sprocket

In my humble opinion I think MANY interpersonal relationships change when you have WLS. Family dynamics shift, depending on your place in the family. I have always been the one to support and give of myself to everyone. If I had nothing, I would still try to give. I would be suffering, in pain, yet I was always thinking of others. I had been off over two months from work and had spent 6 days in the hospital, yet in May 2013 I made sure to get to my nephew's wedding. ( Four days after I was released from hospital for a major DVT/PE) I was not perfect, but I tried. Then I decided to have the surgery for ME. As I lost weight I became more and more aware of how certain family members used me, and I put a stop to it. Then there was work. Most of my work associates supported my decision and have praised me for the weight I have lost. One coworker though has always been difficult. She is extremely passive aggressive and difficult to get along with. I put up with her nonsense for over 12 years, biting my tongue. Earlier this year I couldn't hold it in anymore. I let her know in no uncertain terms exactly what I thought of her. It got tense and ugly in the office for a while, but I didn't regret it. The old fat me did everything to keep the peace, don't rock the boat. The new thinner me isn't going to put up with the same BS. I am very over that.
And then there is my "personal" relationships. I will admit 100% I thought it would be easier to find a nice guy to date if I weighed less. I never got asked out on dates at 300 lbs +, I really thought when I became physically more attractive that would change. It has not. I haven't dated more than once or twice since I have lost weight. Yet I have made a change in this area too. I used to be available for "FWB" friendships. The problem was they weren't really friends and the only benefit was mostly for them. They didn't want to hang out. Heck most of the guys I have had "benefits" with over the past 10 years have had significant other women in their lives at the time! No, once again I did things just to have a guy pay attention to me. I believed I was desirable to the men, but the truth be known I was just easy. Well since I have lost weight that has stopped. I no longer have FWB. If I am not good enough for a man to take out on a date, been seen together in a social setting and want to actually spend time with me, I am not good for the other either. I think a lot of overweight people will do this, settle for less than ideal rather than nothing at all. Whether it be getting involved with people who are not the best for you or having intimate relationships that are without a relationship, obese people will put others before themselves. I think with weight loss after surgery we begin to find some confidence. We want better for ourselves. And those who have used us don't always like this change. They accuse us of being different people, that we have "changed"- like it is a bad thing. What has changed is we are learning to love ourselves enough to want better. And yes, it does often lead to changes within our social and familial dynamics.

Perhaps if they are having problems getting a PCP to accept them as patients, it would be best to not start out with the "surgery in Mexico" bit.
After the fact, the location where you had surgery is pretty immaterial. I had my gallbladder removed in 2006 (in the US), and while I certainly tell doctors that I had it removed, no doctor has ever asked the name of the hospital or where it was located.

Perhaps if they are having problems getting a PCP to accept them as patients, it would be best to not start out with the "surgery in Mexico" bit.
After the fact, the location where you had surgery is pretty immaterial. I had my gallbladder removed in 2006 (in the US), and while I certainly tell doctors that I had it removed, no doctor has ever asked the name of the hospital or where it was located.

You'll lose weight all over, so that includes face, nose, ears, etc. I can't wait to lose fat in my fingers and toes.
However, cartilage continues to grow until the day we die - so noses, ears, etc. do get bigger the older we get, naturally.

My face cheeks.

Judging. Shaming. One-upping. Self-righteousness.
We all suffer from it.
It's a toughie.
Over the last 15 years, while caring for family members with health issues (like many of us have) and being caught up in some attendant family conflicts, I came to realize that no matter how anyone is acting or responding at the time, they are probably doing the very best they can manage right now. In the future, they might and probably will be able to do better.
That's probably true of each of us here, too.

Here is all I will say...over the 11.5 months it took me to lose 95 lbs there were months I lost nothing. Like 6 weeks where I followed the diet and was dedicated to exercise and lost nothing or even gained.
The reality is that on average I lost a little over 8 lbs per month. When I think of it that way, it is sort of depressing. Others lose 100 lbs in 6 months or 25 in a month. But I never did. Don't' get sucked into that mental trap. Don't think about where you are, just keep your head down and stay on your diet. Get some exercise. The number on the scale today is not a measure of your success so far. Don't let the scale get you off your game or get into your head.
What I finally came to understand is that this is MY journey. Being consistent got me to 141. It doesn't matter what you lose in a week or what someone else lost. This will work for you as long as you MAKE SURE it works for you. If you follow the diet and exercise plan, you will lose weight. Your daily choices will string together weeks and months of success. And that is what it takes. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
And the piece of advice I will give you when you are stuck and still a few pounds from goal....try the 5:2 diet.
You've got this. Kudos to you for sticking with it even when you cannot measure the results on the scale yet. Remember this is a faith walk some days. You have to believe even in the absence of evidence. This will work and you are making it work!!!
Whew! That was my best pep talk!