HappyCat

Heres a roasted version

What an inspirational after photo ~ Congratulations on your success!

Congratulations and I wish you all the best in your journey. take it one sip at a time and stay hydrated. The stages will go by quicker than you can imagine and it is so worth all the struggle!

I hadn't heard any statistics before my surgery, but I had heard that some surgeons routinely removed the gall bladder at the same time as the sleeve surgery. I asked my surgeon and he said that was 'old school' and he would stay away from my gall bladder. I guess in Texas it's true when they say, "if it ain't broke - don't fix it!"

I agree with a lot of Paul's post. There is a huge reason you see so very few real vets around here. You see a large number of people that post all day, every day for most of the first year...and then they drop off.
Anyone remember Tiffykins? Or Diva? Or even O.T.R.? Hey, my buddy ButtertheBean isn't around as much anymore, either. And PdxMan? He's one of my heroes. They are hardly here anymore, and many don't show up at all. Even cheerleaders like Lissa or regular posters like Catracks are gone!
And let us not forget that it basically falls to a handful of people that are reasonable, with sound experience, to give a lot of the support here. I figure upwards of 75% of the posters here are not regular. They come in, post a vent or complaint or a yay me post and boogie onward without a thanks or a farewell. This is a community of TAKERS with very few people that actually give their time or experience. I can attest to that as most any time I have asked a question I've gotten a handful of responses - more people manage to "like" my post than bother to help me answer a question and quite frankly, it's frustrating to see that a post about sex drive or hating your sleeve can generate hundreds of replies when people have REAL questions or REAL concerns that actually matter. Seriously!
FACT: It is absolutely EXHAUSTING to give your time, effort, advice and experience here. If you're the voice of reason and don't couch your responses in perfectly P.C. encouragement, people actually attack you for trying to help. See, you're supposed to help - you just have to do it the "right" way.
Utter B.S.
I have gone back and forth on this one, myself. I have had super ultra politically correct and supportive months and months where I get so sick and tired of it that I post blunt, hard truth. I've been told I make people scared to post. Well, my opinion? Stop posting silly things. Really - it's embarrassing to everyone here to have the value of this entire community and the easily accessible information diminished by silly, immature posts or by the same darn questions over and over again.
If you want to post a question and already know the answer or already know that nobody is going to okay your poor choice DO NOT LOOK FOR VALIDATION HERE.
But in all honesty? These aren't even the questions that get me anymore. It's the (HT, FYE) hubris of some people.
In the last three days I have read some of the most insulting comments by people that, comparatively speaking, have almost ZERO real experience with the sleeve. I'm glad you're here contributing after four to six months, really, people. That's super swell. But it takes quite a bit of chutzpah to assume you know every challenge on the road ahead, and to insult people for not walking the exact same path as you.
People are not stupid because they eat foods that aren't ideal choices. They're human. This is not all or nothing, there is not only one proper way to achieve and maintain. Do not assume that your way is the only way or that if someone chooses a more moderate approach that they're wrong, they're going to fail, and they're stupid.
Because that's what I'm seeing.
You think this is super easy and anyone who struggles or loses slowly isn't trying hard enough? Come tell me that in a year, or two.
You think the answer to everything is more exercise, more Protein or more Water? Gee, thanks for that. I'm sure nobody ever considered it.
You think that every pound you lose is gone forever, because the only way to stop losing or regain is to go on an ice cream orgy? Ha!
You think this is as simple as eating the "right" foods and getting exercise? I only have crude responses to that. Because this person - the person that says this - is a hypocrite. Because this is the abuse that was heaped upon us by family and doctors prior to our choice to have surgery, so give yourself a nice pat on the back to being absolutely unhelpful, and yeah, a hypocrite.
Look - it's a line to walk. Insult the vets and lose the vets. Ask a question, expect answers. But watch how you ask and answer things, too. I try to be more considerate and thoughtful nowadays. I still have my moments. But people are more likely to listen if their hackles aren't up. Everyone that disagrees with you isn't stupid or wrong.
Paul is a tremendously successful vet and while his approach and mine are different that does not mean that one of us has to be wrong. It means we have two different viewpoints and two different sets of experience we can and do use to help here.
And hey, while I'm thinking of it, lurkers and infrequent posters should consider contributing here a bit more. And hey, to those that are constantly stirring up issues and being argumentative, try to keep your high school drama and clique garbage to yourselves, and, as I tell my five year olds "pack up your bad attitudes and put them in your pockets." All the attempts to prove you have the one perfect and correct answer by going back and forth does is alienate people.
Ya'll make me crazy sometimes.
Good post, Paul. None of the vets here are here to give validation for poor choices.
~Cheri

