What a ride I have been on for the past 5 days. I flew from Lubbock to Dallas on Monday afternoon. I met up with my parents there and we stayed the night in a hotel. I checked in the next morning at 6:45am, and it took til nearly 11:30am for them to get me into surgery.

Let me tell you the staff at Doctor's Hospital in Dallas Texas is world class. They were very attentive and encouraging. They were friendly but stern when I needed it.

From the ready room to my final hospital room I remember nothing. Nothing of the surgery at all. My anesthesiologist is a miracle worker. I had told him before the surgery of my last experience where I had woken up still intubated, and he did better than that. He made is so I wouldn't remember any of that or anything following that either. I woke up in my room where I spent the next few days recovering. With as much pain as I was in when I first woke up, I can honestly say the whole experience was wonderful. I felt constantly supported, I never felt alone. Of course my parents where there who were amazing cheerleaders as well. My dad had the sleeve last year so he had all kinds of helpful advise and tips. My mom was there to help me when I walked, and just to walk with me which was nice.

I'm 3 days post op and feeling great. My incisions are really the only pain, occasionally I feel a gas bubble that's stuck but walking helps alleviate that.

I managed to get about half a cup of strained french onion soup in without any nausea. My system is still ridding itself of gas, and I seem to be manufacturing gas a little more than I recall. the empty digestive tract is helping that I'm sure.

I know not everyone has this experience but I sure wish they could.

If you go into this adventure focused on when you'll get to eat real food then you should rethink your decision. This is a lifestyle change, not a get out of jail free card. If your liquid diet is oh so tough on you now and you keep cheating cause you just can't stand it, then you should rethink your decision. This is no easy task. A good majority of the people I encountered along this journey has had WLS in one way or another, and none of them deserve selfish, self serving people coming across their paths.

I look forward to the future. This will be fun!