Hi guys! I'm 32yo and my BMI is 35 however I developed sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I really needed to do something about my situation fast. I had my sleeve done at Kim Bariatric's. Dr. Hien Le was my surgeon and she was amazing!! She's very patient she doesn't make you feel down at all she was very concerned with my heart condition and coordinated with my cardiologist to ensure my safety. My starting weight was 200. I was placed on a week long liquid diet on 12/16 and by the time of my surgery date on 12/23 I weighed 188. I am 1 day out of surgery and I'm down to 183. So now an actual review of my surgery... My surgery was at Baylor Trophy Club. Very nice facility. Great staff. I arrived at 5:00am. I was prepped by 6:00. Dr. Le came to visit me and told me I was first. I was really happy about that. Several more nurses and the anesthesiologist came to visit and then I was whisked off into surgery. Now for the hard part....waking up was so painful. The gas is HORRIBLE. All I wanted to do was doze back off. They brought me back to my room and all I could do was pray the entire time. I mean seriously the gas is the absolute worst thing about it. You can feel it in your chest and it's very sharp and heavy. Ugh. Now the walking wasn't to bad. They came for me about an hour or so after I was situated in my room. I urinated pretty quickly maybe 2 hours after being up. That was weird because was like pee and pause pee and pause. The first walk I hated because you feel like you want to burp but you can't. The 2nd walk I could tell that the gas was moving down from my chest to my stomach so obviously the walking really helps to get the gas re-absorbed and out of your system. It's tricky because you're so tired but you also want the gas to leave so it's hard to get the strength for the walks but I just had to do it because it helped tremendously. No passing gas or burping yet and that was annoying because you feel the sensation but can't make it happen. I went home maybe 6-7 hours later and whew getting into bed I just wanted to scream. So again nothing else bothers you like the gas so get some gas-x and walk. The next morning (which is today) I felt amazing. I burped and passed gas twice and I'm sorry but that was so heavenly. I sip as much as I can it's really hard to get the fluids in. It's like you want to burp first. The pain meds I didn't take because they were gross and made me feel like I wanted to vomit. I'm up and walking and that feels better than laying down. I'm gonna nap so I'll keep you guys posted. Height 5"3 HW 200lbs SW 188lbs CW 183lbs Updated on 27 Dec 2016: So it's been 4 days and I feel much better. I got dehydrated and had to go to ER for some fluids. It's really hard getting the fluids in. I've gone for 2 walks today and now I'm a bit tired. I had to stop taking my high blood pressure meds as my pressure has been pretty low. I see my cardiologist tomorrow so we will see what he says. The gas is leaving. TMI but I had a bowel movement this morning and I was soooo excited for that. It took some patience but I'm glad I got the GREAT RELEASE. The fluids are better. I can drink the Powerade Zero better than the water. Water is just no fun for me it hurts and it's uncomfortable. I'm trying to get a protein shake in now. I'm halfway through. I had soup at noon with some unflavored protein. This has not been easy. The hardest part is staying hydrated and my incisions are still a bit painful. I will keep you guys posted. I'm now down to 180 from 188 since the surgery date. Updated on 28 Dec 2016: Soooo guess what RealSelfers I had a follow up appointment today with my cardiologist and I am 100% off my heart meds. I was taking about 7 pills per day. My blood pressure is great! I'm still taking my diabetes meds but I'm hoping to come off of that as well in the coming months. I have a lot of energy today. I'm gonna start taking vitamin D since I somehow forgot about those. I bought some fish oil too so gonna get that in as well. I had to get a head start on my water today so I woke up at midnight and was able to get down 6 oz. in about 30 min. I was miserable after that sooooo probably won't do that again. I did pass gas immediately after so I didn't mind that. I also drunk about 3 more ounces at 5 this morning and that was more reasonable. I'm a little frustrated that I can't easily have a bowel movement. It takes so much focus and I really don't enjoy sitting on the fricking toilet that long. I've only had one since my surgery. But trust me I know another one is right around the corner. I can feel it trying to make it's way out of the tunnel and into the light. I haven't lost anymore weight. I'm ok with that. I'm loving the creamy chicken soup. I add unflavored