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On July 17, 1998 I entered the hospital for a short procedure that would change my life forever. When you are a Preacher that stands before people week after week, your appearance and health are of the utmost importance.
I had met Dr. Champion a couple of months before my surgery and had watched him show great concern and care of a relative of mine who needed emergency surgery due to previous medical situations with another doctor. I watched as Dr. Champion assembled an emergency medical team for surgery at nearly Midnight to save a man's life and told my wife, "if I ever have surgery, this is the man I want cutting on me!"
I have been overweight for most of my life. It was not just what I ate, but was a combination of genetics and metabolism. Having a couple of uncles and an aunt that were very large, I realized it "ran in the family."
I tried every diet and program that came down the pike. I'll not name each one, but suffice it to say I tried them all with very limited success. It was not a matter of will power; I just had to eat fewer than 800 calories a day to loose weight. When you get to that number of calories you loose more than just weight, you loose your vital organs. So, I decided to stay healthy and BIG. I was healthy as far as the medical world was concerned. My blood pressure was 120/80 and my cholesterol was 137-154 (not bad for a 44 year old man weighing 407 pounds).
After meeting Dr. Champion, I decided that if my insurance would cover the surgery, I would go ahead with it as planned. Five days later I was on the table! I did not even have time to get worried or back out (I'm a big chicken when it comes to being cut on). I told the doctor "don't come in here smiling and getting ready to cut on me, at least Look like it is going to hurt You a little!" The procedure was performed laparoscopically and took less than two hours. Three hours after recovery I was walking down the hall and went home three days later.
Today less than a year later, I weigh 238 pounds. I would WALK back to Atlanta to have it done again!
Thank you Dr. Champion for a "job well done."
May God Bless you as you continue to be of service to people with obesity problems that are not always caused by overeating.
Sincerely,
Rev. R. P. Blizzard, Las Vegas, NV
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Yahoo! Bariatric Group
