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My recommendation would be to look for counseling centers or groups in your area. Rather than having to search for an individual therapist, a center will usually be a group of many mental health professionals and they will work to pair you up with a therapist that they feel will be the best fit and have the most experience with the issues that you want to address. And always remember that you control the relationship. If after a few sessions you feel it is not a good fit, you are under no obligation to continue with that therapist. Keep shopping until you find what fits best for you.

Talkspace and BetterHelp are great virtual resources that let you look at bios and pick someone you think will be a good fit. They only do telemed visits which is not always great, but they can let you expand your net of potential therapists wider than your local area. For me it's a lot of trial and error. One of the most important things in having good therapeutic outcomes is to have a good relationship with your provider, which you won't know until you give them a chance. Don't be discouraged if you try a couple people and it's not a good fit. You will also probably have a credential preference -- anyone who is a PhD in psychology, licensed counselor, licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, etc, is a possibility, but each education path kind of has a different focus. I prefer psychologists, mainly because I am a clinical social worker and feel like they are the only ones smarter than me. 😂😂 I think it is important to go in with an open focus -- have a couple questions or ideas, but also let their questions or feedback help guide you. All that said, I have had a helluva time finding a therapist that has been really helpful regarding weight. My therapist that I LOVED was more of an accept-yourself-at-any-weight-don't-diet kinda person. The following one that was more interested in health/weight stuff was not a good fit in other areas. I am trying a 3rd one now. I am not sold yet, but I have only met her once, so we shall see.

was wondering is anyone else dealing with a feeding tube

Greetings! I'm new to the group and praying for some advice. My sleeve surgery was 10 days ago. My daily protein recommendations are 60g – 90g. I am struggling to get in 30g, and I do mean struggling. The only thing I can keep down is ice water. The smell and slightest taste of protein shakes, protein water, and even unflavored protein (three different brands in 10 days) make me gag. I literally cannot tolerate anything sweet since surgery. I have tried sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, thinned sugar fee pudding, sugar free juice, Crystal Light, etc. I have tried adding protein powder to soup, protein bariatric soup, and even made my own, all with the same result. When I plug my nose to force myself to drink the protein, my body actually tries to vomit but there’s nothing to come up. Has anyone had this happen? Any suggestions? I start pureed foods in 5 more days but realize I can’t sustain on ice water alone for much longer.

I drove to my 1 week post-op appointment. Just gauge it by how you feel and go from there. If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, then don’t.

@calliekaine Prayers and hugs to you! Sounds like you've had a rough road. Based on your description above, you have a PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tube, aka a feeding tube. In my understanding, this is unusual after bariatric surgery. Not unheard of, obviously, but not common. You must have had some pretty significant complications to require this kind of intervention. BTW: it's relatively normal to have no appetite or desire to eat after sleeve surgery. My experience was a lot like catwoman7's (above). I had no appetite and I ate on schedule because I knew I needed nutrition. That lasted about 6 months or so. I wish you a speedy and healthy recovery!

The nagging thought in my mind: "When did this bruise appear?" You're now a little over 2 weeks post-op, while it's normal for bruising to take its sweet time in resolving and everyone heals at their own pace, I would expect any bruising incurred on your date of surgery to be fading (or at least changing colors). Other thoughts: You were likely given anti-coagulants immediately post-op. Do you remember any shots in your belly? If so, these could have caused some additional bruising on your belly. Has it gotten worse in the last week? Is it painful or just unsightly? Regardless of my thoughts and questions, my advice to you is to contact your doctor's office and let them know. If it's nothing, then at least you've gained the peace of mind by being told by the doctor it's normal and/or nothing to worry about. Disclaimer: none of the above is intended to be medical advice. As always, look to your doctor for medical-related questions/concerns.

I am right there with you. The struggle is so real and everyone seems to think you just have to "find a way" but the fact is, you are trying but your body and stomach just rejects it. I had to pray and get divine power because I was in tears. I'm not there yet, but I am seeing a little progress in tolerance for the Genepro protein powder if I put it in liquid first, shake well and then put it in soups I enjoy ( the broth). I have a ninja blender so it blends any grit taste out 90%. I'm learning to give myself a good balance of grace and perseverance through drinking. Nothing is Goldilocks "just right" perfect yet, but I've accepted that that's okay. It's easy for some people to get there protein grams in and others struggle, but know that you doing great. You made a healthy and bold decision for a better life, applaud yourself for that first! I made this post a few days ago and maybe it will help you. Just look for the title in this thread and feel free to private message me if you need to. You are NOT ALONE!!! Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using BariatricPal mobile app

Yep. Ready to do this.

btw - the constipation is caused by a combination of the high protein diet plus a couple of the supplements that a lot of us take (i.e., calcium and iron). All three are known to block people up. My endocrinologist had me cut my calcium dosage in half because I was excreting too much of it, and once I did, I noticed I had to cut back on my Miralax a bit because things were getting too soft (but DON'T cut back on your calcium just for that as you may need it! You should only increase or decrease supplements based on your labwork. In my case, it was pretty clear I was absorbing the calcium much better than most people do...). But anyway, just wanted you to know that those are all major culprits in the constipation issue.