Page 142 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2019

High
HEALTHY LIVING gastric sleeve surgery
HEAD
HELD
Weight loss surgery helps local woman to regain her con dence
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of Melynda Rico
ven as a child Melynda Rico struggled with her weight, but after having four children, Rico
found herself heavier than ever before. “When I had my last child in 2005, I weighed
290 pounds,” she recalled. “Even after I delivered, I was astonished when I realized I weighed 289 pounds
– just one pound less than when I was nine months pregnant. I was disgusted with myself and knew I had to make a change.”
Rico’s sister-in-law highly recommended Dr. Avara
and the team at South Mississippi Surgical Weight
Loss. “I went into the process knowing that I was in
good hands,” Rico said. “The doctors and staff were so friendly and helpful, and always explained everything in detail. If I ever had a question, they were right there with the answer.”
After deciding to receive a gastric sleeve due to the shortened recovery time, Rico was anxious to get the process started. “I was so ready to get to the surgery part of my journey and start living a different life, but there was a four month waiting process with my insurance, and it seemed like a lifetime,” she said.
The surgery was well worth the wait though. Since February of 2018, Rico has lost an astounding 104 pounds and is down from a 22 pant size to a size 10. “I feel 100 percent like a different person,” said Rico. “I have a higher self-esteem, more confidence in myself, and I’m not so self-conscious anymore.”
Before her surgery, Rico often felt like she was looked down on by others when she went in public and constantly worried about her appearance. Now she walks with her head held high. “Everywhere I go, I go with confidence and know that I am worth it,” she said. “Many times I looked to the wrong relationships to give me the confidence and love that I did not have for
LEFT: RICO before seeing South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss.
RIGHT: RICO after her gastric sleeve surgery and losing more than 100 pounds.
myself, and it caused me a lot of hardships and hurts and anger in myself. But my emotional self-esteem doesn’t depend on anyone else anymore.”
The South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center has been helping men and women like Melynda Rico 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.
To learn more about weight loss surgery, visit their website at smsurgicalweightloss.com, where you can register to receive a free information session.
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
142 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • May 2019
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