Amanda Dutton LPC

You are very welcome! I've been there, so I'm happy to help. Even WITH insurance coverage, I am on a med for an autoimmune disorder that would cost $2300 a WEEK if it wasn't for patient assistance. Now it's $5/month. ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Apply for patient assistance through the manufacturer. You may be able to still get the Trintellix, possibly for free. Scroll down on the website to the Trintellix link. https://www.takeda.com/en-us/corporate-responsibility/patient-assistance ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

When you say your stomach, where is it happening? Down low in your gut or up high under your chest? Is it after you eat or drink anything in particular? ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Agreed. You sound like you have a good thing going with the Trentellix, so why mess that up, right? Good for you. Keep us posted! ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

100% normal right now. Oh honey, your body is already running off of the fat cells just to keep you upright, so you are getting a big old hormone dump. Since we hardly get any nutrients early on, we are using way more calories than we take in just to think, breathe and keep our organs running. So our bodies are just throwing fat cells into the furnace and those hormones are raging. It WILL continue to get better, bit I know that doesn't help now. Vent here. Rant here. Let us support you, cheer for you and celebrate with you. If you DO want to journal, don't think of it as a "dear diary" type thing. It can be your thoughts, song lyrics, doodles, or even a giant profanity scrawled across the page! LoL Whatever you feel, feel it. Your experience is valid and real. Allowing yourself to feel thos stuff now will help you beat cravings later because you will know that you can live through the feelings without food. And you'll be a rockstar! ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

With a history of issues with Adderall, definitely avoid the phentermine. And with a history of negative experiences with Topamax and Wellbutrin, tell the surgeon you can't take them (or Contrave) for that reason. You're your own best advocate here. Plus, anything chemical you use before surgery to lose weight is going to throw off your metabolism even more, so the longterm effects may not be worth the short term benefits. And serotonin syndrome sucks. I watched my husband go through it - he looked as though he had Parkinson's. It was terrifying. You're smart to do the research on this and to be taking care of your mental AND physical health. Focus on proving them wrong, that you can meet the pre-surgical goal without meds, and let that be your motivation (and let us be your cheerleaders)! ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Cbdistillery and Lazarus Naturals are my favorites. I have RA and fibro, so not being able to take NSAIDS is a b**ch. But I also do the CBD under the tongue and it works well for me. And it's recently been federally approved for farming, so every state should be able to get it now (CBD has 0.3% THC or less, so it's legal to sell/have/use in even non-MJ friendly states. ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

I'm so glad I came across this thread. I just posted a question in the vet thread that I said I would delete if needed, then realized I couldn't delete (if in fact I need to)!Glad to know I can report my own post and request it be deleted should the need arise. Thanks, Matt!~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Hey, y'all. Posting in the vet thread so if it is not appropriate I can get your feedback and quickly delete without getting early WLS folks involved. I don't want to break posting rules, so if anyone can lead me to the rules about this, please help - I've been away for awhile and have only re-engaged in the last couple of weeks. I'm a therapist and a coach who works pretty exclusively with bariatric surgery folks. I want to create a couple of low-cost courses for bariatric surgery folks, both pre and post surgery. I want patient input on what is needed so I only create something really helpful and know this is the best community to ask. There will also be a free "bariatric bootcamp" mini course. But, I want to be transparent, so I don't want to ask something like "what do you wish you knew before surgery" or "what are your biggest worries going into surgery" without being totally up front as to why I'm asking. Are there rules against this? Can someone direct me to this info if so? Can y'all tell me if this even sounds like a good idea??? Again, if I find out I'm breaking some forum protocol by even asking this, I'll take this down ASAP - I just figured other vets could help me figure this out. ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

It really is amazing how many of us deal with mental health. And even more amazing that society often treats us like our weight is the reason. I'm working on my PhD in Health Psychology and I plan on doing my dissertation on how therapy effects the longterm success of bariatric patients. People forget it's a chemical imbalance. And when we have part of our stomach removed, not only are we losing access to serotonin (90%of it is produced in our gut, not our brain), which controls our mood, we're losing our main coping tool, and we're releasing hormones from our fat stores ! Basically we can become a hot mess! ? ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Right?!? Suwanee isn't far from me at all! If you are ever looking for local resources or or anything, send me a message - I'll answer anything I can. I'm a lifelong local. [emoji4] ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Not on that combo (I'm on Lamictal and Effexor), but I've heard it can be a good combo for wls patients because Paxil boosts the effectiveness of the Wellbutrin for depression at lower doses. That's extra good for us because pretty much all the antidepressants have weight gain as a potential side effect, with Wellbutrin being the only one with the potential of loss or staying stable. Adding a low dose of Paxil to "boost" you makes sense. Just keep an eye on how you feel, keep showing up here in all your awesomeness, and let your doc know ASAP If you feel "off." [emoji4] ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Hey! I'm up in Gainesville/Oakwood GA! Down in Duluth a couple days a week, too. How far outside the city are y'all (that's how you know you're from GA - when you can just say "the city" and assume folks will know you mean Atl ?). ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

This makes my [emoji175] so happy! That's all the payment in the world! ? It's a super hard thing to own our stuff. We don't want to admit it's happening because then we have to do the work to change it - so really, you did the most amazing thing! [emoji122][emoji122][emoji122] Steady progress, baby steps. It's not about getting it perfect. You're already ahead of the game! [emoji175] ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Thank you! There's been a lot of miles on these tires in 14 years, so I'm happy to hear that! ?? ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Here you go! A meta-analysis (a study of 18 other studies) from 2017 that even uses the word "recovered" throughout! [emoji122][emoji122] https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-017-0164-0 ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

