The first thing one notices about Latoya Barrett is her energy.
The Wilmington resident never meets a stranger, and as the chief operating officer at Purpose Church, she stays busy creating new programs and the classes.
“Young people, I can out-do them. I can out-go,” Barrett said with a chuckle.
But not long ago, the 45-year-old lacked energy and her blood pressure registered 232/111, which placed her at risk of a stroke.
Barrett, who has struggled with her weight, was also experiencing complications from a lap-band surgery performed in Atlanta many years ago, and she was no longer losing weight. These issues led her to seek help from Dr. Colston Edgerton, a bariatric surgeon with Novant Health.
After several visits, Edgerton opted to remove the band and perform a sleeve gastrectomy using a minimally invasive procedure and removed 75 percent of her stomach.
Barrett noticed a difference almost immediately. The issues created by the lap band were gone, and she had more energy. She has since lost 53 pounds. But for her, the decision to have surgery was less about losing weight and more about getting healthy.