protein and I'm good to go. Fluids still tough but getting better. Gonna try to get in a couple of walks today. Until next time folks.....see ya! Updated on 28 Dec 2016: Ummmm I hate water. I can do soup. I can Powerade Zero but water just hurts going down and I hate it. Protein shakes I'm not doing well there either. Gonna stick with the unflavored protein. Updated on 30 Dec 2016: Ok so tomato basil soup from La Madeline's is soooooo good! I wanted to gobble the whole thing up but I got like ten scoops and I was full. I think I'm starting to get the hang of when I'm close to being full. It feels like I want to burp but it kind of sits at the top of my stomach and feels like a very strong hunger pain. It's weird. Now as far as pain that's pretty bearable now. I can move around really good and cough without cringing. I went back to work today for half a day and people were asking if something was different ohhhlalala whoop whoop! Oh and by the way I weigh 176 now. It's funny because my goal was to be 170 by the end of January. Maybe I can be 165 by then but we'll see. Catch u guys later!!! Updated on 31 Dec 2016: So I'm down to 174. My stomach itches soooooo bad. I wanna bathe in lotion. I added a photo. Not sure if you guys notice a difference. I do feel much better though. Still struggle with the fluids of course. Anyway I'm happy to be on this journey. I had to get the weight off my heart. I have a genetic heart defect and my body couldn't take the weight. It was literally killing me. I even had to walk around wearing a life vest which is some sort of defibrillator. It broke me down and that's what started this journey. Stay focused RealSelfers we can do this!! HW 199 SW 188 CW 174 Height 5"3 Updated on 5 Jan 2017: So I'm 172 and the scale is not moving. I'm not stressed about it because I'm just glad I'm off of so many meds. I am hungry though and I can honestly say I am now struggling with this. I can't drink protein shakes without wanting to vomit. Now it's the same with the clear protein so I'm just patiently waiting until I reach the puréed stage on 1/13. I'm tired of soups and my cravings have kicked into high gear. I wish I knew someone I could actually talk to about this but people are so quiet about this procedure for fear of what other people will say or think about them. So rather than being so open and asking I can't because everyone's in hiding. I don't think u have to announce to the world but I don't think u should be ashamed either. People will talk about u anyway actually. Sigh. On another note....as soon as I reach the puréed stage I'm making the ricotta bake. I was gonna cheat and make it today but whatever I guess I'll have a little willpower. Mind over matter. We can do this guys! One step at a time. Updated on 13 Jan 2017: So the scale moved a bit and I am now down to 169. Feeling healthier and happy to start this process. Only one scar hurts which is on my left side. I'll be glad when I can start weight training because I'm starting to feel the jiggles in my thighs and arms. I have 35 lbs to go before I'm at my goal weight. My ultimate goal is to stay healthy and toned. Catch u guys later Updated on 21 Jan 2017: So I'm down to 165 whooooo!!!! But I don't think eggs agree with me boooooo!!!!! This is such a sad ending to a beautiful union. I refuse to give up though. I'm gonna try again after a couple of days. My clothes don't fit anymore. I can't buy anything because then I have to return it since I'm losing the inches. This is just a weird in between. I bought some meal prep containers and a vegetable spiralizer in preparation for my soft food diet that starts in 5 days!!!! Yayyyyyy! Now that I can't have eggs I don't know what to eat. Guess I'll prepare grits. *internal cry* On a good note I'll be a month out in 2 days whoop whoop! And I went for a jog today. Let's keep pressing on real selfers! Updated on 26 Jan 2017: Soooo happy to be free to eat soft foods. I can tolerate any seafood which is great. I had ground turkey with taco seasoning today and it was sooo good but I'm too full honestly. I think I was so excited that I ate too fast and now I'm in the bed after 3oz of meat feeling like I had a thanksgiving feast. Ugh. I only worked out one day this week and I wish I did more. Oh well not gonna stress. Current stats below: HW - 198 SW - 188 CW - 163 Height - 5"3 Updated on 1 Feb 2017: Ok so the past 2-3 days have not been too good for me. I haven't had a good workout and while trying to eat to keep up with the protein I gained weight. 