PINEHURST — Kelly Jones-Tice of Pinehurst is both half and two times the lady she utilized to be.
After effective conclusion of the bariatric surgical program at the FirstHealth Bariatric Center and mindful, continued upkeep of her way of life modification, Kelly is now 141 pounds, a shadow of her previous self at 329 pounds. Concurrently, the 49-year-old is accomplishing physical and efficiency accomplishments and affecting others’ health in methods she would have never ever imagined in the past.
“Ever since I was a child, I always fought weight and it was always on my mind,” stated Kelly. “There was never a time that it wasn’t a problem.” She began Weight Watchers in high school and attempted many weight-loss programs, often losing approximately 100 pounds. However, she constantly acquired it back – and more. “Plus, I was a stress eater, so that didn’t help.”
As local supervisor of 17 branches of PNC Bank in the Sandhills, Kelly is a wise, smart and experienced businesswoman. She has actually constantly had the ability to browse and master the most difficult of scenarios, so she was annoyed that she couldn’t resolve this circumstance herself. “Eat less, exercise more was the formula I had always heard, and I couldn’t understand why that wouldn’t work for me,” she stated.
Kelly isn’t alone. More than 93 million grownup Americans are impacted by weight problems, a metabolic illness specified by the Centers for Disease Control as having a body mass index (BMI) of higher than 30. “Obesity is a complex disease that the medical field is only beginning to understand,” stated FirstHealth Bariatric Center Program Manager Melissa Herman, R.D., LDN, CDE. “It is not a personal failure and is very difficult to manage without medical support. Since obesity is caused by so many factors, it can be difficult to control through diet alone.”
In the summer season of 2017, when she had actually resided in Pinehurst for 6 months, Kelly got up one Saturday early morning and couldn’t breathe. A journey to the emergency clinic exposed a lung embolism, an embolism that began in the leg and took a trip to her lungs – and might have been deadly. The medical professional stated weight problems was a most likely consider the embolism, so Kelly understood then and there she needed to get genuine, enduring aid. “That was my catalyst,” she stated.
She knew bariatric surgical treatment as she had actually pursued it while residing in Atlanta, however at the time did not have a high adequate BMI to be a prospect. However, in her research study online, she found a weight loss surgical treatment info session hosted by FirstHealth Bariatric Center cosmetic surgeons Drs. Raymond Washington and David Grantham. In it, the medical professionals discussed the program’s multidisciplinary method, that included not just cosmetic surgeons, however a nutritional expert, workout physiologist, psychologist and devoted nursing personnel to help clients through their private journeys for long-lasting success.
“This is it,” Kelly stated to her then-partner (now other half) Rich Tice after enjoying the session. “This is the change I need.”
Kelly went to an in-person info session, that included tape-recording her weight — 329 pounds. At the session, she listened to Drs. Washington and Grantham and gathered a wealth of info, vital for the experienced numbers expert. She likewise fulfilled Christi Embler, BSN, R.N., and a Certified Bariatric Nurse from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. “I was admittedly embarrassed to attend this session, but everyone, particularly Christi, had an incredible way of making you feel like this is a personal journey that truly matters – that you matter and you can get help.”
After consulting with Dr. Washington and examining numerous surgical choices, Kelly picked sleeve gastrectomy. This choice completely gets rid of 85 percent of the stomach, leaving it in the shapes and size of a little banana. This limits the quantity of food clients can take in and triggers hormone modifications that help with weight loss.
Even prior to her surgical treatment, Kelly understood this weight loss effort would be various than her previous efforts due to the fact that of one crucial element: assistance. “Between that first information session and surgery day, I received an incredible amount of support,” she stated. “I knew I wasn’t alone and had a whole team of health care providers and fellow patients who were right with me.” She began to go to semi-monthly, in-person group assistance sessions solely for FirstHealth Bariatric Center clients and signed up with an online support system to obtain as much info, suggestions and finest practices as possible. “I thrive on information and need to know what to expect,” she stated. “The folks who had ‘been there and done that’ were invaluable in my fact-finding mission.”
But then came an unanticipated blow when her insurer rejected protection. “I felt like I was sucker-punched,” she stated. She and Rich discussed their choices and chose to spend for it themselves. “This was an investment I needed to make,” stated the lender.
Saturday, June 23, 2018, was surgical treatment day and the conclusion of months of self-reflection and preparation. It was likewise the very first day of her long-lasting journey to continual health.
She ran out work for 4 weeks, primarily to get her body utilized to a brand-new lifestyle. Kelly fasts to mention that her post-surgery journey was challenging, as she experienced a minor
issue requiring a quick hospitalization. She likewise needed to handle a large range of feelings. “When you’re losing weight so quickly, emotions can run high in both directions and you can be quite vulnerable,” she stated. “Fortunately, my team included a psychologist who helped me sort through them. And Christi was always a call or text away. I never felt like she didn’t have time for me.”
She likewise resumed presence at the group assistance conferences. “Those Thursday nights were my recharging stations,” Kelly stated. At these conferences, she and her peers shared their difficulties and accomplishments. “One man didn’t have support from his wife in his weight loss journey, but we were there for him and he persevered.” This and the online group were (and still are, practically a year and a half after surgical treatment) important in her healing.
