Russell Powell's Bariatric Surgery

Hello all. Thank you for visiting our fundraiser. Honestly, this is a step I never thought I’d be taking.

Almost anyone who knows me knows I have struggled with my weight for the last 20-plus years. Long story short, I was always a skinny kid growing up and active in things like basketball, golf, and marching band (and yes, marching band may have been the best exercise of the three!). But I had terrible eating habits during that time, even for a teenage boy.

Ultimately, when I graduated high school, most of that physical activity stopped and sadly, my eating habits only got worse with my new-found freedom in “adulthood.” Over the years, the weight came only slowly, but steadily. At different times, family, friends, and even a couple of bosses tried to help me face the problem and do something about it. I often made excuses for the problem, downplayed it, or even said that I was currently taking steps to deal with it (even if it was clear that I wasn’t).

Truthfully, I did try many times over the years to lose weight through various diets. But as is often the cliche, the discipline wouldn’t last and the weight would come back on.

Then in 2016, an amazing thing happened. In God’s blessed providence, I met a woman willing to look past my physical failings and love me despite them. We were married in 2017 and her love and care for me has never once faltered in our entire relationship. She has constantly been my voice of conviction and encouragement. She has been patient with me every time I’ve said I would do something about my weight and then failed to do so. She has prayed for me constantly, even as my weight problems made our life together more difficult in many ways.

For several years, Madysen has tried to get me to see my relationship with food as an addiction. I do see that now (even though like many addicts, I denied it for many years). Then earlier this year, she asked me if I would consider attending a seminar on bariatric surgery. I initially resisted for several reasons: denial that I was in “that bad of shape,” embarrassment because I knew internally that I was, and fear both of what surgery would be like and the possibility that like all my previous weight-loss attempts, it would ultimately not be successful, leaving me with nowhere else to go.

But over several weeks, I saw the wisdom of her suggestion. We attended a seminar at The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center and we were both amazed at the program they have built. Bailey is rated as one of the top 10 Bariatric Centers in America. Their success rate is high because their program goes far beyond surgery. Patients meet with dieticians, exercise specialists, and psychologists before and after surgery to receive the tools they need to be successful long-term.

Madysen and I decided we wanted to move forward with the process and do it with Bailey. The problem is that our insurance does not cover bariatrics (or any procedure recommended with morbid obesity as a cause). And since we are self-employed, getting our insurance through the marketplace, we have been told it would essentially be impossible for us to find a plan that would. There are lenders to offer loans, but even if we could qualify (which, at this point, would be a stretch), we could not afford the payments on top of our other debts. So we are left to ask friends and family to partner with us. We simply have no other way forward. We need prayer from everyone willing. But for those that are able, we humbly ask that you donate.

We want you to know that we do not take your generosity lightly. We (well, I) feel an enormous responsibility not to waste the money given to us. And while this is definitely a last-ditch effort to deal with the problem that is putting my life in danger, it is absolutely not an attempt at a quick fix. Bailey’s program is designed for success. It is strict and it is comprehensive. We have come to believe it is simply the best and only option remaining for us.

Honestly, we are not sure how much money we need. The cost of the surgery varies widely depending on which specific procedure is needed. Additionally, there are consultations and tests needed from a variety of specialists (cardiologists, pulmonologists, psychologists, etc…) to make sure that I am healthy enough to have the surgery.

Trying to create an estimate that takes all of that, we are hoping to raise $35,000.

For those who are interested, and especially for our donors, I will be providing a blog in some form that will have regular updates so you can see my progress and know how best to pray for us. Once it is up and running, I will let everyone know. Again, thank you for visiting. Thank you to those who will pray and thank you especially to those who donate.