Hello all, thank you so much for your kind, thoughtful messages.  It feels really special to know I’m cared for!

I’ve been back in town for… 5 days now, i think, and I’m recovering well.  Today I’m off of clear liquids, and onto “full” liquids, which makes me happy as it’s been a very tough week.  Now I can have protein shakes and yogurt and other forms of protein – other than isopure – BLAHHHHHHHH – which I avoided anyway.

I’m down a pretty surprising amount of weight.  I’m 276 lbs now, down. Yes, you read that right.  I’ve lost 21 lbs in a week.  That’s Biggest Loser stuff man.  But fear not, things will slow down now – but obviously I’ve been barely eating with my new small stomach.  I have been recovering well, but it’s – read my lips – NOT. EASY.  This is far harder than I imagined, in the mind, body and soul.  I could write a novel about how much has changed in my head in just the first week.

Even though my weight loss success so far has been great, I have to admit – I’m still at this mid-place where I’m not happy I had the surgery yet.  And I’ve read that this is normal.  Right now, I’d kill to have my old stomach back.  I tell myself – ohhh if I had my old stomach back, I’d RESPECT it now, I’d be HAPPY to just make healthy choices and STICK to them!  But the truth of the matter is, when I dig deep, I know if someone gave me back my stomach now – I’d hop straight into the car, back to the county fair we were at yesterday, for steak on a stick and a funnel cake…

Anyway, I’ll let you guys know how I’ve been doing.  I could talk for ages, but if you have any questions, just let me know.  I hope you all are doing wonderfully.  I’m gonna take off now and check on all of you as its been ages since I’ve read the blogs of my friends, and I feel so out of the loop!

This is the picture that kind of pushed me into making this drastic decision for myself. Not just the picture, but the picture was a sobering awakening: