Born in Missouri

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@Tealael. What's your favorite way to eat chia seeds? Do you refrigerate them? I bought some once and they seemed to go rancid fairly quickly.

Dexlansoprazole only comes in delayed-release capsules, 30mg and 60mg. Who prescribed this for you? I wonder if this doctor is aware that delayed-release medication won't be as effective as immediate-release meds after you have your bypass. If you can't swallow the capsules whole after surgery, (I swallowed all my meds whole, including my horse pills) you can open the capsule and sprinkle the contents into a little applesauce and swallow it immediately without chewing. As you know, sometimes certain medicines can't be crushed or opened. It's okay for this one.

Try one or all of these! The answer is not always what is preferred but what WORKS for you. Natural is the best. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318694.php Continue taking the chia seeds and kale if you enjoy eating them. They're chockful of valuable vitamins and minerals. At just 33 calories, one cup of raw kale has: Nearly 3 grams of protein 2.5 grams of fiber (which helps manage blood sugar and makes you feel full) Vitamins A, C, and K Folate, a B vitamin that’s key for brain development Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. (While kale has far less omega-3 than fish, it is another way to get some of this healthy fat into your diet. Lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that give kale its deep, dark green coloring and protect against macular degeneration and cataracts. Kale also includes minerals like phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc. Chia seeds contain essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid; mucin; strontium; vitamins A, B, E and D; and minerals, including sulfur, iron, iodine, magnesium, manganese, niacin and thiamine; and they’re a rich source of antioxidants.

You're among friends here, @krissy95 We won't judge or belittle you. Joining this forum was your "easy way in" to getting support, advice, and a whole community of like-minded women and men. Welcome, and never apologize for a rambling rant. Those are the most therapeutic kind.

@BajanSleeve What a nice, nice banner photo you uploaded on your profile page. Is that your doctor next to you?

Excellent read, Barbados girl. I, too, just use my multivitamin as my source of B vitamins, except for B12. That one is different. It has to be taken sublingually (under the tongue). I know you've been struggling with hunger. As long as you are getting enough of each vitamin to stave off a deficiency, what more can you do? Trust in yourself. You know your body. We're in this together, girl. How are your dogs doing? I think it's wonderful that you share your home with rescues. My birds and your dogs. Wow. Wouldn't that make a chirping-barking houseful?

My daughter is a PharmD and, believe me, I ask questions. I am sadly not surprised that you were given a drug with poor availability. Omeprazole capsules are all delayed-release. They are dosed at 10mg, 20mg, or 40mg. There's is also an oral suspension available at 2.5mg or 10mg -- also delayed-release. Omeprazole has one tablet dosed at 20mg, delayed-release. When will other medical specialties catch up with the pharmacokinetics* of bariatric medicine? Not only did you pay good money for some "bedpan bullets" but omeprazole has plenty of unpleasant side effects (for some people). Wait. Did I read something wrong? Did you say your bariatric surgeon prescribed omeprazole for you knowing that the tabs, caps, and oral suspension (liquid granules) are ALL delayed-release? Incredible. **refers to the movement of drug into, through, and out of the body—the time course of its absorption, bioavailability, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. As for the sucralfate (Carafate), did you only take it for those initial 6 weeks? Sucralfate has numerous drug interactions and side effects. Hyperglycemia is one side effect. Bezoars are another; however, most people usually have some kind of medical condition that predisposes them to bezoars (such as delayed gastric dumping). I've had my gallbladder out, too. What are you being given for your ulcer pain now? I'm a chronic pain patient.<sigh>. I've been taking morphine to control my pain for years. You should not be allowed to suffer this much. Whatever you're taking now is not strong enough -- and doesn't appear to even come close to touching your pain. I've never actually heard of anyone with a marginal/anastomotic ulcer. I have nothing but empathy for you. I'm also fearful that someone will drop the ball again. I'm furious with that gastroenterologist for unequivocally "proclaiming" that your scope was normal. One of my three sons (two are medical doctors, btw), had eosinophilic esophagitis so bad that his esophagus was close to severing. That son, weirdly enough, is a GI pathologist now. I wish I could say more to comfort you. Again, I have nothing but empathy and concern for you. Please keep us posted.

Bone broth is superior to regular broth. Regular broths and stocks don’t contain as much collagen or any of the other nutrients found in bone broth. It's available in small shelf-safe packaging for convenience. I've found beef, chicken, and turkey bone broth. I also like to buy non-dairy milks (coconut, macadamia, almond...) in shelf-safe packaging so it's ready to mix with my protein powder. Who wants to head out for groceries pre- or post-surgery? Have your protein powder, bone broth, non-dairy milks, non-fat milk, sugar-free Jell-o cups, and sugar-free popsicles ready. Talk to your doctor about which vitamins you might want to start taking before your surgery.

Okay. I see that you mentioned that you were uploading something. I've had that experience, too. I think there's a delay of some sort, we get impatient and assume that our image isn't uploading, so we try uploading it again. Every attempt results in a duplicate.

