Shenell Mobley, a library circulation clerk in Jacksonville, Texas, is working hard to live a healthier life and care for her growing family.
Thanks to successful gastric sleeve surgery by Keith Charles, MD, and Mobley’s efforts to improve her lifestyle and eating habits, the future looks brighter for the 29-year-old.
It wasn’t always this bright.
“Before my surgery, I had sleep apnea, hypertension (high blood pressure) and pre-diabetes,” said Mobley. “I also struggled with back pain, sciatica and joint problems, since at my heaviest I weighed 350 pounds.”
Her weight added to other physical and mental stresses she experienced each day.
“As a busy single mother, I was trying to work and go to school, so I didn’t have a lot of time to cook for myself,” she recalled. “I ate at fast food restaurants for convenience and got into the habit of overeating. I usually ordered more than what one person would eat, sometimes going to one restaurant for one meal and another for something else. Of course, all my meals were ‘super-sized.’”
Her weight limited and severely hampered her activities.
“I could not drive my car and wear a seatbelt because I could never buckle it,” she said. “When I went to the grocery store, I often went to the pickup space so I wouldn’t have to get out of the car. I couldn’t tie my shoes properly, get on roller coasters with my son or even sit in a restaurant booth. At that time, there were too many limits on my life.”
Sleeve gastrectomy surgery
The solution to her excessive weight soon presented itself: bariatric surgery at the UT Health Tyler Bariatric Center. There she met with Dr. Keith, who discussed with her the different kinds of bariatric surgery:
To prepare for the surgery, Dr. Keith’s office set an appointment for Mobley to consult with a dietician.
“I met with the dietician to learn more about the changes in my diet that I would have to make after the surgery,” said Mobley. “Dr. Keith’s office was super supportive and encouraging. I really liked their practice.”
Mobley chose sleeve gastrectomy surgery, which involves the removal of a large portion of the stomach. It keeps the stomach at the same length but with a much slimmer width, like a shirt sleeve. No changes are made to the intestines.
Bariatric surgery at UT Health East Texas is performed with minimally invasive techniques. That means small instruments are used through small incisions and a camera for visualization. This leads to less pain, shorter recovery and better outcomes for the patients.
With a sleeve gastrectomy, approximately 80% of the volume of the stomach is removed. After surgery, patients eat much smaller meals and tend to have fewer cravings and hunger than they did before surgery. This is because most of our 'hunger hormone' is created in the portion of the stomach that was removed. Removal of that part of the stomach results in much less 'hunger hormone' produced.
Mobley came through the surgery without any complications.
Creating a new lifestyle
After her surgery, Mobley began to change her eating habits and increase her physical activities.
“Before the surgery, I used to skip breakfast, but now I will start my day with a light breakfast, like Greek yogurt,” said Mobley. “For a snack, now I choose meats and cheeses, trying to avoid the convenient fast food.”
When she does eat out, Mobley will sometimes pick up a salad from a restaurant and take it home. “If we eat in a restaurant, I will watch my portion sizes and not overeat. If I have a baked potato, I may just eat half of it.”
Mobley is also increasing the amount of physical activity during the week. “Once I recovered from the surgery and was cleared for exercise, I started going to a local gym,” she said. “I did water aerobics two times a week followed by a workout in the gym and two other gym workouts during the week. I have also picked up tennis, which I played in high school. I take walks in the park with my son, who is now twelve.”
Mobley and her son recently spent two days at Six Flags during his spring break. “We had a blast!” she recalled. “At the end of the day, we raced each other back to the car. I hadn’t run like that in a long time.”
Mobley’s efforts after bariatric surgery brought her weight down to 180 pounds, approximately 170 less than what she weighed at her heaviest. Since then, she has started to gain weight again, which is to be expected.
“My partner and I are having a baby,” she proudly stated. “We are ‘over the moon’ happy. Getting ready to welcome a new baby into our family will be our focus for the rest of the year.”
Mobley is happy with her weight loss and has recommended Dr. Keith’s team to others. “Just the other day a family member contacted me about the surgery for a friend of hers. I told her that I highly recommend UT Health Tyler Bariatric Center. The staff were so kind and helpful.”
“Dr. Keith’s team made me feel very welcomed,” recalled Mobley. “I had considered bariatric surgery in the past and went to a seminar at a different facility, led by a surgeon I didn’t like. But when I sat down with Dr. Keith for the first time, I really liked him. I had ‘a thousand questions’ but he sat with me and answered every single one. I sure appreciated him for that.”
Through it all, the surgery was well worth it to Mobley. “I didn't go into this program to reach a certain weight. My goal was just to achieve a better quality of health so I could do things with my family. I feel that I have overcome my past difficulties and have achieved my goal.”
For more information and to find out if you qualify for weight-loss surgery, visit our web page or call our office at 903-593-0230.