Celebrating Success

It’s almost impossible to remember my life before having the LAP-BAND. At least, it’s a life I don’t really like remembering very much. Here are a few things I can remember: feeling really huge and out of breath after any exercise; always having to think of an excuse why I couldn’t join my friends on some activity; although I loved clothes, hating shopping with any of my friends because nothing cute ever fit; being embarrassed when seats were not the right size for me; worrying about my health; not being asked to be a bridesmaid in most of my friends’ weddings; never getting asked on dates. These are just a few of many memories that I fortunately don’t have to think about much these days.

I am so thankful for the Easter holiday in 2007 when my mother and I were able to talk about the LAP-band. She is a really wonderful nurse educator in Oxford and had worked with Dr. King and his nurse, Micki on several things and only had the best things to say about his office. She thought he was the best surgeon for me, because of his commitment to excellence and his gentle and honest bedside manner. My mom was so right! I love the LAP-band. It was just the answer I had been praying for. The LAP-band, as Dr. King always says, is a tool. And it was just the tool I needed to set me on the path to conquering my weight issues. When I met Dr. King, I felt immediately calm and sure that this was just what I needed. The LAP-band has given me a chance to be like everyone else: to know what it feels like to feel full and satisfied. Once I had the LAP-band in July of 2007, I committed myself to exercise and to following the plan to the letter. I was amazed at how the weight came off. In all truth though, it was also a lot of work. I exercise at least 3-4 times a week, participating in a spin class and pilates. I’ve been training to run a 5k, too, which surely seemed like an impossible goal just 2 years ago! I’ve really enjoyed getting to just be normal. No one looks at me funny at the grocery store or at restaurants. And now, I can shop in any store and find some wonderful, stylish clothes. Also, I don’t stand out at the gym. In fact, many people are always asking me advice about exercise and nutrition. My goodness, how the tables have turned!

I am so appreciative to Dr. King and his staff for all their encouragement along this journey. This has been the BEST time of my life and I look so forward to my future now. I know that with the help of the LAP-band and all the support I receive at Dr. King’s office that I will continue to be successful. It is such a joy to experience a healthy life and I am so grateful for the LAP-band, along with the guidance of Dr. King and his staff. I wouldn’t know what this life feels like without them!
 

My name is Sherry Cochran.  If you are here reading this testimonial, then chances are you will identify with my weight journey.

I am a mother of four-very active and social children who keep the pavement hot by our constant traveling from one activity to the next.  Drive-through and fast food became our way of life.  It is quick, easy, and fast- just like the lifestyle that we had grown accustomed.

Needless to say, the pounds started packing on, along with health problems with my heart, and high blood pressure.  I began looking for answers.  As with most people who yearn to lose weight, I tried everything on the market that I could get my hands on to help me get back on track-diet supplements, weight loss programs, quick-fix remedies.  Again, as with most, these gimmicks were not the answer to my problem.  I had recently heard about gastric lap band surgery and I was intrigued.  I started to research on the internet about this noninvasive surgery and to my surprise found the answer to my weight loss journey----Dr. Michael King.

Dr. King was compassionate and understanding the day my husband and I met with him to discuss the procedure.  He was truly concerned about how the weight gain was effecting my quality of life.  Dr. King assured me that with a different attitude toward food and this type of procedure weight loss was imminent.  Losing the weight and keeping it off doesn't mean just dropping the pounds, it means changing attitudes toward food and lifestyles.  Dr. King and his wonderful staff diligently worked with me and instructed me on how to be successful with this procedure pre and post surgery.

My weight loss journey has just begun and continues to be a success.  As of today, I have dropped from a plus size eighteen to a size six--- and a grand total of eighty-four pounds!  This procedure, and the careful guidance of Dr. Michael King and his surgical staff, has given me a new outlook on life.  Now, I feel like I'm in control of my weight instead of it controlling me.

Tina’s Testimonial

From the minute I met Dr. Michael King and his staff, I have received care that can only be described as SECOND TO NONE! Dr. King is and has always been honest with me about the good and bad my procedure might bring, but he made it very clear from the beginning that he would be there for me every step of the way. His bedside manner is comforting, his optimism is that of a cheerleader, and his knowledge and expertise with bariatric procedures speaks for itself with his induction into the Bariatric Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. As a gastric bypass patient, my care will always be ongoing, and I know I am in great hands with Dr. King!

