Page 135 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2021

“From an early cancer diagnosis to my wife being able to reach her arms around me for the rst time, there
have been so m”
any moments that I am
thankful for.
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
self-conscious even around my spouse.”
Reaching a point in their struggles where they both realized
they weren’t enjoying life to the fullest, the Parnells decided to look into surgical weight loss.
“We decided to undergo weight loss surgery, not because we were too lazy to try diet and exercise or because we wanted an easy way out, but because we came to the realization that if we didn’t make some big changes we would not live to see each other get old,” Michael said. “We had been married 6 years and wanted to see that number be more like 56. That wasn’t a possibility with the way things were, and though we made a lot of changes before considering surgery, it wasn’t enough.”
As a nurse manager, Michael had previously worked alongside many of the surgeons from the South Mississippi Surgeons team, including South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss’s Dr. Jason Payne. He was not only con dent in Dr. Payne’s abilities, but that both he and Melinda could reach their goal of overall health.
Both Michael and Melinda opted to receive a gastric sleeve because of its proven e ectiveness and lessened complications compared to other procedures. Since their surgeries in December of 2017, the couple has lost a cumulative 310 pounds with Michael losing a total of 190 pounds and Melinda losing 120 pounds.
In November 2020, Michael was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. “He’d had a swollen area on the side of his neck that I was worried about, so he went to get it checked out,” Melinda said. “A few weeks after the diagnosis, he mentioned that if he hadn’t had surgery and lost the weight, I probably never would’ve noticed the swollen place on his neck. Surgery literally may have saved his life. That’s probably been the single most impactful revelation I’ve had since surgery.”
MICHAEL AND MELINDA before weight loss surgery.
The couple has been enjoying their time together and
are thankful for the many ways that their lives have been changed. “From an early cancer diagnosis to my wife being able to reach her arms around me for the rst time, there have been so many moments that I am thankful for,” Michael said.
The couple has also discovered a new love of kayak shing since their surgeries. “If you’d told either of us four years ago that we’d be buying kayaks, let alone shing o of them in the Gulf, we’d have both laughed in your face!” Melinda said. “Now, it’s something we do every chance we get.”
The South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center has been helping men and women like Michael and Melinda Parnell to meet their weight loss goals since their formation in 2000. Founded by South Mississippi Surgeons, they have been providing the Coast with quality surgical care for over 30 years. Surgeries are performed at Singing River Health System.
To learn more about weight loss surgery, visit smsurgicalweightloss.com, where you can register for a free webinar to start your weight loss journey.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
May 2021 | 135