Born in Missouri

@AlteredReality Your kind words mean a lot. We started our journeys at about the same time, so we'll forever be buddies in that sense. Isn't it funny how we know better about things like comparing but allow our minds to make irrational conclusions anyway? My oldest son and his wife (both doctors) sent me some unflavored collagen peptides 18g protein today. All I see is that it contains bovine hide collagen peptides. Why don't they just say cow hide?! I guess the kids sent this because it supports skin, hair, nail and joint support. Not sure what'll do for my cramping, but I'm willing to try it. I wonder if adding it to something hot* would degrade the ingredients. *After reading the label more carefully it says that I can add it to water, coffee, smoothies, and recipes. The ingredients are easily digestible, mix in hot or cold liquids and can be taken any time of day.

My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother had Hashimoto's. I have it. Surprisingly, it skipped my daughter. You might have Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It tends to pass to females. You need a simple antibody test to confirm the diagnosis. Depending on your age, you might still be flip-flopping from hyper to hypo. You're probably in a hypo state now.

@James Marusek I read your pdf. I loved it!! Your Superman Formula. Your Anti-Dog Tumor Blend. Fascinating. I need to borrow some of my daughter's books and read more about essential oils. I know there has to be a blend to help me with something. I have chronic pain (for which I take morphine). I would love something that would help to distract me from that pain. From what career did you retire, if I may ask?

I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder. A faulty thyroid isn't enough to account for this. Do any members of your family, including your cousins, have thyroid issues?

@Pink nova Such a fun and active age for boys. (I have three; two are medical doctors, the last one is 19 and still trying to find his place in the world. He thinks that's computer engineering.) I feel bad in retrospect that we didn't do a lot of traveling because of me. (Now that my two oldest can do as they please, I hope they travel the world!) boys ages 6 and 8. They are so looking forward to the swim up bar and not having to get out of the pool unless for food lol. And something else, too. Think about it. Think about. Ding! Ding! Ding! You wouldn't want them going in the pool, would you? I'm more convinced than ever by my first impression of you. You're a great mom, and your boys deserve a mom that can keep up with them. I know they say weight-loss surgery has to be for ourselves first, but our kids have to be a big reason, too. I just wish I had done something sooner. That said, bariatric medicine wasn't as advanced back then. And hearing about all those lap-band horror stories (stomachs severed in half, etc), maybe I was better off fat and sassy. In truth, though, I didn't become heavy until after my ankle injury (described on my profile page), so I actually didn't need surgery when they were that young. It's all such a blur sometimes. Hmm. Why didn't we travel more?! Enjoy your nice young family. They grow up too fast.

@James Marusek My daughter, the pharmacist, swears by essential oils. She uses them daily. My youngest son, who is more than a decade younger, is often heard saying something straight out of Goldilocks and the Three Bears after his sister visits: "K---- has been sitting in my chair...ugh... it smells like essential oils!"

Have you thought about seeing an immunologist? I would also keep a written record of your "sick days" that includes symptoms (runny nose, aches, coughing, hoarseness, etc.). Also, include the severity of those symptoms and what they prevent you from doing. Are you fatigued, have no appetite. You've heard of the ubiquitous: Location! Location! Location!. In this case, it should be Details! Details! Details! Do your symptoms typically occur during a particular time of the year? Note what the weather is like during your peak symptoms. Rainy? Snowy? Hot and dry? I don't know much about the climatic regions of Australia. I think of hot and dusty everywhere, but there must be variation. Do you live in the same area now that you grew up in? My husband didn't develop any allergies until he moved to my hometown climate. Be your own detective-advocate. Even if you see a doctor about this change in your health, you still need to be the one who needs to document what is going on. Is it winter where you are? I've always found it interesting that those of us in the Americas base our flu shots on the strains of flu that hit Australia during their winter season (since your winter precedes our winter). Sometimes our flu-shot makers predict the correct strains, sometimes they get it completely wrong, which is why some people who get a flu shot still end up getting the flu (they weren't inoculated against the strain that they were exposed to!)

@Pink nova. No judgment was attached to my question. I was just curious. Now that I know you have children, I can understand the motherly self-sacrifice involved. We often do things for our children even though it may involve some unknowns for ourselves. You're a kind and loving mother. I had my bypass about 3 weeks after you and I think even I could handle the trip. I don't drink alcohol either. Yeah, it'll probably be the little things that you'll be gritting your teeth about. "Oh, I wish I could eat that!" (And, who knows, maybe you can try a little of it.) I hope you have a wonderful and memorable trip with your kids. How old are they? Because of my weight, I never felt comfortable traveling. With all this weight, I felt like part of the baggage. "Just store me in cargo hold with the rest of the suitcases, guys!" As the weight falls off, though, I'm allowing myself to dream a bit. I don't like sunny destinations, however. I'd prefer a trip to Iceland or the Faroe Islands. Please let us know how your surgery impacted (or not) your trip. Buen viaje!

