Don

And I suppose I am chopped liver!!!!!

I still have issues with back and neck pain. Let's face it....my body is still old. If you saw an MRI of my neck you would understand that pain and I have had terrible sciatica since last January. I have went religiously to PT and have had 4 epidurals and still not much relief. I am contemplating a new mattress. I have always been intrigued by the Tempur-pedic, but have been hearing good things about sleep Number or Select Comfort beds. Does anyone have any experience with either of these? I have read both good and bad on the internet about both systems. Don

1) Having people not recognize me. People I have worked with or known for years have asked "How do I know you?". One time at church I gave one of my former choir members a great big hug and said, "Joni, how have you been?". The look on her face was worth it all. 2) My wife recently came home from a short stay at a nursing home. She was folding clothes and she put my new t-shirts in my daughter's pile (my daughter is Korean and is 25 and 96 pounds and a size 1). She said you can't wear those. I proved to her I can and they fit properly. (I went from XXL to a large.)

I am 10 months out and I am 61 and a male. Honestly my hair is so thin on top I couldn't tell if I had lost any or not. I have had a bald spot on my crown for years and felt lucky that that was all I had as my mother's brother was bald in his 30's and my grandfather was bald as well. Sorry, I am no help on that issue.

1) I did a sleep study in early December. Because of the weight loss they started me without the CPAP machine. I had been on it for at least 15 years. (I moved where I did because of the narcolepsy I was having. I was driving 67 miles one way to work and many times would fall asleep and wake up next to a semi.) They did not have to put me on the machine all night and then when the report came back it said I do not need the CPAP at all and all I need to do is work on positional problems as I snore only when I lay flat on my back. I was positive they would just lower the pressures, as at my starting weight I was on pretty high pressures. YEAH.....NO MORE CPAP machine!!!!!!!!! 2) Late on Christmas Day we took the train to Chicago to see my daughter. We spent the week there. We went on a really tight budget. I have been wearing all of my old dress shirts with the collars rather loose on me. We went to see the windows at Macy's and went inside (everyone should see the store at least once during Christmas). We went the dress shirt department and went to the clearance rack. I found a beautiful Kenneth Cole shirt for $11.99. The great thing is that it is a 16 1/2. I haven't worn a 16 1/2 since high school. I was wearing an 18. We then went across the street to Old Navy, which was having a sale on Blue Jeans.I have bought all of my "new" pants at a resale shop in town, so these truly would be my first new pants. Well my daughter went to the fitting room area. I tried on 2-3 pair in the same size I had on (38/30) and she kept telling me they were too large. I then tried on 2 pair in the next lower size (36/30). The regular ones she felt were too baggy in some areas, so I tried on a slim pair and the fit much better. I have never worn a "slim" anything in my life. I always wore husky or now as they call it relaxed fit or loose fit. My body type is still not slim, but I can wear slim blue jeans ( at least Old Navy ones). I had settled that 38/30 's would be my size from now on, so I am quite pleasantly surprised!!!!!!!! So my new years resolve is to keep on my program and eat healthy for 2012. Don

Pre-VSG surgery I had IBS and had diarrhea 4 days out of 7. They told me that VSG often cures IBS. Well in my case it did and I have not been this constipated in at least 40 years. My surgeon recommended Milk of Magnesia whenever it goes on for too many days. It does seem to be milder than some other alternatives. Today was my 6 month check-up and I felt clogged up so I took some MOM at bedtime. At 3 a.m. i woke up and my stomach was singing up a real chorus. It really was quite funny and it didn't stop for over an hour. My stomach has never made so much noise. LOL!!!!

Pre-VSG surgery I had IBS and had diarrhea 4 days out of 7. They told me that VSG often cures IBS. Well in my case it did and I have not been this constipated in at least 40 years. My surgeon recommended Milk of Magnesia whenever it goes on for too many days. It does seem to be milder than some other alternatives. Today was my 6 month check-up and I felt clogged up so I took some MOM at bedtime. At 3 a.m. i woke up and my stomach was singing up a real chorus. It really was quite funny and it didn't stop for over an hour. My stomach has never made so much noise. LOL!!!!

One of my local sleeve friends said it was because I was hungry. I don't think so. It is after I eat. Am I still eating too fast? Am I eating too gaseous foods? Any other explanations for it? Don

Somewhere around the end of June I reached the 189 pound mark. I plateaued there for most of the rest of the summer. This fall, I started trying out different things and pushing the limits. Well, I pushed myself back up to 200 pounds. Yikes!!! I thought I had defeated the sleeve and it was all over. I went back to the basics...more Protein shakes and less eating between meals. I know I am not home free yet at all, nor will I ever be. food has had too much power and control in my life. But for today I am fine and am down to a new low of 186. Hang in there everyone!!!! I am ....even if it is by my fingernails!!!!!!!!!LOL Don

I keep being complimented by the people I see regularly in my life. I thought that would end sooner, but so far so good. I was sitting in the hospital waiting room today and some people were asking if it would bother me if they held their weight watchers meeting in there. I said .I didn't mind at all (My wife was having a hernia repair is all). I mentioned that I knew the leader of the group and she asked me, " Did you used to have a weight problem?". Like it was past tense. I don't think of it as that and that it may still be a struggle day by day, but what a compliment !!!!!!!! Made my day!:rolleyes:

Yes it does!!!!!