Missouri-Lee's Summit

I never had to take a test, a pop quiz or ANYTHING with my psychologist. What the holy heck? We talked about random nothingness, then she wrote out a four-paragraph recommendation in old-fashioned cursive on her letterhead. That was it. What are some of your 344 questions? I hope you get a gold star and a happy face sticker on your test.

It's been my experience that it's generally male doctors who tend to behave this way. Do you live in a small community with few primaries? My life turned around 180 degrees when I found myself a good, compassionate female primary. I'm not suggesting that all male primaries are jerks, but they tend to have more acorns up their butt than necessary.

It's just a routine, insurance-required obstacle to weed out the not-so-serious and those who, for whatever reason, would not be able to emotionally handle the challenges ahead. I generally mock the visit saying that they just want to make sure that you aren't nuts. I say this because, to me, the visit is contrived and "forced" upon people. Seriously?!? Do heart/lung transplant patients have to go through this shaming requirement?! What other surgical procedures require psychological intervention? There is an extremely small likelihood of being declined at this stage. The psychologist is actually on your side and wants to recommend you. S/he knows that weight-loss surgery is a positive step for most people and that it will have major life-changing advantages. Unless you come in with doubt written all over your face, you will get your sign-off and be sent on your merry way. Being forced to read the psychologist's thumbed-through, out-of-date waiting room magazines is the only real burden ahead of you.

My hero! I'm speechless, in awe, and completely inspired by you. Do you still have no loose skin? (If so, not fair, but I'm happy for you.)

Outstanding response. You got this, too, Kimmie K!

The “Fat Tax” Is Everywhere, From Retail to the Nail Salon Clothing stores and salons keep charging plus-size customers more. https://www.racked.com/2018/5/21/17369488/fat-tax-retail-new-look-salon-plus-size-upcharging Size is a sensitive subject in the clothing business. So when one of Britain’s most popular and affordable clothing giants was found to charge more for plus-size clothing, it was accused of imposing a “fat tax” on women. “Obviously it costs more to make plus-size clothing because of the amount of fabric used, but if the pricing metric is going to be based on size, then every size should be priced differently." “If smaller-sized people aren’t getting discounts, then plus-sized people shouldn’t have to pay a surplus." “We rarely see ‘tall’ and ‘maternity’ editions of clothing being priced differently. It’s cruel and unfair to single out one body type.” Fashion’s ‘fat tax’: Bigger women furious at having to pay more for clothes https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/designers/fashions-fat-tax-bigger-women-furious-at-having-to-pay-more-for-clothes/news-story/b170b879bd535dd7bc8d1724e1aaa59e

As always, outstanding and succinct words of wisdom, Matt.

What an inspiring post. In just a few sentences you managed to convey humor, hope, and sweet fatherly love. You have an amazing attitude that will serve you well in the months ahead. It's important to maintain a good sense of humor and to know when not to take life too seriously. My crystal ball tells me that you have a bright future ahead of you. And a bright future for you pretty much guarantees an even brighter future for your darling little son. Just think of all the other things (besides sharing good eating habits) that you'll be able to do together. Let's all hope that your son will be able to keep up with you! You know those stunt chairs that break easily in the movies? Those will be to only chairs you'll be able to break in the future because the others will be too sturdy for a slender young guy like you. Don't disappear on us, okay? We want to hear from you regularly. It's also time for you to start paying forward by helping others who are struggling. Not everyone has your courage. Yet. This forum needs more male participation. Someone could be lurking on this forum right now... hoping for the kind of encouragement you have to offer.

As disheartening as your first stall can be, get ready to experience the opposite. On more than one occasion I've lost close to 3 or 4 pounds overnight. What a feeling! It makes me want to dance on the ceiling!! Also, I like to weigh myself after a big Number Two. Who knew that going to the bathroom could be so exhilarating?

They stuck me 14 times in pre-op trying to get an IV in. Both arms - both hands and both feet had multiple sticks. My surgeon was ready for me and I still didn’t have an IV in. At one point I had 4 people at once trying to get one in!! They finally got one but it wasn’t in very good. I woke up with a different one in my left wrist! (And for a week after surgery I looked like a junky! Lol) All the nurses, including their "big guns" failed to get an IV started before my surgery. I finally had two anesthesiologists working in tandem with a hand-held doppler looking for a vein. (They succeeded, by the way.)

There are all kinds of families. Not everyone is kind or respectful toward other family members. Swanton_Bomb knows her family (we do not), and she has decided what is best for her. In an ideal world, it's true that lying is not "right", but in an ideal world, a family wouldn't unfairly judge or belittle another family member either. I can only imagine Swanton_Bomb's predicament. I hope you have a speedy recovery from your flu!

This topic makes me crazy. I was a chronic pain patient BEFORE my bypass surgery. To my horror, I was not treated for my existing pain but given such a low dose of morphine that it did nothing for me. My surgeon left for Sweden right after my surgery, his assistant never visited me, and the hospitalist failed her responsibility toward me miserably. Leaving a patient to suffer needlessly is just wrong. And there's a big difference between being an addict and being dependent on opiates for pain relief. If I'm addicted to anything, it's not being in unrelenting pain. Pain medication allows me to lead a semi-normal life without feeling out of control. Only someone who has chronic pain can understand this. It's a horrible cycle. And for the record, pain medication does give one a "high"; it merely takes the edge off so that you don't feel the pain as much. Nothing makes me crazier than being treated as a drug-seeking, attention-seeking hypochondriac. Some people in the health care field have become cold and indifferent to the suffering of those who live with chronic pain. They assume everyone is abusing.

