OldManDave

Short & sweet, I am 45, male 100# overweight, 6ft tall and have struggled mightily trying to loose/maintain loss. I am a large, muscular ex-athlete that once upon a time, stayed in good shape through weight-lifting and bicycling. However, when I hit my late-20s/early-30s, I started to add a bit as I slowed down and then, from 1999~2001, I became a steroid-dependent asthmatic and BALLOONED from 225~230# to ~330# during the 1st 2 years of medical school. Ever since, my weight has remained pretty stable - damnit - and "lifestyle"/lack of time have precluded me from engaging in any meaningful/sustained exercise program. I developed severe OSA & hypertension - surgery on my nose improved my OSA sufficiently to no longer need the CPAP in 2006. However, I still snore like a freight train and my weight keeps me massively fatigued preventing me from engaging in the activities that I used to love and excel at. To be perfectly honest, I am terrified of having surgery for weight loss. I did a surgical internship and got to take care of many wonderful success stories. However, I also took care of a few patients - open reu-en-y's - who had disastrous outcomes. I am a practicing anesthesiologist & all too aware of the additional risks that we large people pose interoperatively. I am currently at a point in life where my fear of surgery is being surmounted by my fear of becoming one of the people who I care for: morbidly obese, HTN, cardiac disease, diabetes with severe OSA and osteoarthritis - all in a Catch 22 precluding restoration of their health. Despite my largesse, I am still pretty healthy. I have two wonderful daughters - ages 8 & 4 - who I want to not only be around to walk down the aisle one day; but with whom I want to do the things - ACTIVE things - they deserve from their father. My wonderful wife is very very very supportive, patient and understanding. I need to do this for her as well...so I can grow old and care for her as she committed to doing for me. Of equal import, I need to do this for me. My self-esteems has suffered and, I suspect, there has been some degree of professional impact - hard to educate patients about health, diet & exercise when you look like the Hindenburg! Please, if you would be so kind, provide for me your perspectives on VSG. What are the 'pros vs. cons'? What scared you? How did you cope? What do you know now that you wish you knew before? How different is "life", before vs. after? How has the VSG impacted your ability to eat? food selection? Thanks in advance for your time. I sincerely appreciate it! D W Kelley "OldManDave"