at Bailey with their support and expertise in helping him succeed in his weight-loss journey and doesn’t hesitate to share his story with others.
“My life is totally different now than it was a year ago,” Junger said in August 2022. “It gives me a different outlook. It’s totally worth it. It can change your whole life. I can’t thank Bailey enough. Everybody steps up and they do a thorough job. I tell, ‘If you choose to do this, the people at Bailey are going to know you inside and out.”
To learn more about Bailey Bariatrics’ free seminars, click here, or call 918-376-8410 to speak with a staff member about the weight-loss surgery or the metabolic management program.