I had always been small and petite throughout my life and even competed in pageants like Miss Alabama. Then, after having two children and gaining weight each time and going through menopause, I really packed the weight on and was never able to lose it all.
I became uncomfortable with myself after I gained weight. I stopped wanting to go out and it got to the point where all I did was go to work and come home. Once I realized I was over 200 pounds, I said “okay that’s it.”
I had talked to a few people who had gastric sleeve surgery, and I finally decided that I was going to go talk to a doctor and see if I was a candidate.
I decided to visit a few different doctors and get a better feel for what to expect. I met with one group and I just felt like I was in a cattle call there. There was no sense of personalized service so I decided to keep looking and that’s when I found Dr. Long.
I made an appointment to see Dr. Long and I felt totally comfortable with him from the start.
He spent an enormous amount of time with me going over everything and making sure I understood all of my options. After talking through everything, he told me he believed gastric sleeve surgery would be the best option for me.
The process leading up to the surgery was very simple. We scheduled my surgery about two weeks after I first met with Dr. Long. I went to the nutrition class on a Monday, had my surgery on a Tuesday and went home the same day. The following Monday I was able to help my son get to a doctor’s appointment and by Tuesday I was back to work.
After surgery, I noticed I wasn’t as hungry and I couldn’t eat much. If I did eat too much I would feel sick so I had to learn what I could and couldn’t eat. Luckily, I’ve always been a creature of habit, so once I found what worked for me it was easy to stick to.
I am so much more active now. I never sit down. Before, I would get home from work and immediately go to the couch, but now I have the energy and ability to do anything I want.
My advice for anyone considering gastric sleeve surgery, is if you’ve thought about it, think about it some more and do your research. It has been the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I’m 16 months out from my surgery and I’m back to a comfortable and healthy weight.
Dr. Long and his staff are just wonderful. If you have any questions or need to call for anything they’re always there to answer your questions. I have had a great experience and I can’t recommend it enough. Since my surgery, my neighbor has also had gastric sleeve done and one of my best friends just had it about two weeks ago. I give it high praise.
Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery is a caring group of professionals who specialize in all types of bariatric surgery. Our surgeon Dr. Jay Long has highly specialized training in bariatric surgery, having completed a fellowship in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, where he focused on taking care of patients that are morbidly obese. And we are so proud of our pricing that we publish the costs right on the front page of our website! Insurance won’t pay? We have a variety of financing options we can offer you so that you are able to get the healthy body you’ve wanted for years. Visit us today at http://www.bmisurgery.com/ or give us a call to set up a consultation at 205-833-6907.