Jeff’s Testimonial

After seeing the care that my wife, Tina received from Dr. King and his staff, when I decided to undergo the lap-band procedure, I knew that I needed that same support. It’s very obvious that Dr. King’s main goal is to help his patients to achieve and maintain a healthier lifestyle. Thanks to Dr. King, my weight loss journey has been a huge success, and I am enjoying my new found life. 

 

If you are reading this….Congratulations on taking the steps to change your life for the best. After years of battling being over weight and miserable, I finally found the right place to be. I tried every fad diet that came along. I even tried hypnosis (which was very costly only to get me nowhere). Of course, I would lose 10 to 20 pounds only to regain 15 to 30 pounds. I started researching the Lap-Band procedure in Jan 07. I went to a seminar of another clinic only to feel as though I was just going to be another number. About the end of March 07 I was surfing the Net in search of Dr. King because I had met a gentleman that had had the Lap Band procedure with Dr. King and had nothing bu praise for him and the amount of weight he had lost.

I made a call and met with Becky Wilson. RN, (super lady) and she laid out the plan for me and got me an appointment with Dr. King. I met Micki first and that was a great impression of what was going to come. Dr. King, Robin and the entire staff were truly super and treated me with the utmost respect.

I had my procedure on Friday the 13^th of April, 07 and was wearing a size 20-22 women’s and now I am wearing an 8 -10 petite. I have lost over 70 pounds and my BMI is in the normal range of 27. I would recommend to anyone that is looking to change their future and have long lasting results to consider the Lap-Band procedure. Don’t wait any longer…give them a call. I know it has changed my life in so many ways for the best.
 

In the matter of choosing Dr. Michael King, I feel that it was the power of prayer and believing that God had not brought me this far to leave me.  I mean that literally. I live in Memphis, Tennessee and had seen several other surgeons.  There had to be a Divine Power that was bigger than me to lead me so far away from home and family to a place I had only heard of on our local news.

One night I woke up and a commercial was on television. This lady was sitting in the park on a bench telling a heart rendering story. She touched my heart. I really felt her pain because the medicine I’d been taking had caused me to gain weight and I’d never had this kind of weight on my body before - not even while pregnant. I understood when the lady said that she could not play with her son because she didn’t have the energy. I, too, kept myself shut off. That’s why I had no pictures of myself. I wanted no evidence of this tragedy. 

 After that night, I called Dr. King’s office the next day and started to go through the steps to having weight loss surgery. Oxford Bariatric was nothing like the other clinics and doctors I had seen.  At Oxford Bariatric, I knew I was truly cared for. The other clinics had all immediately talked about how fast I would get rid of the weight. Yes, I wanted that more than ever, but I could not tell that they cared about ME. (All of my doctors were ok with me having the surgery because my excess weight was putting my life in so much danger.) I kept the faith because I felt I was not going to be left hanging.

Then the day finally came and I met Dr. King. For the first fifteen minutes, he seemed to talk about the risks and things that could go wrong. I don’t know how this may sound to some people, but that’s when I made my choice. Just as I knew that my oncologist & breast cancer surgeon wanted my cancer never to come back, my neurologist wanted to control my seizures and my personal doctor wanted to help my high blood pressure, diabetes etc., I also knew that Dr. King really cared about ME. When you have been through as many illnesses as I have and have been in situations where you don’t know if you’re going to make it, you learn to sense when people are true and honestly care for your well being.

I am so overjoyed that I not only selected Dr. Michael King to perform my "life saving surgery", but that I had his very caring staff to help me from the very first step… and through this life’s journey. I KNOW- I AM HIGHLY FAVORED!

My name is Cindy Evans from Sheffield, AL. I am 40 years old.

I had Gastric Bypass surgery by Dr. King on August 1, 2003. This is my six year anniversary. I do not think I was a typical patient. I thought you had to be a super obese to have Bypass surgery. I had developed bad eating habits over the years and because of that I would gain and lose weight but never did it without developing other problems. I only ate one meal a day because I did not want to think about food. I felt like it was an enemy.

I met someone who told me about Dr. King and his staff. I was curious about the process and how this worked because I still did not think I was a typical patient. I researched for two months and everything they told me about the process, was exactly that…a process. His staff has it down to a science. I am a very detailed person, and I really liked how it was laid out for me. It was laid out from the insurance approval process to counseling, to seeing the doctor. I discovered that losing weight is not just a physical thing, but it is also mental and emotional. I did not realize that the emotional side was that important for me. I was grateful for the help I received from the beginning to the end.