2.5lbs. I'm going to stop weighing myself and just focus on drinking fluids and getting some type of workout in. It's disappointing but I know I can do it. This is certainly not an easy journey. Your mind has to be made up. I'll keep u guys posted. Updated on 9 Feb 2017: Now if anyone tells you this is easy they lied. This procedure is really to save your life so don't take it lightly. Do this if you have life threatening co-morbidities. If not trust me nothing is different, you still have to workout and eat right to lose the weight. It's not just gonna happen. On to the actual update....I realized that when I started eating up to 800 calories per day (no more protein shakes, I get my protein from food) the inches started coming off. The weightloss is really slow and I'm soooo okay with that. If you focus on changing the bad habits it will all come together like it's supposed to. I have noticed some changes with my skin. Very sensitive but soft and smooth. My belly is gonna be the last stubborn thing to go I can tell. It's like my middle section is just jiggly and that's it. So I'm incorporating some planks and looking for other ways to work on my core. I realized that you just have to be patient and enjoy the ride. Like I always say I just wanna be healthy. I want my body to function as it should. I am now 161 pounds. I was at a stall but that was because I wasn't eating enough. I can eat more things now but trust me the restriction is definitely there. I may get in half a cup at a time. I'm terrible at eating super slow so I just take small bites. Haven't had rice or bread or pasta but pretty much everything else. I run every other day and do strength training on the days that I don't run or jog. Surprised that I actually enjoy it. I'll keep u guys posted! Updated on 14 Feb 2017: Whew I'm down to 159. Everything is moving pretty slow now and that's ok. I can eat whatever I want and I do pretty well. Today was the first time I flew off the handle. I realized it was because I didn't have a plan. I had to wing it so I had half a breakfast taco for breakfast, 1 slice off of a steak quesadilla for lunch and half of a grilled chicken wrap from Sonic. I didn't overdo it portion wise but the carbs felt like overkill. Small bump in the road but now I definitely feel full. I absolutely love running now. I feel free and less stressed. It rained all day today so I'm really disappointed that I couldn't get out there. Everything else is too boring. So now I've gone 2 days without a full workout (yesterday was my rest day) and I feel thrown off. No stress though as it's just a journey. Gonna keep pushing. Updated on 23 Mar 2017: Hey folks! So things are super slooooow now. I consume 1,000 calories per day. Sometimes less. I work out here and there, work has really picked up so I can't go as often. I am only down to 157. I got down to 155 but it jumped back up 2 days later. I don't drink enough water. It's really hard. Losing some hair but not too much. This is really tough. U really have to have self control. You can eat anything you want just eat smarter. I've heard that water is the key so I'm gonna work on that. I wear a size 10 in pants and medium shirt. I used to wear a size 16 and 2x shirts. Things are going well just slow. Trying to stay positive. Updated on 28 Mar 2017: Alrighty you guys I am now down to 153. The scale moved when I started drinking more water. I really need to tone now since everything is jiggly. Not too bad though. Posted a pic. Updated on 23 Apr 2017: Alright u guys I am now down to 151. Feeling great. It's definitely a process. I eat whatever I want but I'm very conscious about it. Still running maybe 3 times a week. I feel very blah if I don't and running has actually become a treat to myself. I do what I can handle. Now on to the things I don't like....my arms. Whew they're pretty jiggly so I can tell I have a lot of work to do. I hate push ups or lifting weights so this should be interesting. I'm hoping to be 140 by August. We shall see. I added another comparison pic. Updated on 14 Sep 2017: You read it right. I GAINED WEIGHT! Soooo how did I get here? Let's see, I hit a major stall with my health. Long story short I ended up in ER due to dangerous heart rhythms (not surgery related, I have a heart condition). I had to immediately stop all workouts until we could do a study and find out what was going on so I had to wear a heart monitor for a month and no exercise for 2 months. This was soooo depressing for me because all I wanted to do was run! Now let me tell u there were some BAD days! Apparently I'm a bored eater. With nothing to do I ate and slept. Horrible formula. Anyway I refocused and changed up my snacks but not before gaining those few pounds in those 2-3 months. As of today I am FINALLY cleared to work out! I am am beyond thrilled but in this process I learned so much about myself and what my triggers are. When I stop planning I completely fall off the wagon. Also, there's no way for me to keep this off other than to keep my body moving and drink tons of water. Anyway I'm back on track people!! I'll keep u posted! This is not an easy fix folks!
