Patient Testimonials

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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!
 

Sherry Cochran

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.

 

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.”

 

 

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

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!!!

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.

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!

Today is Dec.6,2010 I went for my first week checkup and am feeling very good.I think I'm right on course.When I started I weighed 225 and now I'm at 194.Everyone has been great and very helpful for my entire journey so far. The New Year is looking up. Bless Dr.King and his whole team. Merry Christmas