I have followed this forum for a while, but not as an active poster. Dr. George Merriman in Shreveport, Louisiana performed my VSG surgery on December 4th, 2009. My recovery has been uneventful, and my weight loss has been phenomenal. My maximum weight was 310 lbs, and I had been between 290 and 310 continuously for the past 15 years. Since my surgery, I have lost 96 lbs, and am currently swimming 2500 yards a day in under 55 minutes. At age 60, I have not felt this good in years. I had a hip replacement in 2008, and that has also improved my life.
I am a surgeon myself, and can tell you that this is truly a life changing surgery. I have not been hungry or felt deprived at all. I have not advertised to friends that I had this done, but several of my close friends, and my family have been very supportive. My wife of 40 years, and my kids think it is the greatest thing that has ever happened. I do not own any clothes at this time that were hanging in my closet on Dec 1, 2009. The local charities have been the beneficiaries of this windfall. For anyone who is considering this procedure, I would encourage you to do your homework, know your surgeon, and realize that even with a VSG, you need to exercise and change not only how much you eat, but what you eat. Protein consumption is critical to maintaining your health. Good luck to anyone who goes through the blessings that this procedure has given me.
