Page 59 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2017

I wanted to be able to get all fancy and take my fiancé, Priscilla, out for a night on the town. When I went to try on a suit off the rack a couple of months ago, I didn’t have to take the biggest jacket off the rack and she broke down in tears of joy.
recalls Dr. Avara’s words to him. “Right before I was put under anesthesia he said, ‘I am giving you
a tool, but this is just a tool. It’s up
to you to put this tool to use in order to get the most out of this surgery.’” Those words stuck with Walraven, and inspired him to give his health his all.
“After surgery, I changed my eating habits and began a regular exercise routine,” said Walraven. “Between the meal prep and nutrition classes as well as the after-surgery care I received from the staff at South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss, I was able to successfully change my lifestyle.” Just over a year after his surgery, Walraven has lost a total of 190 pounds.
One of the biggest eye-openers for him has been the way his clothes fit now that he has lost so much weight. “Our uniforms for work are supplied
James Walraven
for us, and it has been great having to get new uniforms every few months as I continued to lose weight,” Walraven said.
Another of his post-surgery goals was to look good in a nice suit. “I wanted to be able to get all fancy and take my fiancé, Priscilla, out for a night on the town. When I went to try on a suit
off the rack a couple of months ago, I didn’t have to take the biggest jacket off the rack and she broke down in tears of joy.”
The South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center has been helping men and women like James Walraven 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.
JAMES WALRAVEN once weighed 477 pounds.
DR. WILLIAM AVARA, III DR. JASON PAYNE THE STAFF at South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center
South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center
1124 Oakleigh Road, Ocean Springs 228.872.7277 • www.smsurgicalweightloss.com
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December 2017 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 59