LisaMergs

I'm not sure if any WLS pts on here have been given this, but I've read SO MANY posts from people who had WLS and then later needed gall bladder surgery. My surgeon put me on Actigall immediately post op- for three months- to prevent issues with said little bile-producing buggar. Also goes by name Ursodiol. No post op gall bladder issues here. Whether or not it's coincidental, I'll never know. But having the med on board was part of his regimen, and I was happy enough to comply. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem! Blessings upon you and yours. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi all! I live in the suburban Chicago area. A few of my Bariatric friends and I are looking to create a non-hospital based support group that meets weekly. Our aim is to create a safe, happy environment where we can share, support and help one another. Weekly attendance isn't mandatory but we have decided that for many of us having that weekly touchstone can help keep us more accountable. We will branch out to cover different topics suggested by group members, do some fun things together ( an outing here or there) perhaps a clothing exchange program etc. If interested message me here and I'll send you the link to our group! Thanks! Lisa.

Hope you did well! I'm never on this site anymore and just saw this. Dr. D is terrific. Having an EGD with Dr. Linn myself Monday. I've a horrid ulcer that won't behave. Hopefully I'll have good news after it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

If you want advice from a 2 year post op veteran, have some patience someone will eventually answer. Your stomach will not return to its pre-op size, but you'll find that you're able to eat and drink more, as time goes on. Sometimes previous food preferences return, sometimes they don't. Not everyone's story is the same. Disclaimer: this is info I gleaned from previous posts on this site, and some personal internet research. I find that searching the different fora here can sometimes give you the answers you want/need. Sent from my SM-N900P using the BariatricPal App Wondering? How far post op are you? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

LOOK AT YOU!!!!! Simply spectacular!!!!! Sooooo happy and proud for you!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Way to go!!!! Spectacular!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Haven't been on in a while-- wanted to pop in and wish you all a Merry Christmas! Typical Italian feast tonight- first, we will do the Seven Fishes, mussels, clams, calamari, white fish, lobster, ahi, shrimp each prepared as a separate dish. Bunch of small sides to go with, including a cheese and vegetable lasagna. Then off to midnight Mass, and back to my house after for the meat dishes, antipasti, and more Desserts. I made homemade limoncello about 6 weeks back, so that will be brought out after midnight, as well. People won't leave until 3 am lol. And tomorrow, we do another whole meal, with roasts and the ravioli we made after thanksgiving that were flash frozen. Crazy times but in our family, that's Christmas. Amazing how I still have no desire to indulge in things that are not bari- friendly. I'm so grateful for the gift the surgery became in my life. I'm weighing in at a whopping 137 today. The scale moves slooooooowly now, and bounces up and down but I'll take it. So...to all of you who recognize Christmas, as we say in my family, Buon Natale, ora tutti mangiare, bere, e celebrare la stagione!!! È una bella giornata per accogliere Gesù! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

And a joyful season to you too! Thank you!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@shedo82773 Merry Christmas. You have had such a trial of a journey! Will they be able to do kidney surgery? My moms significant other had cancer in his kidney some years ago, they removed that portion of it and he has been doing very well. His was very localized so no chemo needed... I hope your husband will be the same!!!!!???????????????????????? Good luck! I'll keep him in my prayers. ( and there is NO getting out of holidays here... the troops would rise up and anarchy would ensue! Lol) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Last night I was at a "girls night out" with about 11 friends. We say we're playing a dice game, but really, it's an excuse to get out together once a month, let loose and have some cocktails. I had not seen a few in a month or two, and was "praised" for my weight loss. Oddly enough, at the end of the night, three of them came to me and said "don't lose any more". I stopped dead in my tracks. I'm still about 10-12 lbs from goal. A HEALTHY goal. The weight I was 10 years ago. The only time I was ever "underweight" I was 24 and took losing a few pounds too far. I was kind of flabbergasted, speechless. (Believe me- words not falling off my lips doesn't happen often.) I "recovered" and jokingly pointed out the couple of spots that still needed to diminish. Has this ever happened to any of you? How did you respond? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Today I Hit My Goal Weight. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thank you! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Well all, since I hit goal this week, things took a turn for the better. I've been looking to go back to work now for a while. I won't go back into actively practicing dentistry, but want to go into practice management and consulting. My hope was to travel quite a bit, and I've had several options present themselves that I've been interviewing for. After speaking with a long time colleague the other day, he made a few suggestions that I acted upon. The result? I've received four more calls to interview for positions I never would have considered before, each challenging in their own right and outside my comfort zone, but hey-isn't that what this new life is about? There was a fifth call I received from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Now, if you know me, you'll know it has been my intention for YEARS to move to NC! This position is at the dental school overseeing the post-grad dental students who are completing their General Practice Residency. To have a hand in shaping the future of a profession that treated me so well is damned exciting!!! (And let's face it-- the possibility of reduced or free tuition to UNC for one or two of my kids is freaking appealing too if I was on staff!!!) My point is this--- never say never. Never say die. Don't quit. Don't give up. Don't cry uncle or wave a white flag. So many personal things are changing in my life and family life...kids leave to begin their own life, relationships change or go away. The only thing we have control over is ourselves and doing something to shape or destiny. Don't forget you. Don't squander the opportunity. Don't take it for granted. Don't be with people who drain you. Lots of don'ts. But how about this::: DO love yourself. DO live outside your comfort zone. DO expect to succeed. DO expect the people who surround you to bless and enhance your life. DO know that anyone can change. DO know that you are worth it!!! It's pretty simple, really. Look in the mirror and just say "I Do" to yourself. And then as you make it happen, you'll grow like the tulips coming up in Spring. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thanks all!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