Dr. King helped me to be the most successful because he told me he would be strict. I needed that! I see him every six months and he is still strict. I do not want to let him, myself or my family down. Dr. King wants his patients to succeed. He also wants us to live. It is not an easy way out. I told my daughter, who is an only child, that very thing. It is a way of getting back to feeling great and really living!

I did not feel like a typical patient, but weight loss is different for everyone. I have lost about 75 pounds and I still plan on losing a little more.

My weight has been a struggle for me as long as I can remember, even from the time of elementary school. I was diagnosed with adrenal hyperplasia in the second grade and from that time on I battled my weight, often losing the fight. While growing up I was always bigger than the rest of my friends so I was very self conscious at a young age. I remember in junior high school being embarrassed because I had to shop for my clothes in a different department than everyone else. I distinctly recall trying several diets during this time such as the Mayo Clinic diet, cabbage soup diet, etc. each with no success and feeling like a failure. These same insecurities carried over to high school where I did find short lived weight loss with diet pills. However, the side effects such as mood swings and a racing heart made it clear that I couldn’t continue to take them. Once off the pills I gained back more weight than I lost in the first place.

My fight continued in college and my insecurities grew even worse. It was hard as I would look around at my sorority sisters who I felt were all prettier than me and had it all going for them. I longed to be like them. I was diagnosed with insulin resistance my junior year of college and began taking medication for it. I was on the way to becoming diabetic if I didn't get control of my weight. Throughout college I started a routine of working out every morning; however I saw no weight loss and it just added to my frustration. My mother, a nurse of over 30 years, actually suggested the idea of having lap band surgery my senior year of college. I remember immediately feeling hurt and crying because I wasn’t ready to admit that I had a problem and needed help. 

I got married in August of 2006 to my high school sweetheart and unfortunately I was heavier than ever before at that time. My weight continued to climb as I was a newlywed as well as a first time teacher. I tried other medication to help control my appetite, but once again found no results. My weight really started bothering me for the first time in a way it never had before, and it was even taking a toll on my marriage as I was embarrassed and ashamed of it to the point where I didn’t want my husband to look at me. Luckily, my mother brought up the idea of Lap Band surgery again.  She had done extensive research on it and gave me a lot of information to read. I had been thinking a lot about having children one day and my desire for that dream was growing, unfortunately I knew the odds were against me what with my obesity and health issues. I came across an article she had given me about studies that had shown weight loss from Lap Band surgery can increase your fertility, and at that moment I decided to go for it! We began the pre-op process and on June 29, 2007 I had the procedure. Since then, I have lost over 100 pounds and have never felt better! For the first time in a long time I don’t have to shop in the plus size department and I’m not worried about whether or not clothes will fit. I have more energy and to top it all off I feel good about myself! People don’t see my as the overweight girl anymore. It’s still hard for me to believe when I look in the mirror and I’m happy with what I see. My only regret is that I didn’t do it earlier!
 

I have struggles with my weight all my life. I tried everything from Nutri system, Weight Watchers, TOPS, the Atkins Diet – you name it, I’ve tried it. Everything worked for a while, but when I would get off the diet, the weight would gradually be back plus some.

I was 34 years old and tired of being overweight. I began my research on the gastric band surgery. After getting all the facts and meeting with Dr. King, I decided this was my answer. On May 1, 2006 I went in for surgery. This was extremely nerve racking for me because I had never been in the hospital or been put to sleep. Each person that I came in contact with reassured me that everything was going to be fine. The last thing I remember was Dr. King saying they were going to take good care of me and my life would never be the same! Well, he was right!.

One year later I had lost 142 pounds. Although, the road has not been easy, it has been a life changing experience. I struggled for several months learning new portion sizes, eating slowly, and chewing my food to a pulp. I cannot tell you this is going to be a breeze, because you have to change the way you think, the way you eat, and your physical activity. Food is no longer a priority for me, but being healthy is. I exercise at least one hour five days a week, and sometimes more depending on my schedule. I have dedicated myself to stay healthy.

During my weight loss journey, I have not had any complications. I have taken Dr. King’s advice to heart and made it my new lifestyle.

I know each person is different, but for me, surgery was an answered prayer.