@GreenTealael All I crave are nuts, seeds and dark @chocolate. Not even fruit anymore. I will have fruit occasionally because I work it into recipes but I realized I bought watermelon and gave it away because I had Brazil nuts I wanted instead. Save me. Brazil nuts are one of the best sources for selenium, a micronutrient you need. How can you go wrong with that?

What turned you off about the bypass? I went in thinking the sleeve was for me, but ended up getting the bypass. My surgeon presented the pros and cons of both procedures during my initial visit, and I left that visit 100% confident that the bypass was the better choice -- FOR ME. Both procedures have malabsorption issues. The sleeve, however, has the chance of developing GERD (even without a history of the condition) whereas the bypass does not. Regardless of your choice, this community will support you! I am so excited to hear about your upcoming procedure. It never gets old hearing about someone who is embarking on such a life-changing journey. Promise that you will stay connected with us and that you will share your story.

You chose the sleeve because of the SLIGHTLY lower complication rate? If there was only a slight rate, why were you dissuaded?

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 was never able to reach any of my protein or fluid goals post-op. I was lucky to get 250 calories per day. I fretted about it briefly, then decided to concentrate on healing. You can make yourself crazy with all those grams and fluid ounces. Some days you'll do fairly well meeting a recommended requirement, other days you'll feel like a complete failure. My three-month labs turned out fine. I've lost almost 80lbs since June. The way I see it, I could have beaten up on myself daily for not meeting my protein/fluid goals or I could just relax (which is what I decided to do) and let each day unfold without stressing out. I'm glad I chose the latter. I feel lucky to be one of those who didn't face feeling hungry or starved post-operatively. I only rarely feel hungry now. Some else I learned, don't compare. A fellow forum member and I had pretty much the same surgery date. She was losing like crazy... about 30lbs more than I was during the same time frame. I let it get to me. Once I got over that feeling (with the wise advice of friends here), I've been losing as well. Only a couple of brief stalls, too.

What the hell? I'm repulsed and amused at the same time. Where's the pee hole?

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

@mylighthouse Yes, I like to keep up on all pain medication research. I used to take tramadol once upon a time. https://www.drugs.com/article/tramadol-need-to-know.html My pain was no longer controlled by tramadol, however. I now take morphine (300mg per day) and oxycodone for break-through. I take gabapentin as well. For a while, I was excited by research regarding sea snail venom. https://www.sciencealert.com/sea-snail-venom-could-provide-a-new-long-lasting-alternative-to-opioid-painkillers and cone snail venom https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/cone-snail-pain-killers-could-be-100-times-effective-morphine/ https://www.wndu.com/content/news/Chronic-pain-relief-How-marine-snails-may-be-able-to-help-477550613.html In my profile, I describe my bypass surgery and how I was not treated as a chronic pain patient having bariatric surgery but only as a bariatric patient. There is a huge difference. The pain medication I require to be comfortable is significantly greater than the average patient. This is a subject in which I can quickly go off in an incoherent tangent. Pain changes a person. It affects one's personality and makes life a day-to-day struggle. For others who experience chronic pain not associated with their WLS, please share your experiences.

So happy about all your pregnancies and babies. Being pregnant, and breastfeeding, in particular, were some of the most rewarding and memorable events in my life. Despite what pregnancy does to a woman's body, I wouldn't give up those times for anything.

Forgive my little tirade, Biddy zz. In no world I know is a pair of overalls, putting your body on exhibit. I was just venting. Our histories interrupt us at the most awkward of times. I apologize for stealing your thunder by calling attention to my past. It has nothing to do with your amazing accomplishments.

You look fab. I'm 57. How inspiring. I love your waspy waist. I love imaging a waist narrower than my hips! I hate my upper underarm flab. It's a lousy dancer, too. I see myself destined to elbow-length sleeves. One pleasant surprise is that my once double chin is now taut. I dreaded a floppy turkey neck. Didn't happen. My thighs and other core areas look oddly shocking, but because they will remain private, I'm not terribly concerned with their lumpy-dumpy look. I can live with that, as long as I can cover those areas with fabric that doesn't show my contours. I'm not interested in a "hot body". That's never been my mindset. Actually, I find the whole idea of being on display for others to ogle unsettling, even when I was young. No judgments on others who enjoy exhibiting their bodies. I think my childhood sexual abuse has a lot to do with never wanting to be "seen" sexually. I don't find anything empowering about showing flesh. I admire and respect women who feel comfortable in their own skins, but that confidence disappeared when I was repeatedly violated as a child, ages 7-13. Miscarriage at age 12.

"Humans are the fattest species on record at birth. A baby human is born with about 15 percent body fat—a higher percentage than any other species in the world. Only a small number of other mammals make it into the double digits at birth: about 11 percent for guinea pigs and around 10 percent for harp seals, for example. Even our nearest primate relatives are not born as fat as we are." http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2018/01/12/baby-fat-cute/?utm_source=dsctwitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dsctwitter#.W-G0wxRhPzI