Missouri-Lee's Summit

In the beginning, I was sure that I would go straight to malnutrition hell if I missed even a dose. Turns out, it takes several weeks to months to get yourself in any substantial trouble. My excellent labwork has proven to me that it's not just okay to skip (out of laziness or accidentally) your supplements, but it probably saves you a couple of bucks here and there. Mellow out is my new mantra. Go the best you can with hydration, protein, and your recommended supplements. Trying to live a stress-free life is infinitely more important than your supplements for any given day. (None of this little blabfest was intended for the lovely and ever-knowledgable GT.)

Of course you can get to 143! You lost 344 pounds...didn't you? And, honestly, did that seem possible all those years ago?

Orchids&Dragons is right. You've done awesome so far. While there's never a guarantee, you've proven that it's possible. Patience is your best friend.

Why did you switch from the gastric bypass option to a sleeve? Just curious.

I'd be worried about you if you weren't a little nervous and scared. To me, that indicates how important this procedure is to you. Use that nervous energy to your advantage by following all the recommendations before and after your surgery. You are worth it! Keep us in the loop about your surgery, pre and post.

I love that you love your pouch. I just realized that I love my pouch, too. Both of them. After having four children, I have an external pouch of loose skin from my pregnancies... but now I have an internal surgically-created one as well.

Two pouches! I have two beautiful, lovely, amazing pouches and I didn't realize it until just now. Your apostrophe-loaded sentence triggered this sentiment in me. Thank you!!!

I have 14 more pounds before I reach that milestone, too. I've lost 80lbs so far since June.

So happy for you, Leia. I haven't looked up your goal weight yet. Do you have any other intermittent milestone goals after this one? I haven't figured out any in particular for myself, but I know I want to always keep myself motivated to keep working toward some goal.

I respect doctors who have the confidence to admit that they don't know everything. What questions could s/he not answer? You have my attention, Toya, even if I can't answer any of your unanswerable questions!

Nothing you've said sounds ridiculous. Anything complicating your life is important and matters. I'm glad to hear that you are seeking out the help of a therapist. Many people try to ignore problems until they become overwhelmed by them... or they allow the stigma of seeing a therapist prevent them from getting help... or, unfortunately, they don't have access to a mental health professional.

Good on you for visiting your mother and asking for help. As a mother of four adult children, it feels nice to still be needed. My own mother is going through the early stages of dementia now and I'm terrified of the day when she might not even recognize me. Treasure your parents. The older you get, the more you realize how fragile and fleeting life can be. (Talk about being a downer!)

I hope your personal issues became more manageable soon. Try to stay strong, but never be afraid to ask for help.

Your taste buds and your sense of smell will be wacky for months, if not longer. It's a common and unpleasant side effect. I've heard it improves, but I'm still not noticing much. I had my bypass in June 2018. The hard part is no longer enjoying foods you used to love as much and craving foods that you used to be able to take or leave. I am obsessed with eating okra. Go figure.

This sense that everything tastes and smells awful won't last forever; it will just seem like it. Welcome to the forum. We love new members. We're a friendly group and love to help.

What happened after you were all subtle and crap, @Orchids&Dragons ? You still work there, right? There has to be a lot of residual resentment, and perhaps even the hope that the "chosen" promotee falls on his less-qualified younger face.

I see it in my face. My face is the first place that gets bloaty when I gain weight. Now my face looks long and taut (and not in a good way.) I had no wrinkles when my face was fuller. I have another 90lbs or so to go -- until I reach my madeupical goat* weight. I still wear loose, baggy clothing so there isn't much of a change in my clothing. I've always been modest with the way I dress, so I doubt if I'll ever start wearing something too form-fitting. Plus, I tend to wear dresses. I haven't tried wearing a pair of jeans in over a decade. Feeling confident enough to wear a pair of jeans without hearing those backing-up beep-beep noises in my head might be a future fun goal.

*initially a typo, but I like it!

Hope you had a grand time, friend.

What do you mean "be a pill"? Urban Dictionary refers to a pill as an annoying or nagging person. I didn't realize that I was being a pill.

Thank you for your kindness and understanding, O&D.

As for ranting in the wrong section, my post was not planned. I reacted to a trigger. Triggers are curious, fragile things. And spontaneous.

Perhaps I feel things too deeply. It’s important to me to acknowledge and try to empathize with the person displaying emotional discomfort. If I've inadvertently hurt someone, I try to validate their hurt without judging it. I also avoid being defensive since doing so places the focus on myself and does nothing to make the other person feel better.

I follow advances in pain management closely. For a while, I had hoped that a drug called ziconotide (derived from the venom of cone snails) would help me. It’s over 100x more powerful than morphine and it’s non-addictive. The downside is that it can only be administered intrathecally (into the spinal canal). The other downside, for me at least, is the possible side effects: confusion, memory impairment, speech problems, aphasia, and hallucinations. That said, ziconotide-induced side effects are only temporary and reversible and there are no opioid-like withdrawal symptoms.

KimTriesRNY seemed to think I was confused and unhelpful. I just needed to rant. And sort of hoped for some understanding.

It's natural to have the jitters. I was nervous, too. It's too early to fret over pureed foods now since you'll be on liquids when you get home. As for "drinking tuna", think baby food instead. Pureed just means very soft, with no chunks. It doesn't have to be overly soupy or watery. Does that help? Write to me anytime.

My pre-op diet was for one week only. I can't imagine 4 weeks, let alone 6 weeks. You're bound to lose a lot of weight prior to your surgery date. How did you decide on a sleeve vs a bypass?

Forgive me. I neglected to notice that you aren't post-op. Wow. This was an important result. I can't imagine being told that I might have a condition that would make me a risky candidate for surgery. I looked up your surgery date. Sep 6th. Does your doctor require a pre-surgery liquid diet?

What prompted the tests in the first place? Did you have some suspicious symptoms that they thought might involve your liver? Good news that your liver has been ruled-out. Is this the end of it, then?

Father and son with eyes locked on each other. We're witnessing a lifelong bond.