Missouri-Lee's Summit

@Frustr8 Why aren't you listing your most current surgery as your surgery date? Just curious.

I chose a goal weight that was more or less unattainable. After giving birth to four children, it's unrealistic to expect to shrink back to the same body. Men have no idea! I picked 130 lbs because, for my height (5' 6"), it's reasonable... but not for someone with my physical history. By picking a goal weight that is beyond the finish line, I feel I'll always have something to keep working toward. By picking an attainable "goal weight", I thought it might make me complacent and, therefore, feeling that I no longer needed to keep working on my weight.

Your question is not silly! (I've cornered that market. ). Seriously, if something picks at your brain, makes you anxious, or causes you any distress and it's because you are unsure about something... how can that be silly? Ask away. There will almost always be someone else who will benefit from your question and the comments that follow. We have essentially the same surgery date (me only two days before you). Those eggs did nothing wrong. You did nothing wrong. You were able to consume an excellent protein source and keep it down. I remember when even one egg was a challenge. It still is, to some extent, but I just carry on with what my body is telling me. I'm actually grateful that my body is able to take in a bit more as time passes. Three spoonfuls of food just didn't seem like a meal. And it hurt after. Now, I can eat what looks like a normal-ish portion and it sits nicely in my pouch. The biggest no-no for me has been forgetting about drinking milk or water during a meal. That ruins the meal. And how can a meal feel satisfying when pain follows? Sometimes it takes repeated failures to learn a lesson. Soup, oddly, doesn't seem to have the same effect, even when it's "thick" soup with lots of ingredients. I haven't figured out that one.

I use a C-pap. You could have healthy lungs and still have sleep apnea. There is no correlation between the two. The test results this time around are obviously flawed. Do you sleep alone? If not, does your partner hear you snore?

Do you see your bariatric doctor annually now? What does your primary say about your blood levels? Which form of iron are you taking? Are you taking a multivitamin with micronutrients such as selenium, copper, and zinc? What about your B12 levels? You are well into the time period where permanent damage can occur... not all deficiencies are reversible without consequences. "Symptoms of lack of vitamin B12 can cause serious anemia, nerve damage and degeneration of the spinal cord. It is common for anemia to develop first, but this is not always the case, especially if a person is taking a folate supplement. A lack of B12 damages the myelin sheath that surrounds and protect nerves. Without this protection, nerves cease to function properly and conditions such as peripheral neuropathy occur. Even a B12 deficiency that is relatively mild may affect the nervous system and the proper functioning of the brain. The nerve damage caused by a lack of B12 may become permanently debilitating, if the underlying condition is not treated."

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

My home state of Missouri, plus the city where I currently live, Lee's Summit. I would have preferred using a variation of my name, but I have good reasons for not wanting to reveal that. My father died at the age of 44 of a heart attack. I was 12. He was not overweight, so that was not a contributing factor. My mother is still living (age 80) and she has always been model thin and 6ft tall. It's a strange thing when you realize that you are older than a parent. I am 57. My father would have been 89 now, had he lived.

@CeeCee2018 . Always nice to meet a new forum friend. Don't be afraid to ask questions. I'm an expert at asking dumb ones, so don't let any topic stop you from getting to the bottom of what you want/need to know. We were all navigating unfamiliar waters in the beginning, so don't be shy. And, yes, the archives are a wealth of information. Of course, they lack that one-to-one contact with another forum member directly, but they can still provide you with a lot of details that you may not even know you needed to know! You came to the right place for bypass info. Actually, the bypass area would be better than this area, which is the general weight loss surgery area, but you'll find your way there. Ask if you need a roadmap. (You'll have to re-fold the map yourself, though. )

Do you use a C-PAP, by chance?

At least HR didn't broadcast that you had a big box of Poo-Pourri waiting for you in the mailroom. Seriously, very unprofessional. Was this the HR person's first day on the job? Maybe it'll be her last soon... if she keeps violating HIPPA.

Here's a photo of a drama drop: Not making fun of the OP. It's just that in the beginning every misaligned stitch or unicorn-shaped bruise almost seems like a near-death event.

Tea--It's your dramatic moments, many comedic, that I find so endearing about you. More exclamation points!!! More ellipses...

Wow. I just noticed your name. Gabrielle Simone. Talk about a lovely name. It sounds like the name of a big-time, famous celebrity.

Forget your lameass surgeon. Call your primary doctor. You need to be treated with antibiotics. This is a disgusting story... not because of your infected bellybutton but because of the way you were treated by your bariatric staff. It's pretty apparent that your post-operative health is not your surgeon's concern. As for his NP, shame on her. Most nurses I know would NEVER dismiss a patient so coldly. You could have developed sepsis! I'd call my surgeon only to let him know that someone else treated the infection that he neglected!

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

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.

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?!

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.

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!

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.