Page 88 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2020

HEALTHY LIVING
HEALING
Local Nurse Uses Her Success to Motivate Others
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster Wphotos courtesy of Tereeta Roberts
orking in the medical eld as a registered nurse (RN) in the bariatric department at Singing River Health System, Tereeta Roberts has seen illness
of every kind. The 39-year-old RN from Moss Point has stood beside countless patients as they made important life decisions regarding their treatment.
“Watching them make these tough decisions was a reality check for me,” said Roberts. “Many of my patients came to
a point in their treatment where there were few options left. While I wasn’t dealing with medical problems of my own at the time, I knew I was overweight and I knew what my future would be if I didn’t do something to improve my health.”
Having worked alongside the surgeons from the South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center (SMSWLC) before, Roberts says selecting them was a no brainer. “I saw how their surgeons worked postoperatively with their patients, I was familiar with the team and comfortable with the journey that SMSWLC o ered.”
For Roberts, that journey started with selecting her surgeon. “I’ve worked with Dr. Avara for almost 16 years now,” she recalled. “He’s one of the surgeons who started our Center for Excellence at Singing River Hospital, so who better to choose? I took care of many of his bariatric patients from day one. He’s the kind of doctor who talks to you as if you’re at a backyard barbecue. He’ll let you know why what you’re doing is not working and what you should be doing instead.”
Dr. Avara is known for letting his patients know that bariatric surgery isn’t the easy way out – it’s simply a tool that, paired with hard work and a strong support system, can o er
patients their greatest chance for success. “I’m lucky in that
I get to experience that success over and over again,” says Roberts. “Getting to share my experience with my patients is the best feeling ever. When patients are in pain, nauseated, unmotivated, or just needing reassurance, I tell my story and I can immediately see the change in their facial expressions and their mood changes completely. I love being able to motivate patients and let them know that things get better. This is only
TEREETA ROBERTS before and after her gastric sleeve surgery.
the beginning.”
The South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center has
been helping men and women like Tereeta Roberts 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. Bariatric procedures are performed at Singing River Health System, a MBSAQIP Accredited Center.
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 (bariatric) 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
88 | December 2020
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living