Page 98 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2021

HEALTHY LIVING
the LIFE she ALWAYS
Woman Regains Con dence After Surgical Weight Loss
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of Penny Helle
I t’s easy to take the little things for granted, but sometimes the smallest moments are the most signi cant. Penny Helle of Moss Point cried and laughed, overwhelmed with
emotion as she crossed her legs for the rst time in years. Prior to receiving care from the South Mississippi Surgical
Weight Loss Center (SMSWLC) just over a year ago, Helle’s health had been steadily declining as the needle on the scale creeped higher. “I had almost reached 300 pounds,” she recalled. “I was having issues with walking. I was getting worn out easily and had to be put on a CPAP machine to sleep at night. I didn’t have the energy to enjoy activities with my family and friends. My life was a miserable existence.”
Helle had seen several of her friends win their battles against obesity with the help of the doctors at SMSWLC and hoped to see those same results in her own life. “I choose Dr. Avara as my surgeon,” she said. “I could go on forever about how wonderful he is. He has encouraged me from day one, and he never made me feel bad about my weight.”
At Dr. Avara’s recommendation, Helle chose to undergo a gastric sleeve surgery. “My beginning weight was 289, and now I’m at 150,” said Helle. “I have maintained this weight for over a year. Before my gastric sleeve, my pant size was a 26. Now I can wear a size 6, which just makes my head spin!”
Best of all, Helle has regained control of her life. “This procedure has helped minimize my depression and anxiety so much that my doctor has lowered the doses of my medications,” she said. “I have more con dence now, I no longer walk with my head down or hide myself from the public. I feel I’m living the life I always deserved and will not go back to the person I was before my surgery.”
PENNY HELLE before and after her gastric sleeve surgery.
The South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center has been helping men and women like Penny Helle to meet their weight loss goals since their formation in 2000. Founded by South Mississippi Surgeons (SMS), they have been providing the Coast with quality surgical care for over 30 years.
Visit the South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center website at www.smsurgicalweightloss.com, where
you can register by watching a free webinar in less than 30 minutes and learn about surgical and non-surgical weight loss options.
DR. WILLIAM AVARA, III DR. JASON PAYNE DR. JOHN HALL
South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center
1124 Oakleigh Road, Ocean Springs 228.872.7277 • www.smsurgicalweightloss.com
98 | January 2021
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Deserved