Before June 17, 2019, Kymblyn Brown felt as though her vibrant personality was consistently overlooked by one thing: her weight.

She tried calorie counting, daily vitamin B12 shots and laxatives. Despite her best efforts, her weight just kept coming back and she began to lose hope.

After years of struggling, Kymblyn decided she wasn't going to let her weight keep her down any longer.

She found Dr. Jeremy Korman at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital's Marina Weight Loss Center.

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"I just knew this was the right place for me to be, I think the first time I met Dr. Korman, I cried on his shoulder," she says. "I knew from the second I walked in there it was time for me to take that step. I was there for a reason. I was there for me, and I am forever grateful."

The bariatrics program at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital offers personalized care to fit the unique needs and goals of patients throughout the weight loss process.

It also offers support groups that are provided bimonthly and cover a range of topics, from emotional eating, stress management, nutrition, physical fitness and goal setting.

Kymblyn soon underwent a procedure called a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a surgical weight-loss technique in which more than 70% of the stomach is removed by stapling and dividing it vertically.

This process creates a tube-shaped stomach, ultimately restricting the amount of food that can be consumed at once and changing the way the stomach signals hunger to the brain.

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The preoperative process is time-consuming and includes multiple visits with the surgeon, nurses, a dietitian, a psychologist and a physical therapist, as well as appointments with the patient's primary care physician.

Some patients may require other medical clearances depending on their conditions.

"I spent six months preparing for surgery with Dr. Korman. Before my procedure, I was classified as 'morbidly obese.' I was on a sleep apnea machine," says Brown, who will soon by 55 years old. 

"When I look back at the photos, I am astounded by the progress. I notice the little things I used to not be able to do, like crossing my legs. I don't take that for granted," Kymblyn says.

Now, seven months since her surgery Kymblyn is more than halfway to her goal weight. She has lost 40 pounds and has another 25 more pounds left to lose until she reaches her goal.

She says she's feeling grateful for her newfound sense of freedom.

"I feel really good. I go bowling and dancing—I am just always on the go," she says.. "I can feel my personality shine more radiantly to other people because there is less of me to see. It's a literal weight off me—a newfound sense of freedom."

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