Born in Missouri

Oops. You answered one of my questions already... with the last word of your post.

I work directly with one other woman, she is a huge gossip so I didn't tell her I was having WLS until about three weeks ago, she assured me she would not tell anyone else since I am anxious I won't get it for some reason but she told everyone, and she complained a lot about me, saying I was selfish to have this surgery in the summer and I was going to screw up her vacation in September... What a toxic busybody. Is it possible that she's envious of your surgery? Would she, by chance, benefit from WLS? Some people just can't stand the idea that someone else is doing something as wonderful and as life-changing as this. Maybe she's picturing the new you and can't handle the idea of you feeling better about yourself and your life. Unhappy people can't stand it when others are headed down a positive path. Trying to sabotage your decision by labeling you as SELFISH sounds typical of such a toxic person. You are not selfish! You are not selfish! Schadenfreude. Just wait until AFTER you have your surgery. She'll find even more snarky stuff to gossip about. Don't let her get into your head now. And don't let her get into your head later. Think about yourself, and ONLY about yourself when it comes to her. You deserve what is best for YOU. Again: You are not selfish! You are not selfish! You've received a lot of great advice from others here. I hope it helps. And I wish you the very, very best. I hope you'll keep us all updated on your surgery date, etc.

Whoa. I didn't realize that I double posted my comment. Now it's too late to edit. Sorry.

TruCal isn't just straight calcium citrate. It contains lysine, magnesium, and Vit D3 to aid absorption.

Go to: PATIENTS (5th heading from your left, on top of screen). Select MY SURGERY in the pull-down menu. Select PROGRESS (see squiggly arrow on the left side of your screen). Enter your new stats.

Go to: PATIENTS (5th heading from your left, on top of screen). Select MY SURGERY in the pull-down menu. Select PROGRESS (see squiggly arrow on the left side of your screen). Enter your new stats.

@Heather. I like that you have three goal weights listed in your signature area. I like the idea of having multiple ribbons to break through. Winner! Winner! Winner! Too bad this site doesn't allow for this stats option.

@Yo-yo girl Update your weight stats. They don't match with your post. It looks like we have a similar starting weight, current weight, and goal weight. How tall are you?

You can probably figure this out by asking yourself a series of questions that end with an honest answer. It's a matter of priorities and depends upon your commitment to forego certain things in the short-term for a long-term benefit. Am I willing to modify my time on the water fishing in order to allow my body to prepare for surgery? Yes or No Am I willing to modify my time on the water fishing in order for my body to heal from my surgery, which may include a regimented intake of fluids, rest, and exercise? (Sitting in a boat for 12 hours soon after surgery is a clot waiting to happen.) What prompted you to begin the steps to qualify for this surgery? Was weight-loss surgery your idea or someone else's? It's good that you like to drink water because drinking it would be a big part of your pre- and post-surgical time. I don't know why or how many people look into weight-loss surgery and then back out of or dismiss the whole idea outright. Is it because they realize that it's not going to be a quick fix? Is it because they are unwilling to entertain even the slightest change in their lifestyle? Does it just seem way too difficult and they're terrified of failure? Yes, you love hunting and fishing. No, you won't have to give up those activities, but you might have to spend more time before and soon after your surgery attending to some new demands on your body, such as taking vitamins, eating differently (content and portions) and exercising. To me, it all boils down to priorities. What are your priorities? You can probably figure this out by asking yourself a series of questions that end with an honest answer. It's a matter of priorities and depends upon your commitment to forego certain things in the short-term for a long-term benefit. Am I willing to modify my time on the water fishing in order to allow my body to prepare for surgery? Yes or No Am I willing to modify my time on the water fishing in order for my body to heal from my surgery, which may include a regimented intake of fluids, rest, and exercise? (Sitting in a boat for 12 hours soon after surgery is a clot waiting to happen.) What prompted you to begin the steps to qualify for this surgery? Was weight-loss surgery your idea or someone else's? It's good that you like to drink water because drinking it would be a big part of your pre- and post-surgical time. I don't know why or how many people look into weight-loss surgery and then back out of or dismiss the whole idea outright. Is it because they realize that it's not going to be a quick fix? Is it because they are unwilling to entertain even the slightest change in their lifestyle? Does it just seem way too difficult and they're terrified of failure? Yes, you love hunting and fishing. No, you won't have to give up those activities, but you might have to spend more time before and soon after your surgery attending to some new demands on your body, such as taking vitamins, eating differently (content and portions) and exercising. To me, it all boils down to priorities. What are your priorities?

