Go Kart Mozart

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.

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 work outdoors, and I was able to stand for my full 8+ hour shift (sans 45 minute break) without any pain today. I didn't even get tired.

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.

1) My self confidence is already way higher than it ever was. I noticed that I'm no longer constantly pulling on my shirts or standing with my shoulders slumped. 2) Today I was going into a convenience store, and I saw my reflection in the mirror - I saw that the fat "wings" I had on my back are gone! 3) When I got out of my car at work today, I stood up and next thing I knew my work shorts were around my ankles! Thankfully, I work earlier than most people at my job and nobody saw. I hiked them up past my belly button after that haha.

I took the easy way out. I wanted my friends to know, but didn't feel like having to talk about it. I told one of my friends, who is a blabbermouth, and at the end said, "don't tell anyone." Well, that's all it took, he told everyone, just as I planned. :nono:

I'm 5'7" and the date of my initial consult (5/12/10) I was at a personal high of 332, so I had to lose 147 lbs. to get to my goal. I'm down 47 lbs. since that day, so I'm on my way. You're definitely not alone.

I'm kind of surprised that you're all having an easy time with the popcorn - it looks terrifying to me right now.

I was originally going to have the lap-band surgery, and it was made quite clear that I was never to have carbonated beverages . I ultimately decided on the sleeve (obviously) and had the procedure on Wednesday. I was just wondering if the carbonation rule applies to all WLS, or just the lap-band?

I'm in an opposite situation. I'm 22 and would have waited a few more years if possible, but who knows if my future health insurance will cover WLS. My parents' insurance did, and I'm only covered until my 25th birthday, so I got it done now. (Plus, I knew deep down that I would never lose the weight anyway)

On the vomiting thing, I was throwing up and/or dry heaving continuously for two days post-op (I've never taken well to general anesthesia), and it didn't damage me a bit. Good luck, you'll be fine.

I had my surgery in Freehold. Who is the doctor?

Wow. Please tell me you had insurance for that.