It's been my experience that there is a brief window (how long I'm not sure) in which one can edit posts. In the "dog" post, the window was still open, so the poster hit EDIT and erased/altered her comment. As for the doubling or tripling of posts, that sounds like a glitch. The only thing you can really do is erase all content from duplicate posts so you won't have three posts with the same words. I'd rather have two "blank" posts and one with words, than all three with the same wording. The other day, I saw someone create three identical topics. I believe that she was new and, unfortunately, was not treated with kindness or patience. Once a new topic is created, I don't believe that you can undo it. Not by yourself, anyway. Hopefully, someone will stop by and answer these questions FULLY for us. I didn't even know the area WEBSITE ASSISTANCE & SUGGESTIONS existed! I guess I know now.

Are you referring to the "dog" post from yesterday?

Your post was far from repetitive. Everyone has a different story and your story was heartfelt and uniquely your own. I will send you a private message. Look for it in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. There are two overlapping word balloons up there next to Earth and a shopping cart. If you have a message, you will see a number in a pink square with white numbers. I will teach you some other features/functions, too. Talk to you soon!

Even when I do get to my goal weight, I doubt if I'll want to be photographed. Camera dread is a hard thing to shake. Mirrors are still something I avoid. So far, I've lost around 30 lbs and I don't see any change. Ha. I know that this site underlines certain words like shake. In this case, it's a verb.

@Tealael BajanSleeve's post intrigued me. If anyone has figured me out a little by now, you'll realize that I just gotta get to the bottom of anything medical or scientific. I was SHOCKED to find this: " Some people notice an increase in feelings of hunger after they start to take vitamins. Although some vitamins may affect hunger in certain situations, these increased feelings of hunger are more likely due to another cause. Although most vitamins won't cause you to feel hungry if you're healthy, people with certain conditions may experience this effect. One of the side effects of certain vitamin deficiencies is a loss of appetite. If you have such a vitamin deficiency and then begin taking vitamins to correct it, you might feel hungrier because you're no longer experiencing a loss of appetite because of the deficiency. Loss of appetite is a side effect of vitamin B-12 deficiency, which is more common among vegans, chronic alcoholics, people with digestive disorders and those who've had weight-loss surgery. A deficiency of folate can cause loss of appetite. Among the other B vitamins, thiamine, niacin and biotin deficiencies can also cause lack of appetite. Vitamin D's effect on appetite is interesting, as both vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D toxicity can cause appetite loss. A vitamin K deficiency, which is most common in people on certain medications or those who have difficulty absorbing fat, may also lead to loss of appetite." This vitamin deficiency alert scared the becheezits out of me. I need to be more vigilant about my vitamins, but it's almost a full-time job to organize. My multivitamin has to be spread out 6x/per day and my calcium 4x/per day, and then I can't mix the iron with the calcium... the sublingual B12 is the easiest to take. I'm also taking magnesium citrate now because of post-op cramping in my legs. As for vitamin D-2, I've been deficient in that for years, even though I take 50,000U 2x/per week. It's hard to keep up. And, of course, I have to incorporate my regular meds. I must be half-horse by now... considering all the horse pills I have to take!

I'd check myself out, but I lost my library card. No more moobs (man-boobs). That's sensational. Where is all of the loose, jiggly skin around your abdomen? Men who look pregnant in their BEFORE photos, don't seem to carry their "pregnant" skin for life. Not fair! You look great, by the way. Handsome and fit. You have good reason to be proud. Is your buff body the only furniture in that room?

@nibble Thank you for suggesting that article. Powerful words. "... understanding obesity as a disease has a positive impact on emotions, which then has a positive impact on overall attitudes towards people living with obesity. Findings from this study also support the idea that reducing blame might be an avenue to reduce weight bias attitudes.... Labelling obesity a disease seems to be related to less weight bias for individuals who hold strong beliefs about people getting what they deserve and who are satisfied with their own body weight at least in terms of reducing blame."

Actually, the classification of obesity as a disease by the AMA was not a slam dunk. There was plenty of opposition. There's a 14-page document out there that argues against obesity-as-a-disease, but I couldn't find it. Here's one journal article that asked the question, "Did the American Medical Association make the correct decision in classifying obesity as a disease?" (Oddly enough, this was written by an Australian medical journal). "Obesity has reached pandemic proportions, is strongly associated with myriad co-morbid complications, and is leading to a progressive economic and social burden. However, being obese does not necessarily equate to poor health, and evidence suggests individuals may be fat but fit. Perhaps most importantly, labelling obesity a disease may absolve personal responsibility and encourage a hands-off approach to health behaviour. This knowledge raises the question of morality, as individuals must now choose whether they will invest effort into maintaining a healthy lifestyle in order to free society of the healthcare burden associated with obesity. Given the myriad issues surrounding the decision to classify obesity in this way, perhaps a new question should be posed in order for society to continue this discussion: who benefits most from labelling obesity a disease?" Go to: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4259211/ https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/806566