How long did it take for those on the post-op side to notice a return of their full senses of smell and taste? My loss of appetite and my muted senses of smell and taste make "eating" an unsatisfying chore. I find it curious that some claim no interference with their smell and taste since they would, conceivably, experience the same loss of leptin and ghrelin as those who notice the difference. Is it possible that some people had compromised senses BEFORE surgery? I'm only 16 days post-op, so I know I might be in for a wait. But how long? I found a theory for the changes (above), by the way. The exact cause is unknown, but experts believe they have a good idea why.

Oh Kitty, what a pity. And here I had visions of you running in a meadow with butterflies circling your head like a halo. I'm sad about your pain. At least you were treated well, and because I know where you had your surgery and who your surgeon was, I know it's just rotten luck that you feel so blah. Too bad my magic wand is in the shop. If it wasn't, I'd wave it your way. xox Keep me posted on your condition.

Maybe you just need those extra couple of bites fifteen minutes later. How could that not be okay? I'm 2 weeks behind you, but I'm figuring we're still in our learning-curve slash minefield phase of recovery. We're also not that well-acquainted with our new bodies yet, so allow for some missteps, which might not really even be missteps. Be kinder to yourself. Don't work too hard to make yourself feel bad because... that will only MAKE YOU FEEL BAD.

Some might disagree, but I call all of these so-called visits to the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker "fat-shaming" requirements!!! Let's make women (most patients are female) run our obligatory one-size-fits-all obstacle course, as many laps as we decide and redecide. Then, of course, because women are so darn hysterical and unstable when it comes to making up their childlike minds and such, let's thrown in a psych eval just to patronize them even more. I learned NOTHING from my dietician visit that I couldn't read about myself. Questions are pretty easy to find answers for, too. The 6-month weight-loss visits to my primary doctor were also a time-wasting inconvenience. I asked myself while doing the 6-month thingy with my doctor, "If I were a doctor wanting this surgery, would I have to make an appointment with myself for 6 months to record my weight-loss progress?" By the way, I recently found out that my primary doctor's husband weighs over 500lbs. I love my doctor to pieces, but this really made me take pause. What could she really be expected to do for me when her own husband probably needs even more help than I do. Also, she said, he won't even consider bypass surgery.

Why are you only interested in clear protein drinks? Are the non-clear variety of protein drinks all chalky and too hard for you to keep down? I'm pretty sensitive to taste and texture, myself. Vanilla, for example, isn't consistent in taste. Some brands of vanilla are downright horrible. And strawberry ALWAYS has an aftertaste for me. And I'm not much for chocolate. Coconut goat whey was good BEFORE surgery but AFTER surgery ... nothing tastes good, let alone the same. See I would have enjoyed a clear protein drink flavored with peach. Do the clear drinks taste like flavored water or do they have a thick consistency... sort of like those drinks required for glucose tolerance tests during pregnancy (if you can relate to this example)? Peach Jell-O is the only Jell-O I can tolerate. Let us know what you try and eventually like.

What a scare. I'm glad that you have confidence in your doctor. That makes a lot of difference. No one wants to go around with things all wonky with a doctor that's all wonky, too.

What an inspiring post, albeit dated. How about an update?

I forgot to ask. Are you home or still in the hospital? I only stayed overnight and was discharged the following day on what my surgeon called a "conditional discharge" -- translation: I had to be able to get up and walk (my favorite part!), drink enough fluids, and juggle three rolls of toilet paper in the air. Just kidding about the second condition, er, I mean the last condition.

