ouroborous

First real "encounter" since the surgery (lots of fooling around, but yesterday was... the full meal deal). And... guys... wow. GET THIS SURGERY. Before the surgery, I was a real "one minute wonder" (if I could even get lucky; at 338, it doesn't happen much). I would be panting and wheezing and see spots, and I was lucky to even be able to finish. I was used to the woman not... finishing, either. Yesterday. SEVEN. HOURS. She had more... moments of joy than I could count (maybe 12? 15? 20?), and I had... THREE. THREE. In one night! Guys, I'm 42. That just doesn't HAPPEN to guys my age. And it certainly never happened before the sleeve. Good god, men, if you have ANY problems in that area at all and are pre-sleeve, RUN, don't walk, and get the surgery. UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE. I thought that stuff only happened in porno movies... Ok, I'll shut up now. But... wow. Sore... exhausted... and happy Edit: uh, it wasn't seven hours continuously, I should mention... 8pm till 3am, but not all, uh, action. Even at my current fitness level, that WOULD kill me. Seven hours of go... rest, chat, laugh... go... rest, chat, laugh... repeat until too sore and exhausted to continue! And NOW I WILL shut up.

So, atheists and other "nonbelievers" make up, I believe, five percent of the population. And sleevers are, what, 1% of the population? Less? So agnostic/atheist sleevers like me are literally one in a million! I KNEW my momma was right when she said I was "special!"

So after a couple of unpleasant incidents, I've done some digging, and as far as I can tell I have been suffering from reactive hypoglycemia (RHG). All of the symptoms I get are hypoglycemic (flushed/chills, nervousness, trembling, slight mental confusion, feeling like I'm going to collapse, etc., all coupled with a sort of panicky hunger -- "I have to eat NOW or I'm going to fall over!"), and it's relieved by eating (but only if I'm careful and eat high-Protein foods, carbs just make the swings worse). I'm curious if anyone else has gone through this with the sleeve. Incidentally, some call this or confuse this with "dumping syndrome" -- they're not the same, but they may be related. Eating in a way that leads to dumping apparently can dump a lot of blood-sugar spiking food into your small intestine at once, faster than your body can properly deal with. So part of the "eat every two hours" thing is to eat smaller meals and avoid dumping. The Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_hypoglycemia) mentions this. I am not diabetic, according to NUMEROUS tests by my PCP (given my weight and a family history, it seemed like a good precaution). Apparently, RHG is very common for WLS patients about 15-20 months out (I'm ~19 months out). It's made worse by not eating lots of small, high-protein meals, by not getting enough cardio, and by consuming too much caffeine. I'm guilty on all counts, but it seems like caffeine is really the worst offender for me. I don't do well with moderation, and I've discovered that when I really go overboard on caffeine, I get bad RHG, often at night. Also, it seems to be the combination of caffeine and carbs for me -- I don't drink caffeine at night, but my nighttime meals lately have been carb-heavy (spaghetti, for instance), mostly for convenience. And it seems like my RHG is happening mostly in the evening. So, I'm curious who else has struggled with this, and how you dealt with it. Unfortunately, since I changed jobs in mid-June, I'm not yet eligible for health benefits so I can't go see a doctor about this. That will be changing soon (next week, I think), but I really don't think this is an emergency condition, especially since I seem to be able to manage it by eating healthier, avoiding caffeine, and so on. Mostly I'm looking for support and advice