I am truly sorry that you tried to kill yourself, and glad that you failed... That is not the path that every obese child will take though. I to have the experience as an obese child and teenager. Complete with being teased. But again as a mother of a teenage daughter and having had experience working with teenagers in the past, the emotional aspect of being sleeved is a lot to take on at such a young age..
And to your point about 14 year olds can have babies??? Yes they can, but again are they emotionally capable of being a good mother?
That is debatable.
I wasn't saying that this child shouldn't have it done, but why jump and look later?? What's wrong with stopping a minute to cover some important bases like cognitive therapy and letting the mother go first to pave the way?
This child will have to be different than all the other kids her age after being sleeved, this and other things really need to be looked at.
So I'm not transferring myself onto this child.
I'm giving advice to something I feel really strong about.

May I add that you have fabulous eyebrows, Laura~.

I hadn't heard any statistics before my surgery, but I had heard that some surgeons routinely removed the gall bladder at the same time as the sleeve surgery. I asked my surgeon and he said that was 'old school' and he would stay away from my gall bladder. I guess in Texas it's true when they say, "if it ain't broke - don't fix it!"

You may not have known, but you are truly an inspiration to me. I wanted to make a special post to thank you for your dedication and guidance to so many people on this forum. Purely inspirational, and I hope I can pay forward a fraction of the inspiration that you have provided someday!! Cheers to you!!!

I hadn't heard any statistics before my surgery, but I had heard that some surgeons routinely removed the gall bladder at the same time as the sleeve surgery. I asked my surgeon and he said that was 'old school' and he would stay away from my gall bladder. I guess in Texas it's true when they say, "if it ain't broke - don't fix it!"

I have a 17 year old daughter... And what can I say, it's a selfish age. You are expecting something that she is not emotionally mature enough to give. Put that with the frustration I'm sure she feels because you are having it first??
Perfect storm! 17 year olds want everything now! Now! Now!!
I know that knowing these things doesn't necessarily make it easier for you though...
Don't stop what you are doing. Tell her you know how she feels, and you are not going to leave her behind. But you will need her help when you are recovering, and after you heal, you will be there to help her after she gets her surgery.
Don't expect this conversation to go well.. But know that she will be listening and have faith that she will come through when you need her.

I would have told her that perhaps there is a reason she's not to give "off record" advice is that it is so incredibly rude and unwelcome.. and that you'll be sure to let your doctor know that nurses in the hospital are dispensing medical advice that conflicts with his course of treatment.

Don't worry, Ashlee. We have all experienced embarrassing moments with our bowels at one time or another (happened to me in a hotel in India when I was your age! No boyfriend to help me, but very embarrassing to explain to housekeeping...)
Anyway, God bless Hathery for finding humor in her harrowing tale of the unexpected. Read on: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/84111-my-dumping-syndrome-horror-story-read-if-you-dare/page__hl__%2Bbeer+%2Band+%2Bcheese+%2Bsoup
Chin up, my dear it will be worth all the trouble in the end~

Don't worry, Ashlee. We have all experienced embarrassing moments with our bowels at one time or another (happened to me in a hotel in India when I was your age! No boyfriend to help me, but very embarrassing to explain to housekeeping...)
Anyway, God bless Hathery for finding humor in her harrowing tale of the unexpected. Read on: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/84111-my-dumping-syndrome-horror-story-read-if-you-dare/page__hl__%2Bbeer+%2Band+%2Bcheese+%2Bsoup
Chin up, my dear it will be worth all the trouble in the end~

Don't worry, Ashlee. We have all experienced embarrassing moments with our bowels at one time or another (happened to me in a hotel in India when I was your age! No boyfriend to help me, but very embarrassing to explain to housekeeping...)
Anyway, God bless Hathery for finding humor in her harrowing tale of the unexpected. Read on: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/84111-my-dumping-syndrome-horror-story-read-if-you-dare/page__hl__%2Bbeer+%2Band+%2Bcheese+%2Bsoup
Chin up, my dear it will be worth all the trouble in the end~

Thank you for your honesty and your humility. Complications can happen to anyone. I hope after your surgery your acid pain will be much better - it's an awful thing to live with. I can understand your concerns about a second surgery too. There are liquids and puree's that are not so light in calories/sugar you could have if your surgeon gives the OK. That should help stem continued weight loss until you're back on your maintenance diet. Other than the complication it seems your health and wellbeing has dramatically improved. It was a hard road but you overcame so much and you should be very proud .

