Read our Grand Rapids Bariatric Surgery and Medical Weight Loss Patient Stories

We would love to post your bariatric surgery success story! Use our form to share your journey. If you would, please include what procedure you had. Thank you!

If you would like to submit a testimonial, please use this form.

Now I can LIVE! Like most people, I have struggled with weight all my life. I was average size all through school, but in college, I didn't just gain the "freshman 15", I gained 40!! That was the start of my yo-yo fad diets, everything from pills, starvation, diet plans, counting points - you name, it I tried it. I was never successful in keeping the weight off. In 2007 I was at my heaviest weight ever - almost 300 pounds. "How did I let myself get this big" I would cry to myself. I was addicted to food. I had to make a major lifestyle change. I had sleep apnea, high blood pressure, arthritis and was miserable!! Then God opened the door at Grand Health Partners. My new life started on May 8th, 2008. I am so blessed to have Dr Kemmeter and his awesome staff in my life - I am a different person on the outside for sure, but my gratitude for all that you have done to make this possible in my life will never change. I was wearing a size 26 and now am in an 8-10. I want to first thank God for His undying love and provision in my life. I am forever grateful!! I want to thank my husband, Eric, and my kids Jace, Emma & Seth, family and friends for loving me and thinking I'm beautiful at any size. Your support has been the most important. Please feel free to email and ask anything - Blessings in your life journey's. Amy Harrington

NOW I can!! For years I was in knee and hip pain due, according to my doctor, to my weight. I can now walk and climb stairs without having to stop and rest! I have been heavy most of my life, got to the point where I gave up dieting (tried every diet known to mankind) and resigned that I would be fat until I died. My daughter, Amy, had gastric bypass surgery from GHP in May of '08....had dramatic results and from then on, encouraged me to look into the surgery for me. Thank the Lord, I was approved and had my surgery on May 26, 2009! The staff at GHP are awesome! I was treated with the upmost respect and care. At 61, I have my life back and feel 20 years younger!!! I now look forward to living a healthier and happier life...thank you Grand Health Partners and Dr. Kemmeter for all you have done to make me a better me!!!!

I only have one regret. That is not having the surgery sooner. I had the ds surgery. Today makes exactly 16 weeks from the day of surgery. Over Memorial Day weekend I got invited to Mackinac Island for a three day bachlorette party, with seven young women and a woman my age. I will be 53 next month, and I feel like I am living again. I would not have been able to walk the Island like I did. I kept up with the young women, went on a sailboat ride, put a bathing suit on in public, and walked at least 5 miles a day. Before surgery, I was too short of breath and tired so easily. THANK YOU GRAND HEALTH PARTNERS, for giving me my life back. Joan Austin.

NOW I CAN have my husband to share my life. NOW OUR KIDS can have their father to watch them grow up. NOW WE CAN grow old together. I am writing this from a different perspective. My husband had gastric bypass surgery 6 months ago. His weight at surgery was 415 with many comorbities, his highest weight was 468, his liver and kidneys were shutting down, he is currently at 228. He has his life back and I have my husband back. He no longer has high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol or countless other health problems, his liver and kidneys are coming back and he has a chance to live out his life. He has gone from 8 meds to 3 and I am sure soon will be off some if not all of the 3 remaining meds. I have noticed so many positive changes in him, he is so much more outgoing, enjoying his old passion of golf, riding a bike, being active with the kids, being more romantic, just generally HAPPIER. Ric had the Duodenal Switch procedure in October of 2009 with Dr. Kemmeter and he and his staff were amazing. My husband has never felt better. Thank you for giving me my husband back. I was so encouraged and proud of him and his progress that I had gastric bypass surgery as well with Dr. Kemmeter in December, I am doing great too and will post my story soon. Amy Collins, proud and happy wife

NOW I Can! I am 63 years young and now I feel even younger. The energy I have is just unbeliveable. You don't have to be young to do this, you just need a "want something better out of your life" attitude. Dr. Foote preformed my operation and I'm so greatfull, it is hard to express how I feel. I started my weight loss at 293 and as of 05/16/2010 I have lost 123 pounds! By this fall I will be at my goal weight of 140 to 150 pounds. I dropped weight so fast I couldn't keep up with my clothes, so I quit buying them at department stores and started to get everything from Goodwill to keep down the spending. I found you can get a lot of "almost new" clothing for close to nothing. This summer my husband and I plan to hit a lot of yard sales. This is something we can do together and something that we both enjoy. If you have been thinking about doing this don't stop with just the thought... do it! You'll never be sorry!

Now I can do...EVERYTHING! It has been 1.5 years since my Roux-en-y surgery and i have lost 190 lbs-more than 1/2 my weight! The changes in my life are phenomenal! I was injecting insulin 3x per day and 10 months after surgery...insulin free! I could not stand or walk around for more than 30 minutes without excruciating back and leg pain...and now I can walk and stand indefinitely PAIN FREE! this amazing journey has transformed me into a new and vibrant woman experiencing life again. This gave me the confidence to finally rid myself of an alcoholic husband. My sister used to call me the "I CAN'T girl"...everything she asked me to do...places she wanted to go...I always responded "I can't do that...I can't fit in that chair...I can't stand that long...I can't walk that far" etc...now my sister looks at me and says "Who are you and what did you do with my sister?!" I am so blessed to have had this surgery without difficulties and the kindness and caring staff at Grand Health Partners.

