Born in Missouri

Beautifully said, Wanda. (And your profile pic is knockout beautiful, too, by the way.)

I just want to know what others have in their starting date field. Mine works, too, but it also looks a little ridiculous with a starting date 20,000+ days prior. Also, it didn't change automatically until I went back into the ticker options and resaved. I am not going to resave every day for it to work!

Everything and nothing is normal. Words like ONLY aren't good friends either. What if overnight you lost 3lbs or more? Would you be asking the same question if that had happened? Don't do this to yourself. Please! The weight loss will happen. Do what you've been instructed to do and the pounds will come off. You'll just make yourself crazy if you keep up this mindset.

I think it's only natural to experience such feelings. We've made a drastic, often irreversible, alternation to our bodies. We're not feeling physically like ourselves. There may be pain or discomfort, vomiting, constipation, hunger, lack of hunger... and the list goes on. Probably even more involved are the emotional or psychological changes going on inside of us post-surgery. We know things will never really be the same. This can be both thrilling and terrifying. What if we are one of those weird weight-loss surgery outliers who doesn't lose weight for whatever reason?! We almost convince ourselves that after our first stall we are indeed one of those rare few! We've invested time, money, starved ourselves in preparation for surgery, had labwork, had to convince a nutritionist that we are committed to the nutritional challenges required, had to convince a psychologist that we aren't nuts, and go through 6 months or more of supervised weight loss by our primary doctor. We also read about all the pros and cons of WLS until our eyes practically bled from fatigue and overuse. Arghh! As for advice, it's pretty much the same advice for most wholesale changes we face. Time. Time heals, but time also moves so s l o w l y. Posting this topic and asking questions and for advice was a smart move. Just bringing the subject to the front of your consciousness validates it's importance to you. Some may dismiss "buyer's remorse" as an inconsequential little thing. I'd disagree. It's something we've all had to deal with to a varying degree, whether we're able to admit to ourselves or not. My advice is to keep thinking about upcoming goals... how you'll look in smaller clothing, how you'll feel when you finally weigh less than 200lbs, how it feels to eat half or a fourth of something and feel full. Hey, just creating a list of things to look forward to may help to counter that feeling of buyer's remorse. And, of course, leaving long, rambling comments like this one may help, too. Who knows?!

What should I enter into the start date field for my surgery countdown ticker? I'm wanting to use my ticker in reverse... to show how much time has past since my surgery. In my case, it's been 4 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days. If I enter my surgery date for both fields (start date / surgery date), the ticker won't work and I get a message saying so. Not knowing what date to enter, I put my birthday, which is why I have a gap of twenty thousand or so days from the beginning of my ticker to my surgery date. I hope I explained myself well enough and, hopefully, my question makes sense.

Thank you for expanding this information, elcee. I confined my list to the conditions outlined in the article. It was not meant to be an exhaustive list but a summary of what was mentioned in the article. Yes, awareness is key. Some may fault me for being "negative" by presenting some downsides of weight-loss surgery, but, I believe, that being prepared to make an informed decision with all available information and also being ready for unfortunate events post-surgery is not only practical but realistic.

While cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and all-cause mortality risk is reduced after gastric bypass, the following "cons" were also revealed in a 2018 European study*: . -gallstone and gallbladder disease -gastrointestinal ulcer / reflux -bowel obstruction -abdominal pain -anemia -malnutrition -psychiatric diagnoses -alcohol abuse . *some of these conditions are short-term complications . https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/d-nsr092818.php

In this study, researchers measured weight within the 30-day period prior to surgery, 6 months after surgery, and annually. https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/obesity/roux-en-y-gastric-bypass-outcome-diabetes-surgery-satisfaction/article/811016/ Related weight regain study: https://www.ecnmag.com/article/2018/10/amount-weight-regain-after-bariatric-surgery-helps-predict-health-risks

I admire and respect nurses. Thank you for your service.

Don't be so hard on yourself, @MysteriousGal. Be proud of all of the victories you've had so far, all the things you've done right, and keep your eye on the prize... better health after your weight-loss surgery. While being honest with yourself about "cheating" is a good thing, don't tear yourself down in the process. You'll experience more ups and downs in the coming months, so be kind to yourself. You need you. Be better to yourself, and remember, to pay forward by helping others here, too.

Welcome, Jessica. I'm glad you broke out of your shell in order to join in. Now that you've crossed over to the other side, so to speak, you can be an inspiring source of information for others who are preparing to go through what you are currently experiencing. Pay forward by helping others. Not only does helping others feel good but, I believe, it truly helps each of us to be more triumphant with our own journeys. We've all started out by saying "hello". Now it's your turn to be a comfort to others in their time of need. While we all still need the wisdom and compassion of others from time to time, the best feeling is helping another person here get through their particular hardship. Again, welcome. You have so much to offer!