So, I wasn't really sure where else to put this. I've lost the weight (well, most of it, anyway). My body is the best looking it has been in... well, ever. Aside from a couple of minor areas (which, of course, my "monkey mind" magnifies and exaggerates, but which I know are ultimately really trivial), I know that I look good, especially considering that I'm 41; I look SO much better than most guys my age... I'm fit, trim, and muscular just when most guys are really starting to balloon up and let go of their appearance. Additionally, I know that -- as unfair as it is -- men tend to get a lot more slack for having a couple of laugh lines and some grey in their hair than women do (like I said, it's not fair, but it's just the way our biology works -- reproductive fitness is a huge part of physical attraction, plus it's a social thing). I am... romantically available (long, complicated story, but that's the short version). In every way, when it comes to interaction with interesting and attractive women (and, I suppose, men, if I swung that way), everything's coming up aces. Except for one thing... I'm insanely touch-shy! I was hoping that this would go away when I lost the weight -- that it would be the result of not "liking" my body -- but it has not. In some ways, it's gotten worse because now people actually WANT to touch me; yet I still pull away or flinch away when folks reach for me or enter my personal space. I'm not, in almost every other way, poorly-adjusted. I'm generally happy, generally upbeat, I don't drink or drug myself into oblivion every night. I have a good job, a future, hopes, dreams, and goals. Basically speaking, from a mental health perspective, I'm fine -- or at least as "fine" as anybody ever is. But I have this deeply ingrained, almost unconscious reaction to touch -- I crave it, I love it, I literally fantasize about touch and cuddling (sad? or sweet? you decide...) -- but I also pull away from it. I'm not completely isolated; I'm not a virgin, and I do give hugs and shake hands and so forth. I do not simply run for the hills when someone enters my personal space. But, it's challenging, and my first instinctive reaction is to pull away or stiffen up like a board. Neither of these are very conducive to romantic relationships (or even, for that matter, just lighthearted, easy, playful relationships, which include friendly touches on the arm and shoulder -- for guy friends -- or hugs and non-sexual "pets" for female friends... giving OR receiving). And I want this kind of contact! I've gotten to the point in my life where I could care less about casual sex; my touch shyness isn't exclusively about THAT kind of touch. It's more about wanting to "be easy" in my mind and body with the sort of casual, gentle touch that most people take for granted. In short, my touch shyness is REALLY holding me back from having the kind of warm, connected relationships I crave. Has anyone else had this problem? I find that when I research it on the net, most of the discussions seem to focus around issues of past abuse (I have no past abuse) or maternal coldness (much more likely; my mother, for all that I love her, is also and always has been VERY touch shy; that's probably where I picked it up -- I don't seek to blame, simply to understand the origins). However, knowing this really doesn't help me; like I said, I don't want to focus on "mommy issues" and I really do think that in general I'm mentally healthy. But this touch shyness is really causing me grief!

Good news! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101209121429.htm In short, while GERD (which is obviously a concern for us sleevers) does increase your risk for this uncommon cancer somewhat, it's still not a very large risk, and probably not significant enough to be super vigilant for.

OK, guys, as someone who's over two years out, a few things. First, it DOES look bigger, and it GETS bigger; not only does the removal of the fat make it look bigger, but there's more, uh, USABLE size. Possibly more important, it gets HARDER. Touchy subject, but a lot of heavy guys have problems with blood pressure and other things that can make it hard (har har) to maintain a super firm erection. Nowadays, my boners are so hard I'm surprised ... well, I can't say it in public, but yeah. It's a pleasant change; I think my ladyfriends have enjoyed the extra hardness even more than the inch or so extra visible length.