“We want our group meetings to be safe places where patients can discuss what’s going on with their journeys and themselves,” stated Embler. “We also cover a wide range of informative topics, including exercise with fun classes, cooking sessions with a patient who’s also a gourmet chef, goal setting with vision boards and other ways to get patients engaged in their continued personal growth. Family members are always welcome, too, as they are instrumental in their loved ones’ success.”
Kelly stated clients in the group sessions frequently discuss their next actions and for numerous, it is the elimination of excess skin left from weight loss. It existed she fulfilled and set up an assessment with Russell Stokes, M.D., F.A.C.S., medical director of Pinehurst Surgical Clinic’s department of cosmetic surgery. At Dr. Stokes’ workplace prior to the assessment, a nurse took pictures of Kelly. “The privacy was wonderful,” she stated. “She was very respectful and my face was never included in the photos, only the areas of my body that I said I wanted to change.”
Kelly stated Dr. Stokes is a warm, caring individual who “looked at me eye to eye and said ‘let’s talk about what you’re thinking of’ in terms of surgery. He discussed my options with me and was very upfront in sharing the pros and cons of each. That’s what I appreciated the most.”
“Kelly is a very motivated patient and one of her best qualities is she has very realistic expectations,” stated Dr. Stokes. “There are some things that can be corrected with surgery and some things that cannot, and it is very important to distinguish between those during the pre-operative consultation. Kelly did a good job of prioritizing the things that bothered her the most. While most weight loss patients choose to address the abdomen first, her thighs were her biggest concern, so we addressed those first.”
Kelly selected a breast lift with enhancement and upper median thigh lift, which took 7 inches off her thighs. Her post-surgery experience was extraordinary here too, as she felt invited to call her nurse Brandy Crawford, R.N., with concerns and issues. She will go through a 2nd surgical treatment to resolve her abdominal area in early 2020.
Now down 188 pounds from her preliminary weigh-in, Kelly has actually gone through a total improvement, both noticeably and undetectably. In May 2019, she flew to Chattanooga for a wedding event and her mom was set up to select her up at the airport. “Even though she had seen me a few months before, my own mother walked right by me,” stated Kelly. “She didn’t even recognize me!”
What’s more, Kelly reports being even more efficient at work and able to do among her preferred things she couldn’t do in the past: be active. The year prior to her surgical treatment, she bought an elliptical fitness instructor, however couldn’t work out even a minute on it. Now she can work out on it enough to get an excellent exercise. Plus, “I just took up jogging!” she exclaimed. “Since we live in a small community, I’ll see Dr. Washington out and about and I recently told him about my new hobby. He told me I was doing phenomenal and that I’ll be running in a 5k before I know it.”
“Kelly is extremely motivated,” stated Dr. Washington. “She is a good listener and has a tremendous amount of self-discipline and desire to be successful, both in the workplace and in the weight loss process. She went by the book to the best of her ability and used the team approach to deal with stress. She didn’t let things interfere with her goal.”
Embler concurred, “Kelly has been successful because she realized early on it wasn’t going to be easy, but she was firmly committed and trusted the process. She views the program as a tool to jumpstart her progress and has used each and every resource to make the most of it. We find that patients who have a structure in place, tap into the resources offered and reach out when they need help are more engaged and enjoy more success. Beyond the surgery, we want them to know they have gained a full family of support.”
One of Kelly’s most rewarding elements of her journey is her newfound capability to assist other weight loss clients, both online and face to face. “Just like the support that was extended to me, I want others to know they are never, ever alone. On the closed Facebook group, patients in all stages of the process post their questions and I can be right there, providing words of wisdom. Then I can meet them in person at the group meetings and it’s just wonderful.”
Since her surgical treatment in 2018, her business’s insurance coverage now covers bariatric surgical treatment. “My co-workers were very much a part of my journey and saw how it impacted my life, so I was thrilled when a colleague told me she was considering bariatric surgery and asked me to attend the information session with her.”
Another advantage of an effective weight loss journey? Royalty status, or a minimum of sensation like it. “Rich and I had been together for 11 years and kept saying we’ll get married, but we never got around to it. The real reason I didn’t push it is that I didn’t want to have wedding photos taken.” After finishing the program, Kelly and Rich were wed in the Florida Keys. “I felt like a princess in my wedding gown. That’s what Dr. Washington, Christi, Dr. Stokes and my entire team gave me.”
In 1999, FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital and Pinehurst Surgical Clinic signed up with forces to form the FirstHealth Bariatric Center, an extensive weight loss program in the Sandhills. Bariatric surgical treatment help those who are struggling with morbid weight problems by providing options such as lowering the stomach size or eliminating a part of the stomach. Different kinds of bariatric surgical treatments in the program consist of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy for substantial weight loss and upkeep for those struggling with morbid weight problems. The Very FirstHealth
Bariatric Center is staffed by an interdisciplinary group of bariatric professionals who supply quality education and assistance, prior to and after surgical treatment.
For info about the program, go to www.NCWeightLossSurgery.org.
Emily Sloan is assistant director of public relations for FirstHealth of the Carolinas.
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