Editor Note: We frequently ask past weight loss surgery patients to share their success stories as they transform throughout their journey. We’re starting 2021, featuring Kimberly H., a dedicated mother and role model for her 30,000+ audience.
By Kimberly H.
Kimberely H. is a social media influencer who has 33.6k followers on her Youtube Channel. Her videos focus on weight loss, self-love, and healthy living after undergoing bariatric weight loss surgery. Kim started her journey six years ago while choosing to get gastric sleeve surgery, also known as vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG).
Initially, she lost the excess weight but with bad habits and going through an emotional phase; she regained some of that weight back. She finally decided to revive her failed gastric sleeve with a revision surgery to gastric bypass surgery with Mexico Bariatric Center®.
Here is her story of undergoing weight loss surgery revision in Mexico.
Choosing Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Almost seven years ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life. I decided to have Gastric Sleeve Surgery.
I was in my mid-twenties, sitting at 360 pounds, and was so unhappy.
I had just been diagnosed with Pseudotumor Cerebri, determined to be weight-related. If you are not familiar with what that is, it basically means that I had too much cerebral spinal fluid in my brain, causing pressure to build up and push on my optic nerves.
I would have eventually gone blind and had to get a shunt put in. This truly was the wake-up call that I had to do something about my health. I knew that I would never be able to have any children at the rate I was going. It was a challenging time in my life because I did not feel like there was anything I could do. That is until I discovered bariatric surgery!
I did my research and finally decided to go with Gastric Sleeve. The procedure went great, and I was extremely happy with how it was going. I lost 160 pounds and felt amazing! The lifestyle changes I made helped my overall health. I began working out every single day and even ran my first 5k. It felt like I was unstoppable!
Weight Regain After Bariatric Surgery
Everything was going great, until I started making poor decisions.
- I put soda back into my life
- Stretched my pouch
- Found myself turning to food again when I was stressed
- Struggling with horrible acid reflux
I started thinking about the process of converting to Gastric Bypass but struggled to find a surgeon who understood what I was going through. Insurance would not approve revision surgery in the states, so I felt defeated with the only option left was to pay out-of-pocket costs of $30,000.
Related Article: Weight Gain After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Road to Revision: Why Mexico for Weight Loss Surgery
I started researching hospitals in Mexico as I heard a lot of people choose to go there for bariatric surgery since it is more affordable. I came across Mexico Bariatric Center and was instantly impressed.
I chose MBC as my bariatric center because the process was so easy, and I felt comfortable with the people who were helping me. I was scared, but I knew I was in good hands and believed this was the best decision for my health.
I found Dr. Alejandro Gutierrez! One of the best double board-certified bariatric surgeons in Mexico.
The week of my 32nd birthday, I headed to Mexico to convert from Gastric Sleeve to Gastric Bypass.
I cannot say enough good things about how smooth the process was at Mexico Bariatric Center. From the time I arrived in San Diego all the way until now, I have had a team of wonderful coordinators supporting me on my weight loss revision journey. Having this surgery during a pandemic was a little bit of a challenge, but it did not change the amazing care I received at MBC.
2-Month Post-Op Update
I am now two months post-op, and I am completely acid reflux-free! I cannot express how much this means to me. I was in constant pain all the time before my conversion surgery. Now that I do not have acid reflux, I feel like I can breathe again. I am also down 40 pounds! I have a long road ahead of me, but I feel like I am back on track.
I learned so much from my first surgery. I realized that this surgery is only a tool. It will not do all the work for you. You must be committed on this journey to be successful. I am so thankful for my fresh start and I know good things are ahead. Thank you Mexico Bariatric Center, for helping me retake control of my life again!
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