Page 84 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2016

HEALTHY LIVING sleeve gastrectomy surgery UNBEATABLE
COMBINATION
Weight loss success and survivor doesn’t hide anymore
story by Lynn Lofton photos by George Perina and courtesy of South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss
Events and timing came together in Stacey Her- rington’s life to help her know that sleeve gastrec- tomy surgery was the right
way for her to lose weight. The Pascagoula resident is a two time, stage four breast cancer survivor. It was after her second bout with cancer that her weigh hit its high- est level of 248 pounds.
“After the double mastectomy and cancer treatment, I went through major depression and anxiety,” she recalls. “I didn’t want to see anyone or go anywhere. I was just miserable.”
A retired certified opthal- mologist, Herrington tried various weight loss programs but nothing worked for her. She didn’t have the energy and motivation to go
to a gym. “Two of my friends had successful weight loss surgery so
I decided to go talk to Dr. Avara,”
she said. “I wanted the least invasive surgery because I thought I needed one less foreign thing in my body;
I still have a port for my followup cancer treat- ment.”
Herrington explains
that with the sleeve gas-
trectomy, three-fourths of her stomach was removed and the surgical site was stapled and cau- terized making sure there was no leak. At first she could ingest only two ounces of fluid. Gradually,
the amount of liquids and food,
as well as types, was increased in stages. “I’ve had no trouble at all and I would do it again,” she says. “It’s been a breeze.”
Her surgery took place on Nov. 25, 2013. She has lost 97 pounds
STACEY HERRINGTON with Dr. Avara and her daughter, Gabbie Lynd.
84 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • July 2016