Phosphoric acid is a major component in pop (Coke, Dr. Pepper, etc.) Phosphorus itself is an important bone mineral. If we're getting a disproportionate amount of phosphorus compared to the amount of calcium we're getting, that could lead to bone loss. Another possible culprit is caffeine, which experts have long known can interfere with calcium absorption. Both caffeinated and non-caffeinated colas were associated with lower bone density. Caffeinated drinks still appear to do more damage. Because gastric bypass (and to a certain extent the gastric sleeve) already causes malabsorptive challenges with calcium, for example, drinking pop just makes it even harder to get the calcium required. By the way, CALCIUM CITRATE is the form of calcium best for bariatric patients. Other forms of calcium, particularly CALCIUM CARBONATE and TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, can no longer be absorbed readily because we now lack the stomach acid to break them down. My feeling is that total deprivation creates a problem. An occasional can or small bottle should be enough to satisfy without creating unnecessary stress and tension. I have no plans to give up my Diet Dr. Pepper entirely, but I'll also take it slow and see how it feels first. It's too soon (only 2 weeks post-op) for me to return to some semblance of my old, wicked ways.

I think this "all over the map" way of doing things just confuses bariatric patients. You'd think after millions of bariatric procedures, there would be a fairly standard practice of sorts. Not even close. I think the pre-op all-liquid diet was a challenging time that also included a primarily positive boost. It felt good to feel successful even before my surgery.

Lee's Summit, Missouri (suburb of Kansas City, Missouri). For those who assume that "Kansas City" is a city in Kansas, here's something that might help to distinguish the two: Kansas City, Missouri has an International Airport. Kansas City, Kansas has a Greyhound bus depot (or used to anyway.) So, if someone says, "I'm from Kansas City," the wrong response is "Oh, so you're from Kansas. How's Dorothy and Toto?"

I'll say you have plenty of life left, and a great sense of humor to boot. Aunt Grace's "Syrup of Figs" no doubt did its job on you back in the day.

I, too, have a thyroid condition. An autoimmune disorder that slows destroys my thyroid. It runs in my family, and seems to show up in my female relatives only. It's called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis https://www.thyroid.org/hashimotos-thyroiditis/ and it is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. It's diagnosed with a simple antibody test, but only if your doctor specifically orders this test. My advice for anyone who feels that their thyroid is an ongoing concern, would benefit from seeing an endocrinology (who specializes in, among other things, the thyroid). Many family practitioners mean well, but they often prescribe the wrong doses for thyroid meds. My family doctor gave me an amount, according to my endocrinologist, that would have been more appropriate for "an 80-year-old man with a heart condition." (I love my family doctor, but she is not a specialist with a specialist's knowledge.) A study was done last year, that talked about the impact of bariatric surgery on those with hypothyroidism. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28255851 Essentially, there is a favorable effect of bariatric surgery on the hypothyroid bariatric population. This includes improvement of thyroid function and a reduction of thyroid medication dosages.

Found these statistics, etc: The average age of a bariatric patient is 42 (AJN, Sept. 2012, Vol 112, 9). 83% of patients are female according to the same study. Many bariatric surgeons may not be willing to operate on patients over 60 years old. There are inherent risks for older patients regardless of the procedure. Bariatric surgeons put their reputation on the line every time they perform surgery. A surgeon’s results affect their ability to get new patients. And many surgeons are not willing to take on additional risk to help someone over the age of 60.

Hey, Girl. I noticed that you changed your surgery status from pre-surgery to post-surgery FIRST THANG! Woo-hoo. Just one of many exciting changes to come (some more exciting than others, I hope. Some of the changes in the first few weeks after our surgeries are challenging, but we can handle them, right?!!) Exactly two weeks post-op for me, and the next phase of my post-op diet. Whoopty-blah.

I didn't realize that I was missing. This is the first time I've seen this topic heading. I'm 57.