For others, like me, who endure chronic pain that interferes with WLS, here's (yet another) discovery by scientists. For a little over two decades, liverwort has been known to contain perrottetinene (PET), a compound that closely resembles tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient found in cannabis. https://www.sciencealert.com/moss-plant-liverwort-contain-substance-thc-cannabis-pain-relief-inflammation

If it helps, I've noticed that you are more open to feedback now ---even when it's something you might not want to hear. That's a good sign. When you first posted months ago, you were very defensive... and, well, I wasn't exactly walking on eggshells with you either. Knowing your age (now), and that I'm old enough to be your mother, I feel a little bad for being so blunt with you... but, in truth, I probably would have been just as straight-talking with my own kids.

You're 6ft and your goal weight is 125lb? How did you arrive at that? Just curious. I'm still wondering if my goal weight is achievable. After four children, I'm not sure it's possible. I think I just like "how it looks" in print.

As for your family and friends being happy and proud of you, that's all well and good, but, ultimately, these feelings should be reserved for you alone. Your happiness and sense of pride should be front and center. The disappointment of others should never be a reason to proceed. There are certain decisions in our lives that belong only to us... and this is one of those decisions. I recall your inner debate about what you have qualms about giving up (caffeine, nicotine, drinking, and eating). If you're still hanging onto all of these "pleasures", I don't see how you can possibly be ready. You seem to still be at square one.

How are you getting reports from the future??? 2108... that's intense! LOL @Matt Z Check back in 2108 to see if this study still rings true. Also, look for my new reality TV show (taking over the Kardashians' time slot) about my ability to predict the future. Watch out for tempting slider foods while tuning in to my show.

Strike two in one day. First, I mess up the date when identifying a study (2108), now I botch this title. I'm afraid to think what my third strike might have been had I posted another topic today. I had no intent to mislead. Thank you for pointing out my latest blunder. My new status may soon be ASPIRING BLUNDERIST.

Bariatric surgery is not a quick fix for severe obesity. What comes after the actual surgery matters a lot too. Weight regain is normal and is not something to be ashamed about. But, hopefully, the amount of weight regain is minimal and can be managed. Bariatric surgery isn't like shopping at a convenience store. It requires a care team that appreciates and addressed the nutritional, psychological, physical activity and other challenges that occur in the years after the surgery. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/10/22/what-happens-after-bariatric-surgery-makes-a-big-difference/#4e3dce3c29b1

Adults who experienced childhood abuse have different recovery needs after bariatric surgery than those who were not abused. Children who experience physical, sexual, or verbal abuse sustain long-term consequences, studies have found. Abuse, neglect, witnessing crime, parental conflict, mental illness, or substance abuse can create dangerous levels of stress that can impact healthy brain development. These Adverse Childhood Experiences can increase the risk for smoking, alcoholism, heart disease, and many other illnesses and unhealthy behaviors throughout life.

The brilliant and gentlemanly @James Marusek, a veteran of this forum, is very knowledgeable about essential oils and has conducted several experiments. Check it out: http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Experiments_with_Essential_Oils.pdf

My daughter, a PharmD, told me that she makes her own essential-oil concoction, too. You could probably make 10 bottles of your own scent (and customized to your liking) for the same price as one 2fl oz bottle of Poo-Pourri. What is your recipe?

The poo-pourri guy I talked to on the phone said that their product consists of essential oils plus water. You spritz the toilet bowl BEFORE doing your business and it helps to control the odor before it dissipates into the room. Control the plume, control the room.

It's nice that your poo-pourri does your job decently. What is your job? (Just funnin' with you Matt.)

I heard about Poo-Pourri on this site. I bought the SPICED APPLE. I remember seeing a SECRET SANTA bottle at the store but didn't recall the scent. When I got home, I called the Poo-pourri people to ask about SECRET SANTA. The company representative answered immediately. It was a surreal conversation talking about poo. I mentioned Bariatric Pal as the place where I heard about their product. I also decided to visit their site. Hilarious! If you can handle scatological humor, you might enjoy this series of stories by women and their poo emergencies. https://www.poopourri.com/blogs/girls-do-poop https://www.poopourri.com

Thank you so much. Congrats on making 250! Try not to compare your progress though. We all lose at different paces. I know it can feel somewhat disappointing at times, when you're not seeing a lot of weight coming off. You're just dealing with other health issues, that are making things go at a slower pace. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just do what you can. Exercising sitting down, doing low impact exercises would be a good way for you to be active. Just don't over push yourself. I hope your new doctor will be able to help you. I'm rooting for your success! Update on my new primary. It turns out that she and my youngest son were in the same medical school class. She's a fresh, young doctor with a caring spirit. With a little more experience and confidence, she'll make a truly terrific doctor. (My son said she was a nice person in medical school.) Anyway, she believes in me... and is someone I think I can trust.