I had the DS with Dr. Kemmeter. I think my before and current pictures say it all! I'm down 111lbs and still losing. My post op life is great and I don't feel like I'm on a "diet" There are so many things I look forward to this summer... golfing, boating, amusement parks, bike riding, canoeing and just not being on the sidelines. It's amazing how 111lbs makes daily tasks much easier. I would highly recommend GHP to anyone considering weight loss surgery!

November 12th, 2009 To prospective patients of Dr. Paul Kemmeter and Grand Health Partners, I am essentially a bariatric surgeon’s worse possible nightmare. Not only a huge guy at 6’ 8” and 530+ pounds at the time of my procedure, but four previous major (open) abdominal surgeries resulting from an auto trauma has left me full of scar tissue and adhesions and nearly impossible to operate on safely. Two years of searching for a bariatric surgeon resulted in consultations and completion of the entire preliminary process with three separate prominent Michigan bariatric surgeons. All three physicians encouraged me and were positive regarding their ability to help me. All three independently concluded that a non-invasive (scope) procedure was impossible for me and all three eventually rejected me as a candidate for any type of bariatric procedure within two weeks of my scheduled surgery date. Explanations for my rejections varied, but I eventually came to believe that I was being rejected because I represented a poor prospect for surgery in terms of financial return on investment for the practices involved. The effects of two years of my effort and expense ending only in unceremonious rejection were devastating to me in both financial and emotional terms. Then by God’s grace I came to Grand Health Partners where I met Dr. Paul Kemmeter. Not only did Dr. Kemmeter successfully perform my bariatric surgery, he did so non-invasively using an arthroscopic procedure that the three other prominent Michigan bariatric surgeons said that for me, was not possible. To date I am down over 100 pounds and am still losing weight. I have recovered much of the joy of life that was lost to me for so many years. I know if you are reading this that you have likely suffered much of the same physical, emotional and social trauma that I did for so many years. I am writing this to assure you that you are now in the right place to get the help that you need and deserve. Through his enormous skill, dogged determination and first and foremost, commitment to genuinely helping his patients, I am giving my highest possible recommendation to Dr. Kemmeter and Grand Health Partners. Sincerely, Mark H Kalamazoo County, Michigan P.S. As a layman I am obviously not qualified to comment on any medical or behavioral issues, but if for any reason you would like to communicate with me regarding my bariatric surgery experiences or for additional reference, please do not hesitate to email me at the address below. And just for your information and reassurance… My relationship with Dr. Kemmeter is only that of a very happy patient. I have no other affiliation with the Doctor or with Grand Health Partners. bariatricsuccess@gmail.com

I had my surgery In January of 2006. It was a life changing experience. I was over 400 when I started, with the special diets. Now 3 years later I am down to 190 pounds. It helped that I was a lucky one that was able to get the excess skin and tissue removed from my stomach. I had that done October 14,2009. For the first time since I was in high school I can look down and see all of the tops of my legs. I can cross my legs to put my socks on. Never could do that. Sorry I don't have any pictures to put on here yet. thanks and don't be afraid to start the process to a new and better life. Thanks, Gladys Thompson

When I first met the staff, in their former office, I was 25 years old. I was referred to the clinic by my doctors office to do a food management class. I was overweight, but had no other complications. That class was not beneficial to me, because my weight loss was minimal. Six months later my doctor referred by back to the clinic. At that time I was 26, a single mother, insulin-dependent diabetic, had high-blood pressure and was 408 pounds. I woke up everyday with a sense of nothingness. I didnt feel like I was living life, but I was merely exsisting. I remember small everyday things that some people really dont pay attention to, but bothered me tremendously. Things such as tying my shoes, setting in a booth and even fastening my seatbelt became a huge task. I even had to sit in a special chair at church with metal legs instead wooden ones, because I had broken 2 already. That was the point I knew that I had to do something. I was given Dr.Kemmeter's name from a friend who had just undergone the surgery, right before my intial appointment. The staff was very helpful, informative and showed that they were genuinely concerned with my well-being. I dedicated myself to do whatever was necessary for my surgery to be as successful as possible. Dr. Kemmeter was the best doctor I have ever had the oppurtunity to work with. He was knowledgeable about his craft and made sure that any doubts that I had were answered. I knew my options, before making a decision and was not pressured into having a procedure done I wasnt comfortable with. We worked as a team to make sure I was fully prepared for what the future held for me. When the surgery date finally came I was nervous, excited, anxious and relieved all at the same time. I wasn't sure what to expect or how I would feel physically before or after the surgery, but Dr.Kemmeter and his assistant Todd were at my bedside ensuring me that the choice I had made would be one of the best. Needless to say, it has. I lost a total of about 180 pounds and was just 3 pounds away from what Dr. Kemmeter figured my goal weight would be. I am no longer taking ANY medicines for diabetes or hypertension and haven't been on them in over 2 years. One of the greatest achievements I have seen thus far was being able to conceive. I ive birth to a healthy baby boy on June 16, 2009. Years prior to my surgery, my Ob/Gyn told me that if I didnt lose weight I would not be able to have any more children. I know that without having worked with the Grand Health Partners staff that would not have been possible. I am extremely grateful for all the help and encouragement over these past years. Whenever I have an issue or concern, their staff is right there. I thank God, for being connected to such an AWESOME medical staff! I am even more thankful that I am finally able to more then just exsist...I can finally LIVE!

<< Start < Previous   1 2 3   Next > Last >>