Weight loss surgery helps hairdresser go from size 20 to 8

Like most people who decide to have weight loss surgery, Stacie Burton felt as if she had no other option

Like most people who decide to have weight loss surgery, Stacie Burton felt as if she had no other option. “I’d diet to lose a little and then gain back twice as much,” she said. “I tried medications, nothing worked.”

As a busy mother of two, Burton, 33, stands all day at work as a hairdresser. After her second child was born in 2009, the weight just kept piling on. It literally was weighing her down.

“I hurt all the time – my back, my legs, my arms. I laid around and dragged around with no energy

She had not yet developed serious health issues, except fatigue and pain, but she feared the day her heart couldn’t take the strain any longer.

At 5’3” and 272 pounds, Burton decided to face her fears and talk about surgery. “I was afraid, but I finally decided being overweight was a greater risk than surgery.”

Her fears evaporated the day she met surgeon Anthony Davis, MD, at Baptist Health Paducah. “From Day One, I knew he would do what’s best for me. He’s smart, and he knows his stuff. He’s very thorough and very real. I never felt rushed, and I just felt he went above and beyond to help me.”

They discussed gastric bypass because of her acid reflux, but she wanted the sleeve gastrectomy. After her six-month medical weight loss program and two-week intense “liver shrink” diet to lessen any surgical risks, she had her surgery on June 7, 2017, at 255 pounds. One week later, she was back at work. A year later, she’s at 161, within just a few pounds of her goal.

“I’ve gone from a size 20 to a size 8,” Burton said. “It’s just unbelievable! I have so much energy and feel so much better!”

Her new energy helps her keep up with her 8-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter. Despite a schedule of working all day and going to their activities at night, they have changed their habits of drive-through fast food to healthier diet and exercise. “I use the treadmill and weights, and walk the neighborhood when I can.”

Her acid reflux problems vanished, along with the Mexican, Italian and fried foods from her diet. Even when she has a treat, as during their recent family vacation, she has learned moderation. “It was one scoop of ice cream in a cup – not three on a cone!”

Burton’s success has inspired others:

• “My daughter wants to take selfies with me now!”
• “My son brags on me to his friends.”
• “My mom is so proud of me.”

And, most gratifying to her, several friends have followed her example. “I know 15 of my friends have had the surgery since I have. We all think, ‘Why did we wait so long?’ I am stronger than I’ve ever been, and I just feel so richly blessed.”

For more information on Baptist Health Paducah’s bariatric program, phone 270.443.4519 or visit www.baptisthealthweightloss.com.