At Baylor Scott & White in Grapevine, there are many medical professionals taking care of patients, but few know what it's like, first-hand, to be one of their patients. Operating room nurse Satara Britton does.
"She's an OR nurse, and also a patient," Dr. Sina Matin said. "I love that I can go to Dr. Matin's patients and say I've been where you are," Britton said.
Britton assists Matin in the OR for bariatric procedures, commonly called weight loss surgeries.
"I was just like, can I come by your clinic and maybe get a consult for weight loss surgery," Britton explained. "When I went into nursing school, it was kind of like do you want to work out, or do you want to study? So I always chose study."
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Britton says the weight gain followed, about 10 pounds a year.
"So I gained 85 to 90 pounds," Britton said. "I just remember looking in the mirror and not recognizing myself."
Britton underwent a gastric sleeve procedure to help her lose weight.
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"I essentially, I go in there and I trim your stomach," Matin said. "I take your bell bottom jeans and I make them into skinny jeans. You're gonna have to learn to fit in it."
The 40-something mother-of-two dropped 100 pounds and gained a side hustle as a cycle fitness instructor at CycleBar in Southlake. She hopes to inspire her patients and students.
"Like, oh if she can do it, someone who's older, if they can do it, then I can push through too," Britton said.
"She's different! She's super energetic. She's vibrant in the morning. She keeps telling me to get up and work out with her, and I probably should," Matin said laughing. "She does teach at 5:30 in the morning!"
Matin said bariatric procedures are not for everyone and they are not an instant fix, but merely put patients on a path that they have to walk to be successful.
"The one thing that she deserved credit more than losing the weight is keeping it off," Matin said.
"You know, you put things off as a mother, as someone who's working," Britton said. "Just take time to take care of you!"