Hey, AlteredReality. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Amazing results. I am sooo happy for you. It's hard, though, not to compare results. My guess is that my slower weight loss has something to do with the fact that I have been unable to fully incorporate exercise into my plan. I have; however, broken my first milestone of 250, so there's that. My next milestone will be under 200. My leg still cramps up. I'll be seeing my new primary today. (The primary I adored --the one who believed my pain, and treated me like a valuable person-- just retired. ) This crampy leg is not the pain I'm referring to. My challenge is the chronic pain in my right ankle THAT CANNOT BE FIXED.

@PopsFury. My daughter is a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD). A big fat NO! to any vitamin or mineral in gummy form. Bioavailability is significantly reduced.

How to update your stats. 1. Go to PATIENTS bar on top of this page. 2. Select MY SURGERY 3. Select PROGRESS (with a squiggly arrow) on left side of page. 4. Now change your current weight! P.S. Did anyone else look to see if this woman was from Alaska? If that doesn't flip a switch, then you aren't familiar with a certain contentious thread from yesterday. I don't know how to address your continued weight loss, so I'll leave that to others. The one thing that stood out for me, though, is that your surgeon seemed okay with it... for now. It sounds hormonal, though. Do you see an endocrinologist for anything? Has your surgeon ordered any labs recently?

I'm noticing different skin sag while nude. Strange, I always avoided mirrors before my surgery. Now I find myself checking out to see how my body is changing. It's doesn't look any better, unfortunately. I'm still fat and saggy, but less puffy and pasty in the face. That's always been the first place for me to gain weight: my face. Oh, and I still have boobs. I was afraid of losing those completely. As for clothes, I'm waiting for my next milestone (under 200) before discarding my fat-lady uniforms.

While this article isn't specific to ketosis-breath or "camel breath", it does offer suggestions that may help. Spoiler alert: no mints of any kind, they just mask the problem and make it worse. Does this mean you're destined to chewing on parsley leaves all day? Maybe. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3173114/Do-bad-breath-licking-spoon-ditching-high-protein-diet-experts-reveal-tell-mints-just-make-problem-WORSE.html Good thing you're not a woman. Camel toe and camel breath. That's an embarrassing combination.

So rather than you people patronizing me or any other bullshit prove me wrong. The phrase “she can weight train” is pointless unless you show proof. Cause I can’t find **** on it and the people at the docs office say the same ****. So if you’re reading this and you have a personal story and can show proof rather than just words then come at me. Otherwise you’re just an emaciated person that’s trying to accept yourself and trying to chew on someone with real questions. So now we're all "you people" who just want to patronize and come at you? So if you’re reading this and you have a personal story and can show proof rather than just words then come at me. If that's an invitation, it's not very inviting. We're not a bunch of scientists wearing lab coats and writing on clipboards ready to hand you a report proving anything. And to label all of our well-meaning responses as "just words"... well, didn't you use "just words" to reply? You have a lot of anger inside of you and you're so defensive that you are incapable of hearing any other points of view. Is this the attitude and tone you use when contacting the doctor's office? If so, that might be why they are "ignoring" you. I'm moving on. I see no point in any kind of hostile back and forth with you.

I see a slender young woman determined to get out of your BEFORE pic. You did it! Be proud. All your hard work paid off.

