Keith Hurst constantly takes pictures of himself so he can actually see the results of his weight loss. “I take pictures because when I look in the mirror, I still see a big man, but when I see pictures of myself and compare them to the pictures before surgery, then it becomes real. I actually see the difference,*” he says. Keith reached his highest weight of 460 pounds while working as a truck driver for several years. Today, he is down to 268 pounds and went from a size 60 in pants to a size 40 after 
having gastric bypass surgery in August of 2015 at the Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center*. Post-surgery, Keith feels the best he ever has at the age of 45 and has become very active*. “I’m walking more, being more active and I did the St. Patrick’s Day 5k in March*. That was one of my goals, to participate in that if I could, so I did!”
Keith had been overweight since he was 6 years old. He was 270 pounds in high school, and reached the 300 pound mark when he was 19. He continued to gain weight, and reached his highest weight of 460 pounds in 2000. “I wasn’t insulin-dependent yet but I knew I needed to make a change. I lost 100 pounds and was down to 360 pounds.” In 2013, medication needs helped contribute to Keith gaining the weight back to 400 pounds. This weight gain required him to also take insulin for his diabetes. “I always wanted surgery but I couldn’t do it because my job didn’t cover it.”
Keith’s hopes were fulfilled when he moved to Tulsa in 2014, and got a job that would cover the surgery. “I went to several weight loss surgery seminars once I moved to Tulsa, and liked Bailey’s Bariatrics program the best. What I love most about 
Bailey, is the support of the program, the network, the meetings and the diet before surgery. I see how it all fits together for patients to succeed. The training is there, the education to help you succeed afterwards is there, that is what I tell everyone.”
He continues a high-protein diet post-surgery and remains very active. “I’m looking for new hobbies and trying to remember what I enjoyed doing before I was overweight,” he says. “I don’t take shortcuts anymore*. I take the stairs instead of the elevator and I don’t watch as much TV.” Keith also bought a bike and is working up the stamina to ride his bike to work which is three to four miles. He now encourages others to have the surgery. “I attend the support groups and share my experience, and I tell people, even though I had to stay in the hospital, it’s still the best thing I’ve ever done*.”
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