Page 116 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2019
P. 116

TSAVES WOMAN’S
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of Sandy Tapper
here are times in our lives when we realize deep down that it’s time to make a change. For Sandy Tapper, that moment happened on a vacation.
“I was so unhappy with the way I looked and felt, and I wasn’t enjoying my life,” she
said. “When I went on a trip to Disney World, I had to use a wheelchair in order to get around. It was very embarrassing.”
When she returned home, Tapper began looking for a solution in earnest. A few of her friends and relatives had undergone weight loss surgery and spoke highly of their experiences. Having seen their weight loss transformations firsthand, Tapper decided to give it a try for herself.
She ultimately found the team at South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss and knew she had found the right place.” They were amazing and very encouraging the whole way through, and I felt that with them in my corner I couldn’t fail. Any fear or concern I had was immediately addressed, and they made the entire experience less frightening.”
With their support, Tapper opted to receive a gastric sleeve and has lost 103 pounds. “I went down six sizes in clothing and I feel better right now than I have in 20 years,” she said. “I feel like the staff at South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss truly saved my life.”
And in truth, they did. Through the surgery, doctors discovered that Tapper had a stomach tumor that had caused no symptoms. “Because of this surgery it was removed and biopsied to find it was cancerous,” she said. “I thank God that it was found when it was. When I say this surgery saved my life, it did in more ways than one and I’m so thankful I did it.”
The South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center has been helping men and women like Sandy Tapper 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.
ABOVE: TAPPER before seeing South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss. RIGHT: TAPPER after her gastric sleeve surgery and losing over 100 pounds.
Life
HEALTHY LIVING gastric sleeve
SURGICAL WEIGHT LOSS
DR. WILLIAM AVARA, III
DR. JASON PAYNE
South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center
1124 Oakleigh Road, Ocean Springs 228.872.7277 • www.smsurgicalweightloss.com
116 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • January 2019 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net


































































































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