Christina Davis: Back in the Game

On a warm summer night in Rolla, Christina Davis steps up to the plate for the Phelps Health coed softball team. The crack of the bat sends the ball flying, and she runs toward first base. To Christina, it’s more than a simple game. Once, at over 400 pounds, even walking across the room was exhausting. Today, she’s back on the softball field—stronger, healthier and living the life she missed for years.

“I’m playing softball again,” said the 48-year-old Newburg resident. “I’m going kayaking and playing with my grandkids. I couldn’t do those things before. Everything has changed.”

Christina, who works as a patient care assistant in the Phelps Health Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit, has struggled with her weight since junior high, when she was a strong, athletic softball player. A severe back injury in the 90s, along with becoming a mother, accelerated her weight gain, and over time, she gave up trying to manage her weight. 

By 2014, when her first grandchild was born, even simple outings felt overwhelming. Her weight prevented her from taking her grandchildren on walks or to the park. Everyday movement was extremely difficult. 

A serious medical condition was the push Christina needed to consider bariatric surgery.

“My body was failing, and I needed to do something about it,” she said. 

In 2022, Christina underwent a gastric sleeve procedure—a surgery that removes part of the stomach to make it smaller, helping people eat less—at another health system. That surgery was successful at first, and she lost a significant amount of weight. But as time passed, she began gaining weight again, in addition to developing a troublesome hiatal hernia.

When Christina learned about the Phelps Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Center, which opened in 2024, she saw a familiar face leading the program: Donny Roshan, DO, Phelps Health bariatric and general surgeon. 

“I've known Dr. Roshan since he was a young boy,” she said. “He’s from Rolla and used to play ball with my son. I have a lot of respect for him. He has my full confidence and trust.”

After completing the center’s 60-second online assessment, Christina moved forward with a hernia repair and gastric bypass procedure. This surgery reroutes the digestive system. Food bypasses a large section of the intestines so the body absorbs fewer calories.

Following the surgery, Christina was up and moving around the house within 2 weeks, and back at work after 4. 

The continuing support from her care team was a stark contrast to her first surgery, and made the difference she needed.

“With my first surgery, I had two follow-ups, and then I was on my own,” she said. “Working with Dr. Roshan and his team has been an absolute godsend. They supported me before the surgery, and continue to support me. They know me by name when I walk in.”

From her heaviest point, at 419 pounds, Christina has lost over 200 pounds. Since undergoing the bypass surgery at 236 pounds in February 2025, Christina has lost an additional 39 pounds. She is now just 30 pounds from her goal weight. 

The health benefits have been as transformative as the weight loss itself. Before surgery, Christina had dangerously high blood pressure. She was also borderline diabetic and experiencing cardiac issues.

Now, her blood pressure is normal, her cholesterol and blood sugar levels are stable, and her heart health has improved.

Christina encourages anyone considering weight loss surgery to do their research. Bariatric surgeries require a major lifestyle shift and it’s important to be prepared, both physically and mentally, for the changes that will follow. 

Christina doesn’t measure success by pounds lost or clothing sizes. For her, it’s about having the energy to live fully.

“Before, I couldn’t bend over to pick up my grandkids,” she said. “Now, I’m taking them to the zoo and walking all day without needing a break.”

Through it all, Christina stays grounded, remembering what matters most.

“I’m going to be here for my family,” she said. “I’m able to make memories and enjoy every single day of life.”