Tremont Davis had life-changing weight-loss surgery at Methodist Charlton Medical Center after getting the wake-up call he needed when he hit 400 pounds.
“They told me it was a possibility that I could go to sleep one night and not wake up,” says Tremont, a 32-year-old middle school football coach. “Now I actually feel like I’m getting younger; it’s like I’m a kid again.”
As a coach at Kennemer Middle School in Duncanville ISD, Tremont takes pride in being a mentor. But walking pre-teens through practice drills was a challenge at his old weight.
“Coaching means life to me, and I couldn’t get in the trenches with them,” says Tremont, who has lost 130 pounds and counting. “This season I could actually get active with them and push them to the limit.”
There was a time, however, when Tremont was pushing his own limits because of his weight and the many complications it caused.
Before his surgery, Tremont couldn’t “get in the trenches” at football practices like he can now.
MANY LIMITATIONS
Tremont initially sought help from the Heart Failure Clinic in October 2022 after years of health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea that was so severe he would fall asleep in the middle of conversations.
“During his initial visit, we literally had to shake him to carry out the next question,” says Jin Sung, APRN, FNP, a nurse practitioner at the Heart Failure Clinic who works with William Posligua, MD, interventional cardiologist on the medical staff at Methodist Charlton.
Tremont went to the clinic when the excess weight put such a strain on his heart that he suffered from congestive heart failure.
“At that size, there’s only so much you can do,” Tremont says. “There’s a limitation to everything.”
Mobility and fatigue plagued Tremont whenever he tried to play with his two young children, let alone coach a football team.
“It’s not just about coaching,” Tremont says. “I have a son and a daughter, so I like to do stuff with them.”
Tremont can now keep up with his son, Brandon, and daughter, Brooklyn, better than ever before.
MORE LIFE TO LIVE
Realizing his health was his wealth, Tremont wanted to be there for his children for decades to come, and something his doctors told him inspired him to make a change.
“Typically someone in their early 30s with Tremont’s medical problems is looking at a much shorter life, probably not making it beyond 50 years old,” says Manuel Castro-Arreola, MD, bariatric surgeon on the medical staff at Methodist Charlton.
That led Tremont to undergo gastric sleeve surgery with Dr. Castro on July 5, 2023. Performed with a scope and minimally invasive techniques, the procedure reduces the size of the stomach from a quart and a half to 4 or 5 ounces so patients feel full quickly and eat less.
“Tremont has done quite well,” Dr. Castro says. “I saw him roughly a month after surgery, and he had already lost close to 80 pounds.”
Coupled with lifestyle changes, the procedure can set off a cascade of metabolic improvements that help correct many chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease — and in the process, extend life expectancy. Of course, that all depends on the patient, Dr. Castro warns.
“The patient’s responsibility is to be very mindful of changes in their diet and eating behaviors,” he says. “If he doesn’t pay attention, weight can come back up in the long run. So the best thing he can do for his heart is really adopt a healthier lifestyle.”
Tremont takes pride in mentoring his players, on the field, in the weight room, and beyond.
LIKE A NEW MAN
Since his weight-loss surgery, Tremont says he feels like a “new man.”
His blood pressure has returned to normal, he says, and he’s more careful about what he eats, cutting back on greasy foods. He has also cast aside the regimen of maintenance medications he once had to take and stopped using his CPAP machine to sleep.
“He’s very healthy and happy; he’s smiling away,” says Sung, his cardiologist’s nurse practitioner. “Which is a far cry from day one when he couldn’t carry a conversation.”
Now under 300 pounds, Tremont credits the team at Methodist Charlton for turning his life around.
“I appreciate Methodist from the bottom of my heart,” he says.
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