Joz31

I am in KCMO. I have had fantastic results with Dr. Hoehn. So thankful and blessed!

Congrats!!! You look fantastic!!

So I have found myself in somewhat of a dilemma that I could have never imagined six months ago. I had my six-month follow-up appointment with my surgeon after having the sleeve done in April. Needless to say I have worked really hard and have lost 88 pounds from my highest weight during the last 7 months. I have met my surgeons goal but I have not met my own personal goal as of yet, but I am still working diligently on that. Overall I am a pretty private person, and aside from my bariatric pal friends, only my mom and husband know about my surgery. I have gotten lots of questions at work and from friends, but have managed to keep my decision to have surgery private. This is where my dilemma comes in..... When I started at my highest weight, I felt ashamed about having surgery to lose weight. Even though I know now this is a totally incorrect way of thinking, I struggle somewhat with admitting now that I have had surgery since I have kept it private all this time. I don't want people to feel lied to, even though this was a very personal decision for me. So upon going to my follow-up visit with my surgeon, he proceeds to tell me how amazed he is with how great I look, and how successful I have been. He then says he wants to have before and after pictures of me to feature on their Facebook page, and to include in their seminar for future bariatric patients as one of their success stories. So my dilemma is I have kept my decision to have surgery private to this point and don't want to come across as a liar, but now that I have put in the hard work and feel successful I am proud of my accomplishments. On one hand I want to oblige the office and be included in their success stories because of all of the hard work and effort I have put in, and I do feel proud of myself. On the other hand I know how quickly social media travels, and I don't want to look like I have just been lying to everyone all this time. I considered submitting pictures and just blocking out my face, but then I don't really feel like I am owning my accomplishments. I know this post is probably extremely confusing and I find myself going back-and-forth a lot. I would love others feedback or input if you have been in the situation, or of what you would do if you were in my situation. Also thank you to all of you BP veterans who take time to post and give responses to questions for those of us who are still going through the beginnings of our journeys. Your knowledge and wisdom has been invaluable for me through my journey.

To the OP, I just want to say I'm sending positive thoughts and vibes your way. I hope you get the peace of mind you are seeking related to your post. As a side note, @@Sharpie congrats on being only 2 lbs away from goal per your ticker!!

@@songsmith Check into the ones that the doctors office sells. We have the same surgeon and I used the ones made special for the office. The vanilla is outstanding and the chocolate Peanut Butter isn't bad either. When you go to your preop nutrition class they will let you sample them. Also they are very reasonably priced.

i certainly will, it was meant to be tongue in cheek And yes, I'm not in any hurry to make a decision about it, I want to be sure that whatever I choose is right for me; once they are posted to web, they are there forever!

@@Eumoirous I am a psych nurse and very familiar with your question. I don't foresee any way that would impede your surgery. I also have depression, as well as prior substance abuse issues. I was terrified that my history of substance abuse would prevent me from having surgery, but I was totally wrong. I was upfront with my surgeon about my history and the fact that I am active in my recovery and clean for over a year. Totally opposite of what I thought would happen did, my surgeon was highly supportive and said since I had proof of my sobriety and what treatment was working for me, he had no reservations whatsoever. I thought for sure because of the high instance of cross addiction I would be up a creek and not a candidate, but I was completely wrong. Just be honest about your history and treatment method and you will be fine. To my knowledge, ECT should not interfere at all, however, each surgeon varies. Keep searching until you find a physician that is willing and trained to help you through the process. Trust me, they are out there and are compassionate and understanding. The caviat being that you have been stable on this treatment for at least 6 months to a year for most surgeons. Good luck on your journey!!

p.s. @@Alex Brecher responded to one of my questions so I can officially die a happy weight loss patient

Again, thank you all so much for your feedback, it has truly helped me to see things from various perspectives, which was what I was looking for. I am definitely happy with how I look now, I just worried I guess that coworkers or friends may come across the info and feel like I led them on. I have already faced a ton of questions from all due to the rapid loss I had, and I have been asked on multiple occasions if I had weight loss surgery, to which I replied no. That's part of my worry of others seeing it, because I have not told the truth when directly asked. I don't even know why I care so much about what other people think, I guess I just don't want to be scrutinized by others. I am a nurse and we often eat junk food, etc. due to long shifts with few breaks. I don't want to feel judged by others anytime I put a piece of food in my mouth. Anyway, it helped alot to realize there are hundreds of photos already on his site, so it's really not a big deal. I was worried I would be among a select few pictures, but that is clearly not the case. I'm still going to ponder it to decide what is best for me, but you all have certainly opened my eyes to a different perspective, and I am truly greatful for all your responses. -Joz

@@LColandrea I just read your story and wow, I'm very sorry to hear about everything you've been through.

Yes, the net carbs is what you count for nutrition purposes. The net carb count is what impacts your blood sugar.

Congrats to you! Keep up the good work!

You look great!! @babbs...lol I always love reading your posts, they make me smile!

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch Thank you so much for providing those links, I had no idea you could view that without being a member on the site. After seeing that I feel much more comfortable given that there are hundreds of other photos on there. Thank you all for your help and feedback! @@wannaBthinsoon Congratulations on your weight-loss, your pictures look fantastic!

Thank you all so much for your responses. I teach my kids that to not tell something is lying so it's hard for me sometimes to separate privacy and lying. I appreciate all your feedback!

Lol...that's the other thing....I'm not on Facebook so I have no idea what their page even looks like!

Congrats!

Congrats on all your successes, what great inspiration!

I started eating them about month 4

I love them as a great low carb snack with few calories. I just be sure to do the kosher dill not the sweet ones. They also make a hot and spicy that's delicious!

@@jenn1 Amazing!! Great job, I bet you feel fantastic!!

Congrats to you!!

Remember that the first few days are the hardest, it is only temporary but the new you is forever! I struggled badly the first week but now at almost 7 months out and over 80 lbs down, it is by far the Absolute BEST decision I ever made! Keep us updated!

Ditto what @@SuperDave said.

@@Elode and @@wannaBthinsoon In the grand scheme of things, we aren't that far from each other. We should make a celebratory trip and meet in Columbia MO or somewhere to do a 5K walk or something in honor of all those combined pounds lost