Diva Taunia

Hey Ladies! Just curious if anyone else is buying or selling on Poshmark.com? If not, it's a fantastic site where you can find pretty much ANYTHING fashion and beauty-wise. As you're losing weight and changing sizes FAST, it's nice to be able to find clothing at drastically reduced prices so you don't break the bank while you're losing weight. If you're not already on there, you can use my code PAKEY when you sign up and get an immediate $5 to spend! As a musician, I have a lot of dresses and shoes for sale. I also offer a generous discount of 30% off when you bundle three items together (a function you can use to buy three things at once). Here's the link to my closet: www.poshmark.com/closet/divataunia If you're on there, comment with your address and I'll add you as a friend - or just add me on the app. Thanks for check out my closet, and best of luck with your loss(es)!! I remember when! lol

I am a 9.5 yr gastric bypass post-op. I've kept off nearly all of the 160 lbs I lost. (I am 5'7" and weighed 320lbs). It is absolutely the best decision I ever made. The only complication I have had is iron deficiency anemia, which I was before surgery. Because gastric bypass surgery is malabsorptive, my body no longer retains iron on its own. I get iron infusions about every six months. It doesn't hurt, it's really just a matter of scheduling and time for the appointments. Before surgery, I had PCOS, high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, sleep apnea, and severe gaut. All of those were resolved post surgery with the weight loss. I no longer have any of them. I actually chronicled my entire weight loss journey on my YouTube channel (mixed in with my music as well) at: www.youtube.com/divataunia Maybe you'll find some of that helpful. 🙂

We do? Why am I not making the connection?? lol You'll have to drop me a PM and give me the 411. I was in the hospital longer because I had a low-grade fever and more pain than usual. I think they wanted to keep me until my fever broke. I don't think that really changed the outcome for me vocally at all, though. I think you're probably right in your assessment as far as ensemble vs. private lessons. If you're paying for the credits, you may want to hold off until you're fully healed, or at least have a conversation with your teacher first and let her know your concerns and what possible complications may arise. You'll have more leeway in an ensemble. Best of luck!

Hi Annie, This is a great question, and I'm happy to answer it from personal experience and also as a professional vocalist and voice teacher. I also had RNY gastric bypass surgery, the surgery you're considering - about 9.5 years ago. I was in the hospital slightly longer than most people, about a week. My recovery time in full was two weeks, but I was not fully out of pain until about three weeks. While I was able to teach (I was able to sit and mostly played piano and did not have to fully engage singing in the lessons), I was not able to get back to work performing until about two months later. For me (and lots of other singers), the biggest issue was with support. After major abdominal surgery, it takes some adjustment and getting used to. It was a difficult adjustment for me. You'll probably notice changes to your voice in general as your body changes - your body IS your instrument, so as that changes, the sound does too. I didn't realize there would be so many changes vocally back then. I think it's great you're asking now. If you can get yourself prepared mentally AND physically, you'll be just fine. But I definitely think you should give yourself a big window to heal.

I do that too sometimes, but only as a representation of how something can look on, etc. I always include a pic of how it actually looks and/or of the item that I actually have so that there is an accurate representation of it as well. Returns are a pain.

Glad to help! I did that a while ago, so there may be new tips and tricks, but if you're just getting started, it will probably be helpful. Good luck with your closet (and trying not to shop, lol)!

@MzCoffee - There's two ways you can add. You can go straight to my closet at www.poshmark.com/closet/divataunia and click on the "FOLLOW" button, or you can do a people search and search for "divataunia" (all one word). Thanks for adding me! @FruitandVeggies I actually created a tips and tricks sheet a long time ago. Happy to share it here with anyone who wants to start selling on there. Hopefully you'll find it useful! TIPS TRICKS POSHMARK.pdf HOW TO SELL ON POSHMARK.pdf

You're welcome, ladies! Back in the day (waaay back....lol) I used to use Ebay. I would sell my old clothes and use the money to get new ones as my sizes changed quickly. It was WAY more work than Poshmark. Also, Poshmark makes the buyer responsible for shipping and you get a lable sent to you immediately, so you don't have to deal with paying for that. WAY better. I schedule pickups at my house with the USPS (free), so the whole thing is super-easy. These days, I sell a lot of my stage and performance clothes so I can make a little extra bank when I'm not performing or teaching. I can sell and find ANYTHING on there. Be sure to add me!

And I didn't, which is why I wrote my response to her original post. Maybe she'll be more mindful and perhaps more helpful in the way she approaches the many numerous people she works with in the future because she didn't call them "The Cheetos Lady."