Growing up, you could not get up from the table until everything had been eaten. The glorified clean plate club... We called it "The Happy Plate". If you finished everything, that was a"happy" thing. You only got dessert if you had a happy plate. I'm sorry to say that I passed on this "noble" traditional to my children. --------- I could feel the pain and sadness in every word of your post. For good or bad, you also have a "toxic" relationship with the English language. You're just too darn eloquent. Why are you convinced that the sleeve, instead of the bypass, is for you? I'm biased, of course, but I'm also curious. I wish I had something equally as eloquent to say in return. I guess I never had the foresight to buy multiple drinks in the drive-thru, though I did ask for two Big Macs and two fries in separate bags once. The encouraging thing I see in your post is that for each "sin", you seem to have an inner plea for change and a determination to end this toxic relationship. You want to succeed but fear is holding you back. Is this a rational fear or a defensive and irrational one? By the latter, I mean you've already put up a defense of sorts by "pre-convincing" yourself that you won't be able to stop eating despite having surgery. Why, then, get the surgery, it won't work for me anyway? That's a defensive fear. The person with whom you have the psych evaluation doesn't have to be the person you talk to about your relationship with food. That said, I don't think that merely having a toxic relationship with food precludes you from surgery. The psychologist wants to know if you are committed. Are you? You sound like you want to be free of the hold food has on you. It sounds as though there is a deep, but hidden urge to get healthy. That fear is blocking your urge to act. Deal with your fears first, so you can move on. Be your own self-advocate. Do what you would do for yourself if you were your own best friend. And you should be your best friend. I know that sounds corny, but it is often the turning point to action. Help your best friend; she needs you! Lastly, you broke free of one fear already (to a certain extent anyway) by baring your soul here. So now that you're here, continue to use us. Misuse us. We don't care which, just keep talking. Hopefully, the feedback you receive will help you to make some life-changing decisions. If you've been lurking here for a while, you've no doubt read posts from people who think they're ready but who are trying to make bargains involving food before they even start. "I want to have surgery, but I still want to eat and do this." or "I'm okay with getting healthy, as long as I can keep doing certain unhealthy things." I don't want to reveal this post to you here, but I can private message it to you so you can see what I mean by a bargainer. You don't appear to be a bargainer to me. I think you're ready, by virtue of what you've said above, to put on and lace up your walking shoes. (I'd say running shoes but those come later.. Heck, I've had surgery and I'm far from running.) I hope my words aren't too trite because I desperately want to say something --anything-- that is encouraging and meaningful to you, but if I continue to ramble on... well... I...uh...

I didn't really comprehend my size until I saw a video of myself. A static photo is one thing, but seeing my almost 300lb body walking, bending... or in my case sitting on a wooden porch swing next to my mother... is something I won't soon forget. If seeing my huge body on video wasn't disturbing enough, during the video I heard the swing crack as soon as I sat down. I couldn't stand up fast enough! The thing is, I didn't want to sit down and actually told my sister (who was recording the video) so. I had a bad feeling and I didn't want to sit on that dumb swing. "Oh, go ahead and sit down beside Mom. It'll be fun." Not only can I still picture my huge body sitting down on that porch swing, but I also have lingering and humiliating sound effects in my head, too. Body dysmorphia + body dysphonia! = I WILL NEVER AGREE TO BE VIDEO-TAPED AGAIN. The Greek root word phon means “sound.” It's a real word for an actual speech disorder; however, I made it up here to apply to my own embarrassing experience.

In the 1980s, the concept of “person-first language” developed among disability advocacy groups. Non-profit organizations, such as the Obesity Action Coalition have expanded advocacy for people-first language to obesity. As of 2017, five U.S. medical societies had pledged for it, and use it in their communications, among them: the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, The Obesity Society, and American Society of Bariatric Physicians. Labeling individuals as obese creates negative feelings toward individuals with obesity and perpetuates weight-bias. Quite often, one will see news stories, articles, and journal entries refer to an individual with obesity as “obese.” For example, I found this Wikipedia article on Carol Yager: Carol Ann Yager was one of the most severely obese people in history, and the heaviest woman ever recorded. In January 1993, Yager was admitted to Hurley Medical Center, weighing-in at 1,128 lb (512 kg). As is common with many severely obese patients, Yager was not able to stand or walk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Yager (Yes, one point of the article on Carol Yager is to focus on how many pounds she weighed, but the article also reveals weight-bias with its wording. Maybe to some, it seems like yet another attempt to be overly-politically correct, but really... how much effort does it take to use people-first language? https://radicalcopyeditor.com/2017/07/03/person-centered-language/ https://www.obesityaction.org/action-through-advocacy/weight-bias/people-first-language/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People-first_language The goal of people-first language is to stop dehumanizing individuals by labeling them with their disease.

@Sweedfire86 It's not just you. There seems to be something more to it.

@Little Kansas Kitty "My ghrelin must of been insanely high and my leptin super low prior to surgery." Don't forget to add that you fixed your ghrelin and leptin problem by having metabolic surgery!

Cut one leg shorter than the other? This sounds like pegleg surgery done on a pirate ship. How truly tragic. Did she sue the first doctor?

Do you seriously have 1.5 lbs to go until you reach your goal weight? As one forum member said, it was a guy, of course (they seem to thrive on scatological humor), "One trip to the bathroom should do it."