❤️❤️❤️ Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Lol. Maybe it's the coffee at 8:30 sitting in Starbucks and watching hockey stream while I work that brought about my revelation... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I do recall just wearing camies the first couple of weeks--the bloating in the tummy area made bra-wearing difficult. It gets better. I promise!!❤️ Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

We did!!!! It's been one hell of a journey, hasn't it??? As for sane? Lol. Sometimes!!! In all seriousness, thank you. I've enjoyed your contributions as well!!' Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Aren't you in Chicago??! We definitely need a meetup! Lol Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Here is what I have found--- When you lose the weight, YES others are attracted to you simply for the PHYSICAL change(s). I have always had an outgoing, engaging personality. It may have been muffled under the excess weight, but that was more due to my withdrawal from life. Do I find myself approached more? Yes. Unequivocally yes. Did I have a hard time "accepting" this fact? Yes and no. Here is why- prior to weight gain, I enjoyed a great deal of interaction socially ( not romantically- being married and all) from both sexes. It was my normal. Do I sit and think "well screw you, you uppity socialite who NOW speaks to me"? Yep. I live in a community that is both Upper Middle class and extremely wealthy. We all intermingle, but the "super wealthy" women didn't give me the time of day when I was overweight. Now they fawn over me. Ha! Screw them. Didn't need them before, certainly don't now. Here is also something I've seen--- There are those out there who will want to "score" with you, emotionally, physically, whichever, JUST for the hell of it...the game. You MAY find someone who "tells" you things just because...but don't fall for that BS. Be your best person, emotionally, physically, spiritually. Don't derail your happiness and success based on "what if". Don't let anyone or the fear of someone hurting you dictate where you eventually land weight-wise. YOU CHOOSE who you want to let into your life!!!! I'd go so far as to say when the time is RIGHT, choose people who didn't know you pre-op Finally, you only become as invisible as you want to be. Having an outgoing, life-loving personality draws people to me. I don't say this to feather my own cap. It just is what it is. If you are outgoing and engaging, you don't disappear, you THRIVE. If you prefer to keep to yourself, then do that. Summed up/-- you get to call all of the shots. How, when and with whom is up to you. Just don't fall prey to men who promise love and adoration just to score...no different now or thinner. Jerks abound. You're doing this for you. No one else and you don't need their validation. Totally agree with everything you said here. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My God...other than having hit my goal this week, the last 6 days have been the worst I've had in, well, ever. I SO NEEDED THIS LAUGH!!!!! Thank you to the OP for providing folly and levity to my otherwise bleak week!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@ Lisamergs thanks for your response... So do you think its the surgery itself that leaves you with the desire not to eat or its more so a mental change for you? Sent from my SM-G530T using the BariatricPal App Well...I'm not sure lol. Likely a combination of both. Definitely do NOT feel hunger on any regular basis. Early on, if I was "late" for a meal, and got too far out, and then went to eat, I'd be in pain. Odd thing isn't it? And again, I do not think that was a normal reaction. I learned that if I found myself in a situation where I was going to miss a meal, and knew I'd end up in pain then as soon as I COULD eat, having a Protein shake was a better choice than, say, meat and veggies. I also found that if I was experiencing actual PAIN from not having eaten, a simple forbidden pretzel or cracker chewed well was able to quell it. Those were the few only times I ate carbs... And I'm not prone to being a binge-eater, so I could literally eat just the one or two. As soon as my pouch settled down, I'd have my yogurt or cottage cheese. Most meats, on most days, still do not set right with me. I'm more likely to have a triple zero Oikos (15g protein) with a scoop of Protein powder added to it (20g protein) for most meals... Boring, but I hit my protein goals, and today I hit my goal weight. 132 lbs lost since my surgery date. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

You are SO rocking that cute skirt and boots!!!! Wtg! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hmmmm... This is MY experience, and not typical, but I didn't know that I would/could not care LESS if I ate again...believe me, I eat, but it is truly an eat-to-live situation. I just have no desire to do so--- and get no enjoyment from it. It is a task to me. Much akin to brushing my teeth, taking a shower, etc. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My question??? Why are you eating anything that would cause you to dump? Perhaps I'm a bit naive here ( okay, I'm not, but trying to not be judgmental)but if you ONLY had surgery 6 months ago, I don't get eating desserts and such. You're still in weight loss phase- the "honeymoon" stage, if you will. This seems more like self-sabotage to me... but that's just MY OPINION and well, you know. To each, their own... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App If you read what I wrote you will know that I'm in the maintenance phase already. I have lost 100% of my excess weight and there is a risk I might lose more. So I am now put on a high calorie diet and it was actually my doctors advise to try and consume more sugar because a) sugar is the best way to stop weight loss and b ) I have been suffering from low blood sugar so I need to keep eating all the time and need to consume a bit of sugar. So far I am managing to stabilize my weight for the past 5 weeks. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App No. Nowhere in that post does is say you are in maintenance...or that you've lost 100% of your weight, it says you're 6 months post op and you've experienced a change in your dumping syndrome... Which leads me to think -if you notice a change at 6 months out---you were eating dumping-causing foods even during WL PHASE... And, quite frankly I don't know of any docs who will tell you to eat shakes or iced cream to keep your blood sugar up. There are plenty of things, like oh, Glucerna, that will do that, as well as other slow- releasing foods that don't cause dumping... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Read the second post.. well it was my doctors advise! I'm sure he knows better. There are two reasons to eat sugar and not one .. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Yeah. I'd find another doctor. But that's just ME... And when I'm quoting one post, I can't very well see what was written on another. No worries. I'm totally bowing out of this thread... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App