I'd actually be interested in this. Do you happen to know anything about who runs it?

But you're talking about two entirely different situations: a frank and honest conversation with your family members/loved ones and a licensed mental health professional writing an article addressing the community she works with about the people she works for.

I'm going to be honest: some of the language in this article is concerning to me. For me, one of the biggest issues was trust. Having someone that looked like you sitting across from me, my immediate reaction would have been, "How would she have any clue what I've been through, what I'm dealing with, what it's like to be 320lbs." It would be hard for me to trust you, and the first thing I would do is ask if you've ever been in my shoes. Then, when I read something like, "a barrage of excuses..." that language doesn't read as compassionate to me. Add to that the subject header of this entire thread and it feels more like mockery than someone that I would want to extend my trust to, and reach out for the tools to deal with something so deeply personal and often times mortifying. I'm sorry that I can't just go with the crowd on this one, but this left a taste in my mouth worse than Cheetos and chicken...

You're welcome. Good luck!

As someone who decided to ignore the doctor's advice and take NSAIDS and ended up with ulcers: please, please, please: follow your doctor's advice. Even if you think it's worth it to take it just a couple times to alleviate the pain: IT'S NOT. I totally understand not taking Tylenol: it doesn't do a thing for me either. The problem is avoiding opiates, obviously. There are other pain relievers that you can take and it's best to have a serious discussion with your doctor if you have chronic pain that needs to be managed. My doctor prescribes Tramadol (Ultram) for me for migraines/cramps/severe pain. It's the only thing that works for me. I know this tends to be a solution for a lot of weight loss surgery patients because it's easier on the pouch, but you have to be very careful because it's a low-level narcotic. I take it only when needed and it has been a good solution for me.

I had my surgery back in 2008, so the resources were different back then. My biggest resource was actually YouTube, where there was a huge community of people recording their journeys and it was incredibly helpful to be able to watch someone go through the whole process. I wanted to give back so I did the same and recorded my entire weight loss surgery (RNY Gastric Bypass) journey from pre-op to post op on my YouTube channel as well. If anyone is interested, it's at www.youtube.com/divataunia. (I have things listed in playlists. I'm also a musician as well.) I attended meetings at my hospital, but they were geared mostly towards pre-ops, so I stopped attending after a while. I found some other online resources and forums, but I found those to be very hostile at times, so I never really stuck with them. That's why I decided to form my own community and create my own radio show. I still host that now every Tuesday at NOON PST: www.backstagepassradio.com. We discuss issues involving weight loss surgery, weight, body image, and even do giveaways. I'm lucky to have BariatricPal.com as a program sponsor!

I don't mean to diminish your feelings or disappointment at all, because I know that we all have to go through the emotional journey that comes along with weight loss surgery. However, I can't help but be concerned that at only six weeks out you and your doctor are coming to such a dramatic and negative conclusion about your surgery. You've lost 15 lbs in a month and a half: that's a huge success. While I certainly understand your concerns about Water retention and I'm glad you're looking into that, I do hope that you will also focus on the real success that you've had as well. I remember when I had my surgery, I had this nagging "What if I'm the only person this surgery doesn't work for?!?" feeling all the time: wondering if I wasn't losing fast enough or just enough period. Everyone's body is different, and everyone's success is different. 15 lbs is fantastic!

What an amazing opportunity! I'll be sharing this on my social media!

Hey Hey Everyone! Next Tuesday, February 14th, is Valentine's Day, and The Backstage Pass Radio Program is on at NOON, PST and we've decided to do something a little different that day: we've decided to use the hour to air YOUR stories and dedications of love! Do you want us to tell YOUR WLS story of love? Do you have a dedication that you want us to read on-air? Do you have an inspirational story of love that people should hear? Have an anniversary? (My parents are celebrating their 48th anniversary!) We want to hear about, and we'll talk about it on-air! Feel free to leave the details here in the comments (if you feel comfortable), send me a private message, or email me at info@divataunia.com. If you like to send pictures to accompany your story, we can also upload those to the radio show page slideshow as well. Note: your story doesn't necessarily have to be WLS-related. We're happy to celebrate anyone and everyone's story of love! We'll also be doing some giveaways next week during the show as well. We hope you'll join us for a great Valentine's Day! <3

Come on....NO STORIES?! Somebodies at least got to love their momma?! Right!?!? lol