BEWARE! This is a review regarding Kim Bariatric Institute I have been in the office in 3 occasions, for 2 reasons - first, with my husband, he was the one interested. He was seen by doctor Bridget Holden. I was ok with her, but he really disliked her attitude. He is type 1 diabetic for over 20 years - all his results are very good according to his doctor, but losing weight would help him even more. Dr. Holden, in the other hand, not only she is not his doctor, but did nothing but criticized him, as having type 1 diabetes is a choice! How uneducated can she be? Don't she know type 1 is not the same as 2? After we searched her experience in google we noticed that one of her patients had to lose his leg because of poor decisions during a surgery, and we were glad not to go with her. Also, his BMI was 38 and insurance would only completely cover unless he would be 40 - so the recommendation was for him to GAIN weight. He decided against it. Months later I decided to go...my BMI is currently 36. They have a promotion on their website "get it for as low as $8995!" I scheduled my appointment and was seen by doctor Lee. She was brief, and then the story starts - I was seen by one of the "insurance advisers" - they all look so happy and excited when they meet you - but let that not fool you!!! In a very excited way, she tells that she checked my insurance and that they cover bariatric surgery! I have the bmi over 35 and all I need is another comorbidity. "All we need to do is send you to a sleep study!" "all will be great!". I said that I don't think I will qualify, and that I was interested in the promotion of the website. She talks to a manager and says, YES we can go that route. (Ps.: I did the sleep study, and as I suspected, I do no have sleep apnea) Their "promotion" - Pretty much what they do, is try to see if you have a problem with your gallbladder, and if you do, they tell the insurance that they are doing a gallbladder procedure and instead and they do the whole thing (take your gallbladder and do the sleeve in the same procedure). I think - "a place like this, must be legitimate!" I am excited! The first red flag came when they ask me to sign a paper saying that I agree that nothing will be shared with my insurance. I should have stopped there, that was a red flag, but again, I thought that they knew what they were doing and this place seems to be legitimate. Again I schedule time off work to do the gallbladder exam and they see I have a "problem" not stones, something else. Awesome!!!! We can move forward. I also did the sleep study (just to confirm I had or had not an issue). Then we schedule the cardiac test and nutrition class, the last 2 steps before the surgery, I already took time off work. THEN ... I receive a call - "we have decided to discontinue the affordable program". What?! I think... why??? And the response... "well, the insurance companies are finding out what we are doing and many of them are deciding not to cover the facility portion of it. If you want to proceed, the price is $12,995". I am flabbergasted. After ALL I went through, all the time off work, all their promises, they are pretty much committing insurance fraud! They say that they are discontinuing the program, and I ask how - if while I am waiting on hold for a manager, you are advertising this "affordable program", over and over again in your messages, but suddenly, you want me to pay almost 13K for the surgery. I also mention - your website, RIGHT NOW, as we speak, advertises the "affordable program". This company is all pretty, and nice and friendly when you get there. It is ALL a show. They you lose your time, play with your self esteem when you are the most vulnerable. All they want is to take the most out of you. Just bother to visit them if your BMI is over 40. I asked, after all this inconvenience, the least you could do is to provide me with a discount - and an extremely manager said - $12,995 is already a discount. It is not!!! And I did the research: Dr. Veninga - Bariatric Surgery Dallas: $10,695 (I am going with them now) McCarty Weight Loss: $11,999 Cernero Surgery: $12,000 Dr. Kirk Weight Loss: $10,500 Nicholson Clinic (very well known): $12,200 Bagshahi: $11,000 Dr. Nirmal Jayaseelan (best for several years in the D Magazine): $12,200 My Bariatric Solutions: $11,750 Avoid Kim Bariatric Institute - they do not care about you, only your money (billboards everywhere?!) This is a sincere review of someone that truly believed them, and wasted much of my time and money. As I type this review, they are still offering this program on their website.
