blacktee92675

@Rogoful - until today I've been riding a Catrike Expedition. It's a recumbent trike. Very fun to ride and easy on the back and seat. They say the weight limit is 275lbs, but I can tell you it handles about 400lbs. Today I'm on my road bike, and after 40 miles my backside is hurting. ????

What a great journey. I've dropped 84 pounds since late January. My surgery was on March 9th. I've worked my way up to >250 miles per week on my bike. I rode 81 miles last Saturday. Tomorrow will be the first day to ride on the road bike that I rode 6 years ago when I regularly rode 300 miles each week. I still have about 120 lbs to goal, but this feels good! Cloths are interesting. I've taken the last few months off work, which for me is a suit and tie gig. I'm looking at going back to work in June, and now have the issue of buying new suits. We went to dinner at a friends house tonight - most of my cloths just fall off and are useless to me. Thanks to everyone for your support! You all rock!

Oh, but if I'm talking to someone who has had surgery, I might give more detail and talk about pre-op and post-op. I think it all depend on the person I'm talking to. By the way, congrats on your loss!

I tell people the total amount since I started my focus on weight loss. It all counts, don't short change yourself.

I don't use marijuana, but I do know that it not physically addicting, but it can be philologically; then again so can soda, peanut butter or and thing else that a person might obsess over. There is a lot of ongoing research on how to use marijuana more effectively as mainstream prescribed medication. I wish we'd just get the legalization process over so the we (tax payers) stop wasting money on enforcing the existing laws, and legitimize reliable sources of distribution so that the drug cartel suppliers take a hit in their bank accounts. Not to mention the tax revenue that can be put to work for us all. In my opinion, everyone who wants to smoke/consume pot are already doing so.

I've told my wife and kids only. I have no intention to tell anyone else; not my mom, brother, or closest friend. I believe once you tell one person that you can't trust 200% to keep your private information private, that you might as well post on FaceBook, the go ahead and Tweet away too. I'm not ashamed of my decision, nor am I afraid of any negativity. I do care what people think, I just don't care what they think about me. I'm simply just not interesting in giving the drama kings/queens something more to talk about, especially when it comes to my personal medical record. Am I concerned others will figure it out? Nope.

Hurray for caffeine!!!

Congrats, John. I too enjoy cycling. It's a great exercise. Thanks for sharing.

Yep, me too. Fear is a good thing. It's there to protect you from doing stupid things. We've all heard the term "no fear", well I say "well managed fear". Use it as a reminder that you recently had major surgery, but don't let it dictate you decisions. Think about it this way, don't touch the stovetop because it's hot, but don't give up cooking.

Have a great trip!

I'm rendered speechless. Thank you for sharing. I think anyone considering WLS surgery should have the opportunity to read your post. Congratulations on mustering the strength to endure, and the courage to share your story.

I quit my job of 15 years and am on a 6 month sabbatical. They keep calling to see if I want to go back, but I left because it was time to take a break from traveling ~300,000 air-miles per year. I'm two months into my sabbatical, and (along with WLS) it's been one of the best decisions of my life. Not an easy decision for a single income household, but one of the best...

I think I'd probably have a piece of cake after dinner each night until surgery jut to make sure... Just kidding ... Well maybe only kidding a little. ????

The morning of surgery was the hardest part for me. As my wife drove me to the hospital I kept thinking, "I've lost as much as 130lbs the old fashion way before, and I can just say no to this surgery at any time. Why am I doing this?" Then I reminded myself that I had lost and regained for the last 20 years of my life (I'm 52), that there aren't that many elderly people that are morbidly obese, and that I want to be there 30 year from now ..." I'm almost four weeks post-op and, at least for me, that drive to the hospital was the toughest part; maybe the first two days post-op. IT HAS BEEN WORTH IT! Four weeks out I feel AWESOME! Like so many others, you will be fine too! Just keep reminding yourself about all the benefits that will come from losing the weight.

Wait, are we still talking about caffeine? ????

I went to the ER with something like that a few years ago. I thought I was having a heart attach, so asked my wife to drive me in. Turned out to be heartburn. You're probably ok, but if it's really bad and/or if you have an irregular heartbeat, then it's never a bad idea to go to the ER.

I've heard decaf is fine, but I'm still planning on having regular black coffee. :-)

As a frequently traveler, I'd suggest protein snacks, and putting in a request for special dietary needs. While tuna and salmon are a great suggestion, in my experience it's not a very popular choice if you want to be considerate to your neighbors. While I love both, the smell of fish that has been brought aboard and sat for a while in your cooler bag seems to have a different oder than fish the airlines may prepare during the flight. Again just the experience of a guy who flew over 300,000 miles last year. :-)

I agreeded. Bad grammur and speling r the route of all evul. It makes I go nut just thunking around that! Warning, this post may contain extreme sarcasm.

All of the other posts are correct, that said, I'm not giving up coffee forever. Told my doc, he said everything in moderation. Regarding acid. If acid is an issue then try making a cold brew coffee toddy. https://toddycafe.com. This will make a very concentrated coffee the will keep in the fridge for about one week. Just add hot or cold Water to the concentrated brew when ready to serve. The process cuts down on the acidity. You might also enjoy some of the rich flavors that you're now able to taste because of the reduced acid.

Yes. Insurance RN from United (Optum) for me too. We've talk a few time now pre and post op. She also gave me her direct number as a resource for questions. Very helpful.

eBay. I've purchased cloths in near new condition that retail for over $100, for $9 - $15 including shipping (most cases). Since most folks selling used cloths on eBay do so as a business, most I've found also accept returns.

@LovinSoul. Have you been positively diagnosed with this a neurocardiogenic condition?

@MichiganChic. Yes, vasovagal syncope is the same thing as neurocardiogenic syncope. It occurs in response to a trigger, with a corresponding malfunction in the Vagus nerve which regulates heart rate and blood pressure. When heart rate slows, blood pressure drops, and the resulting lack of blood to the brain causes fainting. Folks who are diagnosed with this are confirmed by what's called a "tilt table" test. A positive result is achieved when the individual essentially flatlines on the tilt table. While the tilt table test can be horrifying, the condition itself is really not hard to live with once one is aware of it and knows how to handle. I was diagnosed with this several years ago (pre sleeve). I'm just wondering if there are others with WLS with the same condition who have experienced any changes post WLS ... better, worse, unchanged...?