"I can't believe the difference this surgery has made in my life. I'm so much more confident now, and I feel healthier."

With her 35th birthday approaching, Darcie Mitchell reached a hard conclusion. At 5´6´´ tall, her 304 pounds put her in a size 26 and meant she was morbidly obese. Every birthday increased her health risk. She needed help.

"Diabetes and heart disease run in my family, so I knew it was a matter of time," Darcie says. A Bronson labor and delivery nurse, she knew first hand of the hospital's quality of care and the expertise of its physicians. She turned to Bronson Medical & Surgical Weight Management where she learned of many options for weight loss surgery, along with non-surgical alternatives.

After discussing her options with Stuart Verseman, MD, Darcie felt the best choice for her was the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure, which surgically reduces the stomach to the size of a small egg. It also reroutes part of the small intestine to limit the absorption of food and calories and increase the feeling of fullness.

"I can't remember when I was a normal weight," says Darcie. "My whole adult life I've never been smaller than a size 14." Unlike many children growing up with a weight problem, Darcie maintained a positive attitude. "I hung out with all the popular people, but I never had a boyfriend and I went to prom by myself," she says.

Darcie played sports in junior high and early high school, but found less time for sports as school became more rigorous. Always aware of her weight, as hard as she tried, she couldn't lose it. When she did, she couldn't keep it off. Eating became habit - larger portions and a snack in front of the TV. As the birthdays passed, diet and exercise became harder to maintain.

As a Bronson employee, Darcie knew the program her insurance required prior to her having surgery was excellent. And she says the support before, during and after surgery was exceptional. "My whole experience was amazing," explains Darcie. "Knowing there was a monthly support group available was helpful. The care I received, from preoperative testing to my discharge after my surgery, has been great. The staff at all levels is so professional and compassionate."

Darcie's laparoscopic gastric bypass procedure took 3 1/2 hours and a included a 48-hour hospital stay. "I am no longer hungry all the time," Darcie says. "I get regular exercise and I see the results." By the end of her first eight-weeks, Darcie had lost 50 pounds. Today, at 158 pounds, she wears a size 10.

"Now, people are always trying to set me up with friends and family," Darcie says. "They'll say, 'I know a guy you should go out with...'"