Blog | Bailey Bariatrics

Where Are They Now - Tracy Mason

When we first introduced you to Tracy Mason, she was six months post-op and already realizing a successful journey after weight loss surgery. That was March of 2014. Today, Tracy has celebrated her one-year “surgiversary” and is checking back in with us to share more about new milestones reached.

I had my surgery September 24, 2013. I was having a difficult time getting any weight off. I had tried so many diets and failed. I was getting so heavy, approaching 300 pounds and embarrassed to have my picture taken. I decided it was time to get help.

My neighbor had gastric bypass 12... Read More »

Importance of Support Group

Janet Bustos underwent metabolic surgery May 1, 2013. As her progress post-op continued, she made a commitment to herself to stay engaged in the program at The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center through the active GEAR Support Group Network. Today, Janet not only attends support group monthly, she also leads a group in her community. Listen to Janet share why she thinks support group involvement is important for post-op success. Click here to view all the GEAR Support Group locations.

WLS Tips - How to Eat Slowly

Registered Dietitian Rene Norman, RD/LD, is tackling a tip today on our blog to help post-op bariatric surgery patients successful in their weight loss journey - learning how to eat slowly. It is something that takes practice and patience.

It’s often quite a surprise to learn how slowly you really need to eat after surgery. For those of you that have had surgery, you know that even one very small bite too many can be painful or lead to vomiting. Before surgery, we encourage you to eat slowly to learn that it takes about 20 minutes of slowly eating before your brain recognizes your... Read More »

Working on a Full House – Fertility after Weight Loss Surgery

Athena knew her life was not was it was meant to be. “I was severely hindered,” she explains. “I thought I was destined to always be obese.” Dieting, she says, never worked due to a condition called hypothyroidism, leading to a hormone deficiency. Fatigue and weight gain plague many people with this condition. For Athena, trying to lose weight was like swimming upstream. Her efforts produced minimal results. Not only was it frustrating, it was compounding other problems with her health. “I had high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and many other health problems... Read More »

Holly Shares Her Journey to Her New Life

Holly Winslow shares her journey with The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center today on our blog.

Where do I begin? Well let’s start with where “my” journey ended, with me weighing in at 260 pounds. My knees hurt when I walked and I got really good with hiding my real feelings behind a smile. I was miserable, and yet every exercise I tried seemed to end in total failure and me turning to food. I felt like I was not worthy of being healthy or thin for that matter. Each diet I tried ended in disappointment and more pounds packed on. I would weigh myself each morning thinking... Read More »

Off the Sidelines – Robert Carey Shares His Story

As soon as I found out that I was a candidate for the program at The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center, I got excited at the possibilities of what lay ahead of me and the changes that I thought were pretty much out of reach anymore. I hadn’t given up, but it had gotten pretty frustrating and the toll the extra weight was taking on my joints and back was mounting fast.

Since my surgery, I have met and exceeded my expectations, such as dropping below 200 pounds. At 52 years old, I can say that I haven’t been at that weight since I was in 8th or 9th grade. Now I enjoy... Read More »

Blogging About the Weight Loss Journey

Lecia Gibson is not afraid to put herself out there. The healthcare professional in her 40s, wife and mother of two, shares her personal journey since bariatric surgery at The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center on her blog – Skinnymejourney.blogspot.com. “Originally the blog was a therapeutic thing for me,” she says.

“I have spent the biggest part of my life as an obese person,” Lecia explains on her blog. “I have (as most people) tried multiple fad diets, exercise and have played the yo-yo weight loss game for many of those years.” She knew that, although she was not... Read More »

Pregnancy after Weight Loss Surgery – Cathy Shares Her Story

Some of life’s greatest moments and accomplishments can’t be measured. The arrival of Cathy Dodson’s son, James Matthew Dodson (Mattie), is one of those moments. “I delivered my miracle baby on April 25, 2014,” she says. That day may not have been possible, Cathy says, if it weren’t for a decision she made in 2012. “I had been working on getting healthy for a couple of years, but I could not get the extra weight off,” Cathy explains. “On December 3, 2012 I had a sleeve gastrectomy performed by Dr. Brandon Varnell. My life has completely changed since then.”

Following surgery, Cathy... Read More »

Determined to Succeed

“Life happened, I guess,” Randy Thomas, 41, says of trying to understand how a former high school athlete and U.S. soldier could get to this point. “I couldn’t overcome my obstacles.” Randy suffered a broken back in 2000. His leg and foot were left partially paralyzed. “I felt this was a huge failure. How do you let yourself get to 420 pounds? I didn’t know how to prevent it.”

He tried on his own to lose weight and get back in shape. There were times he lost weight and times it came right back on – the scale moving like a metronome as he swung between 420 and 360 pounds. “I... Read More »

“My Wake Up Call” – Debi Shares Her Story

Debi George was on the diet roller coaster and her health was not enjoying the ride. “I tried years of diets, weight watchers, diet supplements, doctors, HCG, and many more fad diets losing and gaining and up and downs,” she explains. While her weight went up and down, her blood sugar and blood pressure kept going up. “My diabetes was out of control, as well as my blood pressure, more importantly, my self esteem and feelings of poor self worth.”

For Debi, it was both an emotional and physical toll. “I never felt good,” she adds. “Walking from my car into my house, I would be out of... Read More »