You aren't kidding about biscuits and gravy! My after school snack was leftover biscuits and tomato soup (canned straight from the garden). Loved it! ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

I'll look up specific info for you. I'm a therapist that has worked with mental health, substance abuse and eating disorders and have additional training from the World Obesity Federation, so it's been something I've learned over a long period of time. I'll be happy to get the info, though! ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Hi, everyone! I posted this in the veterans forum, but I thought y'all might really benefit from hearing/reading this, too. Today (1/3/19) is my 14 year surgi-versary, and I wanted to Celebrate by sharing the gift of knowledge with anyone who may be a few steps behind me. 1. Be kind to yourself. This journey is long and hard and most definitely bumpy - but it's yours to do with as you see fit. Don't settle, but don't beat yourself up for a misstep. We did that for too long before surgery, k? 2. Be strong. You are your own best advocate. You know your body, and you know when something is not right. Push for answers. Assert yourself. Fight for what you need. 3. Be vulnerable. Cry, scream, punch pillows - do whatever works and won't get you in trouble, hurt or arrested. Be emotional. Keeping those feelings stuck deep inside is what lead many of us to overeating. Don't give feelings back that power. 4. Be open. Ask for help. Seek help. It may feel weird and strange and icky, I know. But take care of yourself. Self-care isn't selfish. It's totally selfLESS. We can't do anything for people that need us if we fall apart, so flip the script and practice recognizing self-care as the greatest gift you can give others. 5. Be grateful. Every day. Even for something small. Each time we wake up, it's a reminder that we get another opportunity to make a change in ourselves and the world. And above all else... BE YOU. [emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175] ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Hi, everyone! Today (1/3/19) is my 14 year surgi-versary, and I wanted to celebrate by sharing the gift of knowledge with anyone who may be a few steps behind me. 1. Be kind to yourself. This journey is long and hard and most definitely bumpy - but it's yours to do with as you see fit. Don't settle, but don't beat yourself up for a misstep. We did that for too long before surgery, k? 2. Be strong. You are your own best advocate. You know your body, and you know when something is not right. Push for answers. Assert yourself. Fight for what you need. 3. Be vulnerable. Cry, scream, punch pillows - do whatever works and won't get you in trouble, hurt or arrested. Be emotional. Keeping those feelings stuck deep inside is what lead many of us to overeating. Don't give feelings back that power. 4. Be open. Ask for help. Seek help. It may feel weird and strange and icky, I know. But take care of yourself. Self-care isn't selfish. It's totally selfLESS. We can't do anything for people that need us if we fall apart, so flip the script and practice recognizing self-care as the greatest gift you can give others. 5. Be grateful. Every day. Even for something small. Each time we wake up, it's a reminder that we get another opportunity to make a change in ourselves and the world. And above all else... BE YOU. [emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175] ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

So, I think I might be able to help on this one. Food addiction - or really, an eating disorder - has actually been shown to be fundamentally different from other addictions in that you *can* recover from it. Although we call ourselves "food addicts" we aren't really, because food isn't something that we can abstain from 100%, like other addictions. It's a process addiction, meaning the addiction is the behavior instead of the substance. As we work on the recovery from the disordered eating behavior, we can learn how to become a (hate this word) "normal" eater. BUT... We can still have a relapse if we get too comfortable! If it helps to think of yourself as being in lifelong recovery (it's how I still choose to think about it at 14 years out), then rock on. Either way is fine! I'm super proud to read what you wrote about how good it feels for food to not be the main focus in your life! Doesn't it feel awesome?? ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Born and raised in GA - about 45 mins north of Atlanta. [emoji4] ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

Totally a valid question! It does seem like "born and raised" Southern folks - especially those of us with deep family roots - would have a harder time with weight. For me, food was always around. My grandmother (Granny) was my caregiver shortly after my parents returned to work up until I could drive. She had a garden, raised chickens and cooked everything in lard or Crisco - even some of the vegetables. Fried chicken every Tuesday. Giant handmade biscuits ("cathead" biscuits). Sweet tea in the fridge at all times. Every family gathering revolved around food - holidays, birthdays, weddings, funerals - everything. Not cleaning your plate was not an option. She was raised during the Great Depression and had 7 kids - you did NOT waste food. And as was said before, you ate no matter whose home you were at and what time it was - it was disrespectful not to. Bless their hearts. ? ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

And "how's yer mama'n'em?" or calling any and everybody "sweetie," "honey," or "darlin'." [emoji6] - born and raised north GA girl [emoji137]‍♀️ ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

I have a legitimate question, please? Speaking as a therapist and a RNY vet. What is it about taking away the supervised program that is attractive to those of you that are seeking surgery? Is it that it takes away one of the multiple hoops we already have to jump through or is it that it shortens the length of time before scheduling surgery? The biggest reason I ask is because it seems kind of scary for me because so many folks I work with (and folks here, too) are already saying that they felt so unprepared for life after surgery, I'm afraid that shortening the timeframes even more will make it even worse. So much of the medically supervised time should be for the "pre-work." I just really worry that this is a secret way for insurance to come back later and say "see, this bariatric surgery thing isn't working. All these people are gaining their weight back. We should stop covering it." I know, I know - it sounds like a conspiracy theory, but I deal with insurance companies not wanting to pay for services so often (3 sessions after a suicide attempt? Sure, that'll be plenty! [emoji849]), it just wouldn't surprise me. ?‍♀️ ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."