Today is "our" first day post-op. it has been an overall positive experience punctuated by meeting and working cooperatively with the amazing staff of Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC. Her surgeon and medical director of the Bariatric unit, masterfully completed the operation in such a way that my baby is recovering at a pace that has left all of us pleasantly and peacefully surprised.

As a spouse and life partner, one has many doubts when your better half decides to do something so seemingly drastic! I would think, honey! 85% of your stomach, a vital organ, is going to be excised!!!??? Gone forever!!!? I said think because saying such a thing would be unbecoming of a supportive partner. And in my heart of hearts I am truly. But darn, how dare we as mere humans tinker with the perfect order of the systems of the human body!!!??

This blog, as well as the team at Lenox Hill, and the amazing courage that my love has had throughout the entire LONG process, deserve all the credit for changing my mind, for inspiring comfort and confidence among each other, for being so accurately informative.

But of course, I needed a moment to cement it all, and so it was that to me it all came together, this morning. Call it the final confirmation, if you will. After a long night of midnight walks in a cold, quiet hospital hallway, fighting

through fear and pain; pushing on because "in the blog" they said this thing or that thing was the thing to do "to make the best recovery"... After all of the months and months of expectation, excitement, anxiety... It all came together the moment that alobri, your now sleeve compadre, tells me, after her upper GI, "I saw my new stomach....I love my sleeve; it is perfect".

I felt like I was part of something so positively life altering in her life. I felt like I had given her the best gift ever....the gift of a life free of the worries of dieting, diabetes ( which claimed the life of her beloved mother), of chronic low self esteem and low energy and tiredness. In short, I felt like I was part of her becoming all the things she wants for herself...and for us!

ahhhhhhhhh

What a supportive spouse:) Love it! Your support will help her in so many ways.

What a beautiful post of love support and concern.

This is such a beautiful letter. Congrats to you guys on the beginning of a new life.

Well said! But I have a little news for you, not bad news, just news. She will always have to consider what she puts in her mouth or she will gain weight back, so dieting is part of the plan, the sleeve just makes it a little easier to do so. That being said, I can vouch for the fact that ALL of my diabetic symptoms are fading fast, a thing of the past! No more medication for that, and I am on the verge of ditching BP meds too!

Much luck to you both!

Well said! But I have a little news for you' date=' not bad news, just news. She will always have to consider what she puts in her mouth or she will gain weight back, so dieting is part of the plan, the sleeve just makes it a little easier to do so. That being said, I can vouch for the fact that ALL of my diabetic symptoms are fading fast, a thing of the past! No more medication for that, and I am on the verge of ditching BP meds too!

Much luck to you both! <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />[/quote']

I couldn't agree with you more! If I sounded overly optimistic and simplistic in what is really a life journey, I clarify. The worries about constant dieting that begins with positive results but that to a certain degree were not long lasting?! I saw her pain and frustration! Now her sleeve is her ultimate tool!! To a high degree, it brings the control that we should all have, front and center with little alternative BUT to make the correct choice. That is power!!!

I am happy to hear your testimony about how you are getting the biggest pay off, full remission of two hard to manage medical conditions and freedom from taking medication to manage them! Congrats! To Life!