You said you weren’t happy that your wife went forward with this from the beginning. Is it possible that you are unconsciously looking for physical changes in your wife to support that feeling? Maybe even a “I-told-you-so” feeling because you’re not happy with her appearance now or maybe because she proceeded with her surgery despite your feelings? I’ve come to accept what she has done… I don’t think you’ve accepted it at all. Why were you opposed to her decision to have this done in the first place? Is there something deep inside of you that resents her for having this surgery even though you were opposed to it? (I don’t know you, but some men have a problem with women making their own decisions, including decisions about their own bodies.) She used to be… she is now… she is starting to look… She also looks like…. These sound like mourning words. You’re in mourning for the body your wife used to have. I’m starting to worry… Starting? No, you're in full-blown worry mode, except it’s not really worry. I still think it’s mourning for what was. I’m afraid I’ve lost my wife… Afraid? No, in your mind you’ve lost her. But have you lost her? Really? Your wife is happy. And the doctor’s office doesn’t seem worried. His office pretty much ignores my concerns… Are you sure that they’re just disagreeing with you and not ignoring you? This surgery killed my aunt…. WLS is not a murderer with a sawed-off shotgun. Your aunt had a rare and unfortunate complication. I hope you didn’t bring up your aunt's complication as one of the reasons for not wanting your wife to have her surgery. Or did you? If I come across as terse, it’s only because men tend to understand things better when those things are presented bluntly or in black and white. Lastly, it’s only been 10 months. Your wife's body is still trying to find a happy balance. Has your sex life changed? Is that something you’re also unhappy about? (My husband has always enjoyed my big, soft body.) Please do not interpret anything I’ve said above as lecturing or patronizing because that is not my intent. This is just my take on things from a woman's point of view. Not every woman's point of view. Just mine. We're not all the same, you know. You sound like a loving and caring husband. No one here wants you to be unhappy, including me. Your wife, I’m sure, doesn’t want you to be unhappy. But guess what? It’s okay to be unhappy sometimes, except you need to figure out if your unhappiness and fears about your wife’s new body are rational or irrational. If they are irrational fears, and you still can’t come to terms with it all, maybe a therapist might help. Maybe joint therapy. And there is, of course, absolutely no shame in that. None.

When did you plan this trip? Before or after you knew you'd be having surgery? Just curious.

to missouri-lee: I GET IT. but really? @nevertoolate You took a big risk. That's it.

@PopsFury My surgeon said that I didn't need to worry about taking calcium until at least one month out. The wafers I take aren't horrible. I don't like orange as a flavor, though. That's really my only complaint. (Then again, I actually like the taste of Pepto Bismal, so maybe my suggestion is not to be trusted.)

@PopsFury Ox bile mixed with all that parsley leaf makes me SuperBypass Woman!! I am faster than a speeding ___________________, more powerful than a ______________, able to leap tall protein shakes in a single bound. Help me fill in the blanks!

1. Spectro (Solaray) Multivitamin, 250 capsules, 6 capsules daily. Full spectrum with whole food base, herbs, antioxidants, enzymes. I specifically needed a vitamin that included these micronutrients: zinc, copper, and selenium. This vitamin also includes (how did I ever exist without them?): alfalfa juice; carrot and yam extract; barley grass; aloe vera gel concentrate; parsley leaf; ox bile extract; royal jelly; and bee pollen! 2. Magnesium Citrate (Solaray), 90vegcaps, 400mg, take 3 capsules daily. Also includes other vital(!) ingredients: watercress leaf, dandelion root, alfalfa leaf, and parsley leaf. Oh, no! What should I do!? I hope I'm not overdosing on alfalfa and parsley leaf! 3. Calcium Citrate (Solaray), 4 chewable wafers, orange flavor, 1000mg. Take 4 per day. Also includes: orange juice powder (Vit C). 4. a: Nature's Way, Iron 18mg, Iron gluconate (Heme iron) 4. b: Vitamin Code raw iron, 22mg. (non-Heme iron) Also includes: apple; beet root; broccoli flower and stalk; carrot root; spinach leaf; tomato; strawberry; tart cherry; blueberry; green bell pepper; Brussels sprout leaf; blackberry; ginger root; garlic bulb; green onion bulb; raspberry; parsley leaf; cauliflower flower and stem; red cabbage leaf; kale leaf; cucumber; celery stalk; asparagus flower and stem. Oh, no! More parsley leaf! 5. B12 sublingual (Superior Source), instant dissolve tablets, 5,000mg B12 as methylcobalamin. 60tabs. 6. Vit D-2 ergocalciferol, (doctor's prescription). 50,000U (1.25mg) capsules, 2x/week. *I alternate the two types of iron (above); Calcium and iron are not taken together.

Thank you, James. It seems you lost a lot of weight, but gained it back in humility and kindness.

And you were right, myfanwymoi. We did need to know. I for one am grateful to you. Thank you!

I think the mesh problem was mostly with hips. I was going to say with hip people, but that would have carried a double meaning. NetFlix has a documentary about medical devices that hit the market before they're ready. One device was the DaVinci robot which is used in many laparoscopic surgeries, including mine. That said, the problem was mostly with doctors who practiced on fruit for a few hours and then tried it on patients. I know that my own doctor taught other surgeons how to use the DaVinci robot and has already performed hundreds of procedures using it, so I felt safe.