I can't believe my surgery is tomorrow! My insurance approval process was abnormally fast (less than 3 months from start to finish) and here I sit, waiting to have my stomach removed . I am excited about losing weight, about being healthy again and dropping the blood pressure meds. I'm excited to be able to run again, and to wake up in the mornings well rested with no sleep apnea.

BUT I'm mourning losing mass quantities of pizza, Mexican food, Michelob Ultra, and a host of things that got me to where I am today. I've read that I can have those things again much later down the road, but in reasonable-to-tiny portions. I think the thing I am having the hardest time with right now is not knowing what my new stomach will feel like, or what it will be able to tolerate and when.

That's the nature of this surgery I guess. Excitement for the weightloss but fear of the unknown. Hopefully before surgery I will fall asleep quickly and time travel to the loser's bench. My wife and I appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and encouragement as we go down this path!

I wish you all the best!!

Most people go through a food mourning phase either before or after the surgery. Yes you can have those foods in the future, but mentally you should not count on it as in something like 'I only have 6 months then I can eat crappy again'. That will lead to failure, and so I throw that out as a warning. I can tell you my new eating style has become as comfortable as my old eating style, so with time it will get much more comfortable to only eat healthy foods instead of garbage.

Sleeved and feeling fine! Pain is a "discomfort" at most. Surgeon, David Carroll, was fantastic. Only lasted about 35 minutes. Was in recovery for about an hour. Now I'm in the room for the night, enjoying a dilauded cocktail and some Netflix on my iPad. Cheers to new beginnings and successful surgeries. You have nothing to be afraid of!