Patient Testimonials

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Wayne House lost 316 of his 628 pounds in the first seven months after gastric bypass surgery. He’s wearing clothes he couldn’t wear for 25 years. He’s still losing. “I was picked on and never let people take pictures,” he says with pain in his voice. “I lost several jobs, missed appointments, couldn’t go out with my friends. I couldn’t go to the movies because I didn’t fit in the seats,” he continues. “Kids were making fun of me, pointing to me and telling their folks I’m fat. I got to the end of my rope, miserable with my life. Wayne had gastric bypass surgery by Michael L. King, MD. Never having had surgery before, Wayne was scared. “You have to be mentally prepared, but everything after surgery is so easy,” he insists. “People ignored me before, but now they want to be your friend. I want to get down to 290, but Dr. King thinks I can get down lower. It’s a wonderful, life-changing decision. If I had to do it again, I would.”

 

 

Kristin D.
info@oxfordbariatric.com

The world is a very cruel place to big people,” says Kristin Duncan, a patient of Dr. Michael L. King in Oxford, MS. “I didn’t notice it when I was big, but now that I’ve lost weight, I notice little things a lot more.” Kristin weighed 302 lbs. on December 15th last year, and, as of late September, 2002, is within a very few pounds of her 140-lb. goal weight. “I hid my hurt by being funny and the class clown,” says Kristin. “I would come home but never let anyone know I was depressed because I never wanted anyone to know it really bothered me.” She wasn’t fighting just the emotional problems. At the young age of 21, she had high blood pressure, arthritis and joint problems. “It’s a totally different world,” she insists. “I run 3 miles a day. I can go shopping and not be out of breath. Socially, you get a shot of self esteem that no one can understand unless you’ve been there.” She owes her new life to Dr. King. Now, Kristin has a new life. “I’m a new person – my attitude, my looks and my life. Now I want to do so much more in life.”; A marketing specialist for a health care company and fitness center, Kristin writes country music and is an aspiring singer.

 

At 425 lbs., 22 year-old Craig Allen had good reason to be depressed. His lifelong weight problem had become a physical handicap. “It was taking over my life, controlling everything,” he recalls. “I couldn’t go places because of my weight. I couldn’t sit in some chairs because of my weight. I could only walk small distances without getting out of breath.” In the summer of 2001, he decided he finally had to do something drastic. “I was about to run out of sizes (of clothes) to go up into,” he exclaims. Although he was “scared to death” to have gastric bypass surgery he decided to trust Michael L. King, MD. He admits that he “was actually mourning the loss of food,” in the bland post-operative liquid diet, but that became less difficult as he shed the weight. After six months, he’d already lost 120 lbs. and has much more energy, enough to go to the gym three times a week. “If you had told me a year ago what my routine now would be, I would have thought you were crazy.” His life has changed dramatically. “I’m not just waiting to die anymore. I’m yearning to live life and experience things I never have before. My life has changed and totally for the better.”

 

“I had the gastric bypass surgery done almost 4 years ago. I have lost a total of 130 pounds. I eat normally, only smaller portions. I exercise on a regular basis. I feel wonderful and I am living the life I was meant to live. With the help of the Liv-Lite staff, Dr. Mickey King and his fantastic staff, I was given a second chance to be normal. How many people do you know that are lucky enough to be given a second chance like this? I would recommend this surgery to anyone that qualifies and has been unsuccessful with other attempts. This is a life changing experience. It is a very exciting thing to conquer the biggest challenge of your life. I am so lucky. Imagine yourself doing what you love and loving what you do. Being happy from the inside out, experiencing your dreams wide awake, being creative, being unique, being YOU. You CAN live the life that you always imagined. Take this opportunity to take charge of your life and your health and become the person that you know you can be.”

 

 

 

