Patient Stories
Elizabeth's Story
Elizabeth Bradley began considering bariatric surgery last year, and mentioned it to her best friend and sister, Yvonne. Elizabeth was busy with a full-time job and going to school full time, and the idea was eventually tossed out. However, when the Bradley’s third sister had bariatric surgery, Elizabeth began considering it as an option once again. Elizabeth presumed Fresh Start Bariatrics would be just like all the other programs she had previously researched, but decided to find out.
“The Fresh Start Bariatrics informational seminar was different from other ones because they talked about how much you needed to do before getting the surgery,” Elizabeth said. “It wasn’t just a quick-fix. It was a complete program.”
What really sold the program for Elizabeth was the surgeon conducting the seminar and performing the surgery. She said because Dr. Stephan Myers is doing this program simply to help people who are overweight speaks volumes to his sincerity.
“Dr. Myers is genuine; the focus he had the evening of the seminar really showed me he cared,” Elizabeth said. “I just had a different feeling with this program that I never had when I researched and visited other programs.”
Going through the bariatric process together was a great experience for the Bradley sisters. In fact, their surgeries were even on the same day! Having the complete understanding and support of each other was complemented by their family’s support.
“You have to have someone there to push you and say you can do it,” Elizabeth said. “Having Yvonne there with me made it a lot easier. When we were in the hospital right after surgery, it was easier because she would come over to the room and say, ‘OK, we have to do this walk this morning.’ And vice versa- we really needed each other.”
After surgery, increased walking and exercise have improved Elizabeth’s daily tasks and she sleeps through the night much better, but that’s not all. Elizabeth explains that it’s the little things that have made a dramatic difference in her daily life after surgery.
“I can sit in an office chair comfortably, and have room,” Elizabeth said. “Plus, my office building is doing renovation and there are a lot of steps; I notice now that going up and down is no problem. Before, there is no way I would have been able to do that.”
Elizabeth says she recommends the Fresh Start Bariatric program at Riverside Methodist Hospital to anyone who asks her about it, or anyone who is considering surgery. She explains the importance of understanding up front that this surgery is not a quick fix; you have to make a life change. For Elizabeth, the support of the nutritionist after surgery was extremely important. Not to mention, she was able to begin a guided exercise routine.
“Three months of being able to work out at McConnell health center really gets you in that workout mode,” Elizabeth said. “No other program I looked in to even mentioned nutrition and fitness after surgery. Fresh Start Bariatrics gives you the tools you need to succeed- even after surgery.”
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