Go Kart Mozart

Same here. I'm still quite overweight, but when I see people who are also overweight, I feel bad (not guilty, but bad) that I'm going to lose this weight and most likely, they aren't. It really is saddening.

Starting with a BMI of 49.6, I lost 34.4 lbs. the first month, 8.4 lbs. the second month, and 9.6 in the first three weeks of the third month. The second month was the worst in terms of stalls, but it's picked up here this third month, thankfully.

The feeling is really tough to describe. For me, it was not painful, but it was quite uncomfortable - like all of my internal organs were being pulled through that one incision.

I have it quite a bit after I eat, so you're definitely not alone.

The after picture isn't exactly the clearest in the world, but there are the closest matching pictures I could find. In these, the difference is most obvious in the face, though the stomach is quite a bit smaller too. Left: July 3, approx. 325 lbs. Right: September 25, 271 lbs.

So, we all know this is a big no-no, but I do like to have a drink during my meals. It's a hard habit to break, but more than that I find that if I don't, I can't eat enough to get in my requisite daily calories and protein. Anyone else in the same boat?

Good luck! The first couple of days will be awful, but just keep in mind that it will all be worth it in the end.

Fifth day? That's surprisingly quick.

I can relate to this. I'm currently in between sizes, my 42s are way too loose, the 40s are still a bit too snug to wear. I've currently taken to wearing gym shorts under my regular shorts juuuust in case they happen to fall down haha.

According to this, "a history of bariatric surgery is already a bar to military service."

I have plenty of before pictures (sadly :glare:) but no after pictures yet - though I'm going out with my cousins tomorrow, so I may have some to share. Thanks for the kind words.

It just dawned on me today that I haven't taken a midday nap since the first couple of weeks after my surgery on July 21. I'm a full time college student, and it used to be that I would come home from school and pass out in my dorm room/apartment for a good three hours. Now, I come home and stay up until 1:00 AM doing homework (probably ) without a nap, and feel no ill effects. It's great to have such energy. This alone, ignoring the purely cosmetic effects of the 58 lbs. lost since May, make this surgery worth it. :glare:

Well I'm suffering from a naturally receding hairline anyway, but the amount of hair I've lost in the last month or so is quite disturbing. I've come to accept that a) it's worth the health benefits of the surgery, and it will eventually come back. That reminds me, I should go hat shopping soon. :glare:

I take ibuprofen (an NSAID) and wasn't told not to. Oh well.

Scares me that these are people who will be guiding patients in the future.

I use a straw sometimes, no issues.

I find that alcohol now makes me monstrously hungry - not physically, but head hunger. I still drink sometimes though, just not as much as I used to pre-op.

Mine took about two hours, but my liver was kind of large, even after the pre-op diet.

Just remember - the sleeve was originally done as a precursor to duodenal switch for those who were very heavy because it was much safer for them. I'm sure you'll come through swimmingly.

On a side note, getting the drain removed is quite a strange feeling, isn't it? It felt like I was having my internal organs removed through a tiny hole, but it didn't hurt.

So YOU'RE the Rally Monkey!

I'm one of the lucky ones - I woke up from surgery without hunger and haven't felt it since. Best of luck. This will pass.

I've been taking pills since I came home from the hospital with no problems. My doctor never even mentioned it.

I'm eating a 100-calorie pack of Smartfood cheddar popcorn as we speak. I've had it a couple of times since surgery, no issues.

I tried soda the other day, and I couldn't even get to swallow it. The taste was so offensive to me that I spit it out. I used to drink six cans of Coke Zero per day.