Damn, it's done.

06:30 am. An early start this morning....arrived at the hospital and did the usual sign in and wait. After about 45 mins, I was escorted back for the prep. It's pretty much the same prep as for any procedure; I.V. port, thousand questions, meet with different nurses, vitals taken, etc.. Dr. Woodman stopped by to go over a couple of last minute things. He emphasized "This surgery is not going to make you lose weight. There has to be a lifestyle change." And with that, it was time to roll.

09:15 am. As I'm wheeled into the operating room, I can't help but notice the ancillary things. The chilly temperature, the ominous operating table light hovering above the "stage like" table. The nurses and techs all working in kind of a coordinated chaos. "Dirty Laundry" playing on an ipod dock across the room. As I'm strapped to the table, Dr. Woodman walks in. At this point, he has achieved celebrity status with me because of what he is about to do. The doors close, the music fades, and the lights go dim....

My first thoughts after waking up from surgery...
I'm alive.
I am a different person.
It doesn't really hurt that bad.
My surgery virginity has been taken.
Everyone's being really nice.

It took about 15 mins to get oriented. I was pretty groggy and drifted in and out of that semi-dream like state. After a few questions, I was wheeled into a recovery room. I drank a few sips of water, walked around a bit, and got acquainted with my new incisions. They look like the big dipper. I was asked to convey my pain on a scale from 1 to 10, and the whole time I felt it never went over a 3. It feels like a soccer player stepped across my belly. After a somewhat uneventful recovery, I was given the OK to go home. So at 02:30pm, I left.

For the rest of the evening, I'll just chill. Apple juice and t.v. Clear liquids for the next three days, then regular liquids.

It has taken me 8 months of dedicated planning to get here, and now I'm glad it's over. The new chapter begins...