Susie Martin dealt with weight-related issues throughout her adult life after being diagnosed with high blood pressure by age 18. But one doctor visit in 2019 was a wake-up call.
“A doctor told me if I kept on the same path that my son would be without a caregiver,” said Martin, who has a special needs son. “I knew that couldn’t happen. I had to be there for him.”
Referred to The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center by a couple of her coworkers who had weight-loss surgery, Martin attended her first seminar in 2020 and had weight-loss surgery in August the same year.
“I had thought about weight-loss surgery before,” she said. “I actually followed through this time. I’m glad I did.”
Since her surgery, Martin has lost nearly half of her body weight and now experiences more out of life than she ever did before. During March 2022, Martin participated in her first 5K. She and her family took their first vacation to Disney World during the summertime.
“I didn’t have a seatbelt extender to ride any of the rides and I wasn’t even fatigued from walking,” she recalled. “I pushed my mom around Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in her wheelchair. I never would have been able to do that before.”
Martin said she feels like a new person and credited the Bailey Bariatrics staff with their role in her success.
“I was scared when I first went in there, but the team was very reassuring,” she said. “They were great with me. They answered all my questions.”
Martin encouraged others facing similar circumstance, to consider reaching out to Bailey Bariatrics team for a possible solution.
“I’d say definitely do it,” she said. “My only regret is I didn’t do it sooner. I tell people the key is to follow the plan and take advantage of the follow-up visits and get into support groups.”
To learn more about Bailey Bariatrics’ free seminars, click here, or call 918-376-8410 to speak with a staff member about weight-loss surgery or about the metabolic management program.