...and I don't mean the temperature! OK, this will sound like bragging, and it IS a little, but remember where I'm coming from: I had been obese my WHOLE LIFE. I first had to wear size 38 jeans in junior high school. And now I'm wearing size 34, bordering on size 33. I was at the gym this morning -- it was arms day, biceps, forearms, trapezius, and deltoids (shoulders) -- and was working out HARD. I was looking in the mirror to check my form, and suddenly I thought -- who IS this guy? I realized that I'm looking... well... A-MAZ-ING! I mean I'm 42, so I don't look like a kid; I have laugh lines on my face, and (when I don't shave my head) a little gray around my temples. But my shoulders are broad and muscular (amazing what deltoid workouts will do, guys; wanna look broad-shouldered and thick through the chest? WORK. ON. YOUR. SHOULDERS!). My chest is just slabs of flat, hard muscle. My forearms literally RIPPLE with muscle when I move my fingers. My legs are turning into little tree trunks, and a lot of HARD work on my glutes (butt) has rescued me from the dreaded "white guy ass" -- I am getting a nice, muscular butt. I still don't like my midsection; the remaining flab and loose skin are all there, but sometimes when I move and the light is right, you can see my rectus abdominis quite clearly. Another term for rectus abdominis? SIX PACK! ME! A SIX PACK! I wished I could have taken a picture to show you, but I'm not THAT vain; I don't bring my camera to the gym with me I have to compare and contrast this with just two years ago, when my face was lost in a SEA of chins. My legs were big, but it was all just flabby, jello-y fat. My arms were big... with fat. They JIGGLED. And my midsection... oh dear god, what a train wreck; I had to wear size 3XL shirts just to avoid too much plumber's crack! I couldn't walk 200 yards without being tired. My feet hurt all the time. Men treated me with scorn, and to women I was simply invisible. Now, men often do submissive body language (you know, hunched a little shoulders and eyes down) or challenging, threatened (puffed up chest, swagger, frightened/"tough" glare) body language. The one thing they don't do is scorn me. And women... well, as often as not, women have a sort of "hungry" look in their eyes when they're looking at me. I've even caught women out with their husbands/boyfriends "checking me out" and then looking away, embarrassed when I smile at them. Am I bragging? Yes, I am. But this is all so bloody new to me. I'm a hunk! I have to avoid turning into a vain douchebag (and this obviously borders on douchebaggery already), but I figured that "Gastric Sleeve Surgery Success Stories" was the place to put this bragging if anything was. Two years ago, I was obese, depressed, hated my body, sore, sick, tired, a clear "beta male," invisible to women, and probably on a fast track to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or some other form of slow, painful death. Now? I'm fit -- within 2% of my "normal" body weight according to the height/weight charts. I can run several MILES without running out of steam or injuring myself. I lift weights nearly every day. I am happy, healthy, have a strong libido, a good sex life, and I *like* what I see when I look in the mirror. I would NEVER have believed it possible two years ago if you'd asked me. NEVER. And, while I'll take credit for eating right and going to the gym/doing other physical activities regularly, the weight loss and health I owe completely, 100% to the sleeve. THANK YOU, SLEEVE. Getting the surgery was the single best decision I've ever made. It saved my life, literally -- it's given me a whole new me, one that I never would have believed I could be. Thank you, sleeve.

I'm curious to know what constitutes a food addiction. I'm morbidly obese, but I never obsess about food. I do have occasional anxiety and sometimes eat to soothe the anxiety, but not often. I never CRAVE food -- I don't get obsessed about a brownie or a burger or whatever. Mostly I just overeat -- I eat a normal portion of food, and then two more portions besides! Also, I'm extremely sedentary (this is sort of the bane of my existence, my own physical laziness). From what I understand, I don't really have a food "addiction." I just eat like a starving wolf, and I'm kinda lazy. Does this ring true to you guys? Mostly curious -- I'm not going to really change my plans either way (regardless of addiction or no, I nee to lose the weight!)

Sadly, the partner that I had this... encounter with has since moved on, but I've confirmed that the benefits persist, since then. Hooray, sleeve!

Thanks! :-)

Thank you :-)

Most are on my profile. I get a tad self conscious posting too many "look at my hotness" pictures on main threads

I think the PSSC had one...

Hell yes. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only guy who lost a lot of weight and had a "holy ****, I'm a STUD!" moment It rocks. Edit: and, without bragging, it's happened again, so it's not just a one time thing. YES!!

Weight loss + gym == WIN!

Thank you!

And I, for one, don't mind being "eye candy." For once. In my life.

^^^ this. I was just about to say this (people pick and choose which part of their holy book to support, nobody could believe EVERYTHING in the Koran or Bible literally because it's self-contradictory, and people seem to choose which parts to believe based upon their own preconceptions and biases). But you said it better

Howdy, Seattle sleevers I'm about 2+ years out now, and loving the sleeve. Feel free to drop me a line if you need any tips/advice or have any questions. My doctor was local, but I'm sure we have a lot of things to talk about if you have questions.

Congratulations

Took some profile images to show off my progress. Sadly, they turned out of sort of... PACKAGE-y. So, no...