Before	After

Byron Kennedy: My Journey TO, THROUGH, and BEYOND Lap Band Surgery I am a 49 year old disabled owner/operator, husband, father and grandfather. As a kid growing up I was always kind of like a fire hydrant – short, round and close to the ground. When I was 10 years old I weighed 100 lbs, when I was 20 years old I weighed over 200lbs, and I was scared to death to see 30. Weight has always been a BIG part of my life. I was always physically active, just not necessarily athletic. Growing up on a small family farm I did everything including hauling hay, driving a tractor/combine/cotton picker/etc. . . Hard work has been my life and to keep up eating fast and on the run was a requirement. Driving a truck for 28 years added to the challenge ~ eating at country stores, gas stations and truck stops became my way of life. Several times through the years I would decide “I have got to lose some of this weight!” Dieting and losing was never a problem – once I made up my mind I could lose the weight ~ the battle that I kept losing was KEEPING IT OFF! The weight always crept back on, plus a few extra pounds. I have said that once I reached my goal weight and I got tired of being hungry I would “Run right out and eat a French fried Shetland pony”. You might have noticed at the beginning where it says I am disabled. Since 1993 I have had 3 neck surgeries for 3 ruptured discs. Back pain and spinal problems have been a part of life for me since I can remember. Over the years I have been to many doctors – regular MD’s, neuro surgeons, chiropractors, I’ve seen them all. In 2001 after my 2nd neck surgery I asked the doctor to look at my lower back. After many tests – which meant searching for facilities with an MRI machine that would handle my (at that time) 320 lbs – I was told that my lower back was not a surgical option and I would probably end up in a wheel chair in the next 10 to 15 years at the rate I was going. Determination and grit kept me going until 2004 when I ruptured a 3rd disc in my neck. After that surgery the doctor told me that if I stayed in the truck I would not be driving or walking much longer because of the continued deterioration to my lower back/spine. Surgery would never be a viable option for the lower back. I sold my truck and gave up life as I had known it. I continued to gain weight and seek other doctor’s opinions and finally one doctor told me ~ “Losing weight may not help your back pain, but it won’t make it any worse ~ and it is your only hope to help make it better.” A few weeks later my wife and I were talking one night and she made a statement that really got my attention and gave me pause for thought. She said, “Honey, I’m afraid if you do actually get to a point that you are bed ridden or in a wheel chair I won’t be able to take care of you. I won’t be able to lift or move you around. Then what will we do?” We had discussed possible WLS in passing a couple of times, but never seriously. My pain levels were pretty high and I wasn’t able stay on my feet much so I was spending the majority of my days and nights home alone while she was at work and watching TV. TLC and Discovery Health were both running programs about WLS and the Super Obese. I stated watching those shows and really listening to what the doctors and the patients were saying. I spent a lot of time thinking about my options and started discussing it seriously with my wife. I was very interested. My wife is very supportive and started the process of looking for a doctor. She found one close to home that I started the process with, but we just didn’t feel that his office was the one that we needed to work with. She knew several people from work who had used Dr. Michael King at Oxford Bariatric in Oxford MS and they all highly recommended him and his staff. She called and talked with Dr. King’s office, explained what we had already been through and asked if they would be willing to pick up with my history or if I would have to start over. They suggested that we make an appointment to meet with Dr. King and get his thoughts on my history and prospects, and as they say ~ The rest is history! Feb 20, 2009 Dr. King performed my Lap Band surgery. It has been an amazing journey! So far I have lost 113 lbs. I still have another 50 that I want to lose, and it will happen. Right now I am at a plateau for a few weeks, but I’m not discouraged, my body is just taking a little time to adjust to the BIG changes that have been happening! There are so many people who haven’t even recognized me ~ from family members to friends and neighbors ~ it’s great! The concern from people ~ have I been sick? Is there anything wrong? I have gotten a lot of laughs from telling them that I have AIDS ~ of course they don’t believe me and tell me I shouldn’t joke about such a thing ~ but then I explain that I have gotten a wonderful and amazing Weight Loss AID – it’s called Lap Band. So, even though I still struggle with back pain, I am able to move and breathe much easier than I have in years. I won’t ever be able to drive a truck again, but I can enjoy my grandkids and my family because I do feel much better! My wife and I continue to experiment with different foods and recipes. If you enjoy Fried Green Tomatoes before WLS, you’ll love GRILLED Green Tomatoes after WLS ~ just one new, easy, and tasty options that we have discovered but probably would never have tried before. The adventure of life has turned a new corner for me ~ for us actually. We have discovered that WLS is a family commitment and adventure ~ my wife has lost 20lbs since I had surgery! I am excited abut my WLS results so far and look forward to the changes to come. I now have a tool to AID me in being successful in keeping the weight off. Life is good!

Before	After

In February, 2009 my life was changed….forever. This is when I began my surgical weight loss journey. This was the first time I was introduced to Dr. King and Oxford Bariatric. I weighed 335 and knew that I needed to do something to make a change in my health as it was deteriorating right in front of me. I was 38 years old suffering from sleep apnea, high blood pressure, acid reflux and severe weight bearing joint pain. I had been in law enforcement for 16 years but had a desire to join the reserves. I lost enough weight to take the PT test but gained it all back and knew that I had to find a way to keep it off. I did a lot of research about weight loss surgery and after jumping through the insurance hoops, I had a consultation with Dr. King for a gastric bypass. He was very knowledgeable and thoroughly reviewed the good, bad and ugly of weight loss surgery. Soon after my consultation, I realized that I could not be in the military after having a gastric bypass so I changed my plans to have the Lap Band and have never regretted it a day since then. In 6 months, I have lost 105 pounds and have gone from a size 48 pants to 34, a 3 – 4X shirt to an large to X-large shirt and do not suffer from the medical illnesses I had before surgery. Dr. King tells me that I have lost most rapidly than most people with the Band but I think it just goes to show you that if you are determined….you can make this tool work. It has not always been easy and I have to make a concentrated effort to make the right food choices, prepare and chew my food adequately but it is a way of life for me now…the right, healthy way. With my recent PT scores, I was able to gain a military promotion and will be entering active duty in the near future. Having the Lap Band is one of the wisest decisions I have ever made.

Before	After

First of all, I want to thank God for the LapBand! I will encourage anyone that needs to lose weight to get the LapBand. (IT REALLY WORKS!) Dr. Michael King in Oxford, Mississippi takes the time to talk and explain all about the LapBand surgery. Dr. King will also listen to you and and answer all your questions. In 2007, I got fed up with being over weight. I found out about the LapBand. I prayed and asked God if it was in His Will for me to have the surgery. My Husband and I both prayed about it together. We believed and trusted God!!! My weight before the surgery was 253 pounds. I am now 140 pounds. Its almost been 2 years and I still praise God as if it was yesterday!!! Jeremiah, Chapter 29, verse 11, says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a good future. NIV. Proverbs, Chapter 3, verse 5 & 6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path. NIV. Delight your self in the Lord, and HE shall give you the desires of your heart.” I believe that you have to encourage yourself, you have to know who you are, and you have to love yourself. Trust and believe in what you ask for… and you SHALL receive!!!