I have a bit of a touchy subject that I'd love to get some input from you lovely folks about. Tomorrow on The Backstage Pass Radio Program, we have a panel of gentlemen that will be joining us to discuss weight status and the perception of men's body image in society today. (Good ol' Alex Brecher from right here at Bariatric Pal will be on that panel!). We'll be discussing a number of different topics, ranging from when men were just adolescents and dealing with being overweight and perhaps bullied, to being men in society now either struggling with their weight OR having lost a great deal of weight and viewing the world as a thinner person. What are YOUR thoughts about men and weight/obesity? Does society treat overweight men differently than it treats women? If you were an overweight or obese man at one point and are now thinner, does the world view you differently? What types of topics or discussion points do you think are important to cover? I'd love and appreciate your feedback on this! Many thanks! Cheers, Taunia PS: If you'd like to hear Alex and the other gentlemen, the show will be on at NOON, PST at www.backstagepassradio.com. You can even call in to talk with us at 347-857-2052!

FEMALE DISCUSSION PANELISTS NEEDED! Looking for a few gals to join our discussion panel this Tuesday at NOON, PST on The Backstage Pass Radio Program to continue our discussion from last week's fantastic male discussion panel on weight status and body image in today's society. We're looking for women who have been on both sides of the spectrum of weight - being both morbidly obese and also at a normal weight - to discuss their experiences. (You don't need to have already been a weight loss surgery patient, but it would be helpful if you have had experience on both sides of the scale.) Please let me know here or via PM if you'd be interested in participating and are available. Thanks!

Hi Everyone! Wanted to let you know about today's show and also that we're doing a bento lunch kit giveaway for a caller! (photo attached) The Backstage Pass Radio Program is very generously sponsored by Bariatric Pal, and you can use our coupons (DIVAT and POWERGIRL) to save 15% at store.bariatricpal.com! Here's all about today's show. We hope you'll tune-in to listen and win! TODAY'S SHOW (GIVEAWAY TODAY FOR A CALLER!) Today at NOON, PST, we welcome our guests "Drop Dead Red," Pandora L. Williams, andPatricia Miller to continue our panel discussion. Last week we had a great group of men on to discuss weight status and the perception of body image in society, and this week we welcome the women on to discuss the same thing from their perspective. We welcome and encourage you to call-in to speak with us and our guests! The # is 347-857-2052! We'll also be giving away a great bento-box gift package to a lucky listener today, so be sure to listen and call-in for that. We'll also be live on Facebook on our pages Taunia Joy and Jean Hopkins Power and Backstage Pass Radio Program. But to hear the entire discussion, make sure you tune-in and listen at http://tobtr.com/9764075 orwww.backstagepassradio.com to hear all of us at once!

Sgc, you bring up a really good point. I think it's MUCH more acceptable for women to be openly vulnerable about their weight, their bodies, etc. My brother is obese and I know it bothers him, but I don't think I've ever heard him be really vulnerable about how it makes him feel. (He's also a carpenter and a rough-tough guys-guys who never cries.) When you made this point, I sat there and thought about how many times I've talked about this issue with friends, family and therapists and it's staggering. And it's because it's socially acceptable for me to do so. James, I'll never forget the conversation that my regular doctor and I had after my surgery (she and I were close). She asked me if people treated me differently now that I had lost weight. I had always thought people treated me fine when I was morbidly obese, but I was definitely treated better and kinder after I lost weight. Doors were opened for me, people looked me in the eye and said hello, small things that I hadn't noticed as an obese woman, but those subtle differences in humanity really shine through once you lose weight. That INFURIATES me. I think situations like that happen all the time. I can recall several times where bosses or superiors had told me that I'd be very attractive if I lost weight (back then the laws weren't quiet the same). Such bs. Thanks so much for these comments. I'll still be checking in today, so I'd love any more feedback before the show. And PLEASE tune in if you'd like to hear the conversation! NOON PST at www.backstagepassradio.com

TODAY @NOON, PST! I'm super-excited about today's show! Jean Powergirl and I will be interviewing Big John Drury The Dancing Trucker! Big John has a truly inspirational story about his weight loss and is just a lot of fun. Check out his Facebook page that I tagged and also his YouTube channel here to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDrury1150 Don't forget that we'll be LIVE on Facebook as well. I will be live on my page and on the Backstage Pass Radio Program page and Powergirl will be live on her page Jean Hopkins Power. Today's program is sponsored by the great folks at Daddyos.com rockabilly dresses and clothing for the whole family, BariatricPal.com where you can get a 15% discount using the codes DIVAT or POWERGIRL and also by Slimpressions where you can save 25% by using the code POWERGIRL! Listen to today's show by clicking on the link below or by going directly to www.backstagepassradio.com! PS: Do you have a great story that you think should be featured on The Backstage Pass Radio Program? Email me at info@divataunia.com or send me a private message here!