I told my closest friends and they came and visited me in the hospital! They were very happy for me because they knew how much of a struggle I had been having. Tell the people you trust. I'm going back to school with people I've known a year and I'm afraid they will judge me, but I figured, this surgery saved my life, why not share it with the world!? So, if someone asks, I tell them .

This is such a personal choice. I hope that your fear of telling isn't motivated by embarrassment. It is admirable that you are doing what you need to do to improve your health and quality of life.
I'm extremely fortunate. Over the years I have cultivated really good friendships (and it doesn't hurt that my circle of friends consists of nearly entirely therapists and social workers). They have all watched me struggle with my weight and work extremely hard to lose and keep off anything I might have lost. I also have a work group that are just an unbelievable awesome team. There will always be hateful and judgmental people out there, but I hope that you have at least a few people in your life that you trust enough to tell. You can do it alone, but it will be easier, emotionally in particular, if you have some support.
Fortunately, there is definitely a shift happening from thinking of weight problems as a matter of poor behavior to looking at it like a disease process. Someday, society with look at this as a medical condition that is exacerbated by our ridiculous food culture, and not some failing on the patient's part, but it's too bad paradigm shifts happens so slowly.
Wishing you the best!
dd

I hadn't heard any statistics before my surgery, but I had heard that some surgeons routinely removed the gall bladder at the same time as the sleeve surgery. I asked my surgeon and he said that was 'old school' and he would stay away from my gall bladder. I guess in Texas it's true when they say, "if it ain't broke - don't fix it!"

I have had three surgeries to remove ovarian cysts. The last time I had one on each side one was softball size and one was orange size. It was so painful. The surgery was so helpful for me. I had da vinci surgery. It is a good idea to do all at once then just one recovery! Take care.

I agree that counseling is the way to go. I wish you all the best and hope you and your hubby can work this out. Deep down, he probably does want you to be healthier and may need a little perspective from an objective third party in how to communicate that to you. You are probably a great cook and he is feeling maybe a kind of "food funeral by proxy" if you know what I mean.

I hadn't heard any statistics before my surgery, but I had heard that some surgeons routinely removed the gall bladder at the same time as the sleeve surgery. I asked my surgeon and he said that was 'old school' and he would stay away from my gall bladder. I guess in Texas it's true when they say, "if it ain't broke - don't fix it!"

I love this Quinoa Mediterranean salad I stared making. It's along the same lines as your recipe! I don't measure anything either, but I use cooked quinoa (I cook mine in chicken broth), and add red bell pepper, red onion, peeled diced cucumber, canned drained and chopped artichoke hearts, kalamata olives and some feta. I toss it all in a dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and 1/2 - 1 packet of Splenda. Then chill it. So yummy!!!! I add grilled chicken to it for a meal or just eat a little as is for a snack. I love it!! I'll have to try your recipe too!!!

Marriage is supposed to be a partnership in this day and age - not a transaction. Common ground can be found best, in my opinion, in therapy. You had this surgery to improve your health and quality of life, so that you could be there for your children longer - am I right? This wasn't a selfish, cosmetic decision.
Perhaps the most basic fact in the universe is that things change. People change. This is one of the main reasons why divorce happens. But it doesn't have to be the logical conclusion. If both parties want it enough, a compromise can be reached. Maybe you and your husband can look up new healthy recipes and he can pick what looks good, maybe he can help you prepare dinner, maybe a couple nights a week you can eat something simple that doesn't require prep work. These are things to try while under guidance of a professional. If that doesn't work and your husband still isn't supporting you, then you'll have some tougher decisions to make. But you haven't been married that long and you still have plenty of solid options for resolution. Best of luck to you.

I hadn't heard any statistics before my surgery, but I had heard that some surgeons routinely removed the gall bladder at the same time as the sleeve surgery. I asked my surgeon and he said that was 'old school' and he would stay away from my gall bladder. I guess in Texas it's true when they say, "if it ain't broke - don't fix it!"