Jennifer Ballew knew she needed to do something about her weight and her high blood pressure. It’s why she tried all sorts of diets and even an appetite suppressant – to varying degrees of success, none of which lasted.
But in 2022 when a good friend who also suffered from high blood pressure experienced a fatal heart attack, Jennifer knew it was time to get serious. That’s when she made an appointment with Longstreet Clinic’s Center for Weight Management.
“When I lost my best friend, I knew I had to do something. I have two kids, and I had to get my health under control,” Jennifer said. “I knew my weight was a problem; it had been pretty much all my life. But it was also scary to have the kind of high blood pressure I was dealing with.”
When Jennifer made her first visit to the Center for Weight Management and Dr. Eric J. Velazquez, FACS, FASMBS, her Body Mass Index (BMI) registered at 59 (normal weight BMI is considered between 18.5-24.9 BMI), a number which put her in the category of Class III obesity. With that understanding, Dr. Velazquez set about helping Jennifer to find a plausible and lasting solution to real health. And it was an approach that made a real distinction for the patient.
Dr. Velazquez recommended bariatric surgery for Jennifer, specifically, a Roux-en-Y (RNY) gastric bypass. It was then that she went from skeptic to believer.
“I had done my research for several years. And before I started working with Dr. Velazquez, I was like ‘I don’t know; I can do this on my own,’” Jennifer said. “But the way he worked with me and the way he presented everything, it really helped me make up my mind.”
Now she cannot imagine a life without bariatric surgery.
Since undergoing a gastric bypass on Sept. 13, 2023, Jennifer has lost 235 pounds. She no longer suffers from high blood pressure or body aches. She’s off all blood pressure medications, and she’s living an active and fulfilling lifestyle with her twin boys, DeAngelo and Israel.
“Everything about it has far exceeded my hopes. I feel like I’m 30 years old again, or even younger,” Jennifer said. “Dr. Velazquez changed my life, and I only wish I had done it sooner.”
In fact, Jennifer’s gastric bypass was so successful that she decided to undergo a second procedure with Dr. Velazquez called a panniculectomy. A panniculectomy is a surgery to remove excess skin and, in Jennifer’s case, that procedure came in March 2025 (18 months after the bypass).
“Not only is she healthier, but she’s also happier,” Dr. Velazquez said. “You can tell by her demeanor. She’s more comfortable in her own skin, and that’s built a lot of confidence in the way she presents herself.”
When she does talk to others who are considering surgical weight loss, Jennifer is emphatic – especially when it comes to the Center for Weight Management.
“I tell others don’t wait. Do it. It’s worth it. You won’t regret it, I promise you,” Jennifer said. “Dr. Velazquez changed my life.”
Learn more about Jennifer’s journey and how the Center for Weight Management helps patients to gain back control of their lives – and enjoy the things they once loved again.
>>>Read and watch Jennifer’s story here
