For much of her life, Kristina Rhodes had battled with her weight. After feeling defeated for quite some time, she started to consider weight loss surgery.
“Before bariatric surgery, I tried everything under the sun to lose weight,” said Rhodes. “From diet pills to numerous exercise programs, I felt like I had tried it all and everything kept failing. After a while, I talked to my husband about pursuing weight loss surgery. After doing some research, we found The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center, so I signed up to go to one of the seminars in Muskogee.”
Rhodes took immediate action to get started with the program. “Following the seminar, I got in to see Dr. JoeBob Kirk, medical director at The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center,” stated Rhodes. “From the start, he was so nice and explained the surgical options very well. After discussing, he said that the sleeve gastrectomy would be the best option for me. He advised me to keep coming to the regular appointments leading up to surgery and to participate in the sleep studies and additional testing. Through this, I found out that I had sleep apnea and was borderline diabetic. My body mass index was also way higher than what it should have been. Learning all of this made me realize I had to get healthy.”
The steps prior to surgery required some real determination. “The two week liquid diet was extremely hard for me,” explained Rhodes. “Luckily, my husband and my son are a great support system.”
After much anticipation, the day of her surgery finally arrived. “I was put to sleep and wheeled back to the operating room with Dr. Kirk,” Rhodes said. “The next thing I remember is waking up in my hospital room.”
The news that Rhodes would soon receive would change her life forever. “A few minutes later, my husband came in and had a look on his face that I’ll never forget,” Rhodes stated. “I looked over and asked him what was wrong. He said that when the doctors were about 10 minutes into my surgery, they found a mass on one of my ovaries.”
Rhodes was referred to a cancer specialist in Tulsa. “I went to the first appointment not knowing what to think,” said Rhodes. “The doctor was very concerned and said he needed to operate as soon as possible to remove the mass. He told me that if we didn’t remove the mass soon, it would keep growing and if it was cancerous, it could spread to other parts of my body. In the event that it was cancerous, I would have to undergo a full hysterectomy.”
Rhodes, who was hoping to have more children, was heartbroken to hear this news. “The main reason I had bariatric surgery was so I could continue to have more children,” explained Rhodes. “We wanted at least one or two more kids. The doctor told me that there was a possibility of a partial hysterectomy, but he wouldn’t know anything for sure until he saw the mass.”
Rhodes remained optimistic as her surgery date approached. “I didn’t know what was of ahead of me, but I was hoping for the best,” Rhodes said. “After the surgery was over and I was waking up, I saw my husband sitting in my room and he was crying. At that moment, I knew a full hysterectomy was performed. The doctor came in shortly after and told me that the mass was cancerous and they had removed all of my ovaries, meaning I couldn’t have any more children. It took me a while to fully come to terms with that.”
Even through the hard times, Rhodes kept a positive outlook. “I always tell my husband that things happen for a reason,” stated Rhodes. “Having the bariatric surgery was the best thing I could have done for myself. If I wouldn’t have had that surgery, I would have never known that I had cancer. I always tell people that Bailey Bariatrics saved my life. Without this program, I might not have been alive in the next five to ten years.”
Rhodes is now a support group leader in Muskogee. “I have made so many incredible friends through our support group,” said Rhodes. “Everyone involved with the Bailey Bariatrics program has treated me so well. I absolutely love it and am so glad to be a part of this journey with everyone involved. I am able to do so much more now and I feel so alive.”
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