Our Patients
In November of 2007, Dr. Jay C. Long saved my life. I was a diabetic going on insulin. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and bad knees. I took seven medications a day, and they weren't working. I was told that I would be dead or in a wheelchair in two years. I was a size 26 and had been heavy all my life. As a result, I decided to have gastric bypass surgery.
After surgery, I am no longer taking medications, and I am healthy. I work out at the gym, and even my knees are better. I wear a size 4-6 now. It has been two and a half years, and I am still maintaining my weight. I have lost over 125 pounds.
I can now do all the things that make life worthwhile. I can walk on a beach, play on the floor with my grandchildren, fit in a chair or booth, go on roller coasters, go on a trip, go up stairs, and be able to breathe.
I am now healthier than when I was at 30, and I'm 62 years old. You are never too old to have a better life. I have a friend who is 72 and had it. She is doing well and has lost over 100 pounds in nine months. Never give up on yourself.you are worth it, and you deserve to have a good life!
If you are considering gastric bypass surgery, I can only say "do it." The only regret I have is that I didn't do it sooner.
I've struggled with my weight most of my life, losing weight with all kinds of diets only to regain what I had lost and usually adding more. I saw Dr. Long's advertisement in the paper about bariatric surgeries and decided to find out more. At the free seminar, Dr. Long said one thing that really hit me: "Diets don't work."
After the seminar, I set up an appointment with him. Dr. Long sat down with me and explained the pros and cons of LAP-BAND® vs. gastric bypass. He encouraged me to go with LAP-BAND®, answered all my questions and gave me written information to take home. After discussing with my husband, I decided to go with the LAP-BAND® procedure and started the process of getting health insurance to cover the procedure.
Within a week of surgery, I started my office visits with Dr. Long. He has always been concerned about my success and took time to find out how I was doing with restriction. Anytime I had any problems with my band being too tight and causing problems, he adjusted it and helped me to lose 90 pounds. Dr. Long and his staff, Debbie the office manager, and Sarah the receptionist, have always been positive and supportive. Veronica Patterson, the nurse in charge of the Bariatric program at St. Vincent's East has also been down the path of bariatric surgery, and she is very encouraging. It's been almost two years (May 6, 2008) since my LAP-BAND®procedure, and I've never felt better. I can do things now that I hadn't done in a long time, and I've had more energy. It's not without work, but well worth the effort when you follow your physician's instructions.
I had my gastric bypass surgery in October of '09 by Dr. Jay C. Long. I am a year and a half out, and I've lost 230 pounds. I was at a whopping 395 pounds and tried many weight loss plans until I finally made up my mind to have the surgery. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea, and after about six months out, all of my co-morbidities were gone. My life is now great! I can do things that I wasn't able to do at 395 pounds. The surgery was a blessing and a tool that I will use from here on out. Without it, I would probably not have seen my two boys graduate from high school. I'm 39 years old, and I feel like I'm in my 20s again. People ask me if I had it to do it all over again would I…of course I would – 100 times over! The surgery has been a lifesaver. I do want to thank Dr. Long and his staff for being so kind and helping me along the way. Dr. Long answered my questions thoroughly and was very meticulous with the surgery. He was always courteous when I saw him, whether it was at St. Vincent's East or St. Vincent's St. Clair. He's the kind of surgeon you'd want to see when you wake up from surgery – to thank him for saving your life and giving you another chance. If you are having doubts about having gastric bypass surgery, don't!!! Let Dr. Long and his staff help you toward a healthier lifestyle.
In April of 2009, Dr. Long and I began the journey to save my life. I weighed 236 pounds and was 4 feet 10 inches tall. As Dr. Long and I discussed, I was headed for disaster. I had no co-morbidities...YET. I wanted to have gastric bypass surgery, but I was quite nervous and scared. After going through the process, I knew this surgery would save my life. When I woke up from the surgery and spoke with Jeff, I knew I would be fine. The first few weeks were tedious, but I was focused. Now, it is one year later, and I have to tell Dr. Long, Jeff, Debbie, and Sarah…THANK YOU! You all are such a great support team, and neither my husband nor I could have done it without you!!!!!!! All of you played a role in saving not only my life but my husband’s too. Everyone in my family has seen the great work that Dr. Long and his staff do, and I believe that he is very passionate about helping those like me who feel there is no hope by encouraging us to take that next step and that anyone can do this if they just follow the guidelines. Now, I weigh 116 pounds and feel better than ever. My husband lost 230 pounds, and we are both very grateful and thankful to the staff at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery for all the support we received.
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