jrmoseley

I've done it for just that reason. sometimes it actually makes them thicker, though. Just experiment a bit and find the consistency you like. It's not like getting more water in your system is ever a bad thing![emoji5] Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

I just don't believe it's one size fits all. I don't believe we're all traumatized, I don't believe we are all overweight because we're broken. I do think that being grossly overweight can cause some real emotional problems and that most of us have lost the ability to use food as simply fuel. But when you look at a lot of the medical studies and when you look at recent brain research, it's just evident that there are no simple answers. We each have to figure out what our own barriers are, and what we can do to overcome them. Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

I can also relate, and I second the advice about Courage to heal as well as DBT. There are also other therapies that some find useful, and many women's shelters hold support groups for sexual abuse survivors that can be very helpful. But I think the reason you're not finding "an answer" is because no therapist our doctor on earth had those kinds of answers. The brain and our bodies are enormously complex things, and researchers have barely scratched the surface of why we do the things we do. I've come to the conclusion, after 30 years of therapy and personal seeking, that while I might have originally started overeating as a response to trauma, that is by no means the whole story. Environment, behavioral reinforcement, and genetics had parts to play too. There's probably other things in the mix that I haven't got a clue about. That's not really the important part -- the important part is figuring out how to change my future behavior. And that will be a work in progress for the rest of my life. Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

I hasd a laparoscopic hysterectomy a few years back, and 3 weeks later decided to make a 3 1/2 hour trip with my husband to a work conference. I figured it would be nice to relax by the pool. Big mistake! Even on smooth roads at interstate speed, the vibrations really did a number on my insides, and I was in a lot of pain for over 24 hours. Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

I had my NUT and a general appointment with the surgeon's assistant yesterday. Apparently my insurance will only allow 3 NUT appointments, but really--I'm okay with that. The SA tells me it's important not to rush the process, and I tried hard to just smile and agree, because he didn't seem to hear the part where I told him I've been working toward this for 2 years. I have to wait for my old clinic to get around to sharing my records with my new clinic, anyway and hard telling how long that will take. I also don't want to have surgery until after I've done another set of injections in my SI joints. Otherwise, going without NSAIDS won't be an option. So I'm trying to just take one step at a time. The SA said something that lit a spark with me--it was along the lines that I must learn how to do things that will take care of me. So on the way home, I bought some small mailing labels, and I'm going to print up some that say "What are you going to do today to take care of you?" and each day, when I start my journal entry for the day, I'm going to paste that at the top of the page and write down one thing to do that day. It might be a nutritional goal or exercise or making appointments or even taking a nap! Flutterfly, your vacation trip will help you get through the tough days after surgery. Take loads of pics and video so that you can play them back on a loop when you're feeling sore or tired!

I didn't tell a lot of people about my hysterectomy either, and there was nothing dishonest about that. There are some things in life that can remain private, thank you very much, and my body is one of them. I think we live in a TMI culture and we've gotten so used to being an open book, that we feel guilty about closing those pages now and then! Because I have a lot of friends and coworkers who care about me and through close contact know something about my current health obstacles (due to Barrett's Esophagus I have a chronic cough that I've had to reassure folks is not contagious) all I'm telling them is that I'm having surgery to help fix the problem. That reassures them that I'm not at death's door, but it keeps the details to me and my husband. And truthfully, if it weren't for the Barrett's and a large Hiatal hernia, I probably wouldn't be having this surgery. My primary motivator is to improve my health and not be physically miserable all the time. We don't owe anyone else the details of our private lives. I always used to tell my kids when they were little that not every thought in one's head needs to come out of one's mouth. That applies in all kinds of situations.

Hi, Blissy518! We sound like twins, except for the fact that I'm 25 years older than you. I gotta tell you, you're doing the right thing to take action now, because that SI joint stuff certainly doesn't get better with age. I can hardly walk this week--I'm overdue for a steroid injection, which I'll probably have done in a couple of weeks. I've been researching and thinking about this surgery for 2 years, since my gallbladder surgeon told me that he wouldn't fix my hiatal hernia unless I had WLS too, because it just wouldn't do any good. Now I'm with a different surgeon at a different hospital in a different city (all because my husband's employer switched insurance companies.) I've already met with the surgery coordinator, and I meet with the surgeon and the nutritionist in another 10 days. The coordinator estimates that I'll be ready for surgery right around the beginning of September. He's wrong about that, because I'm ready now--it's them that's not ready yet. How old are your girls? Is your husband supportive?

excellent work! keep going!

the other factor that we don't talk much about in the US is that almost all of our medical expenses carry an invisible surcharge that pays for the system to work. You know how so many politicians say that the uninsured can always get care at any ER? Well, guess what- there's no magic fairy that absorbs the cost, we all pay it with exorbitant fees. The pols can say we can't afford single payer healthcare all they want, but it seems to me we're already paying for it, we just don't have anything to show for the money we're spending.

I'm not sure, but I'm hoping for late summer, early fall. I have to start all over again because of an insurance change, which forced me to change providers. So next week I find out what the new surgeons requirements are, and how many of my previous appointments will transfer. Fortunately, the insurance company doesn't have any extra requirements - at least not that they've told me about. (I worry about that. )

There's also a compression tape called KT tape that physical therapists use, and it comes in a variety of colors. I've bought it at CVS and WalMart in the past. Best part of KT tape is that it's an adhesive elastic tape that is breathable.

Thanks for this discussion. I'm still trying to make the decision, too, with very similar issues. Now I know exactly what to bring up with my surgeon.

What an exhausting journey you've had. That you are throwing back the sheets and getting out of bed (most) mornings is a major victory, please don't discount how hard that is. I've not had my bariatric surgery yet, but I did have a hysterectomy w/ both ovaries out when I was 42 years old, and the best I can say is that it was a miserable experience. Every woman I know who has had a similar surgery will tell you that the recovery time is always much more than expected, and the residual exhaustion as your body struggles to cope with major hormonal changes can be truly debilitating. Mine kicked my clinical depression into high gear. The only good news is that it doesn't last forever. Be kind to yourself. Just know that it's hard right now, but it won't be hard forever. Surround yourself with support, both emotional and physical. Allow yourself to fall apart occasionally. Have a plan in place for how to put the pieces back together afterward. Peace be with you.

This has been a very interesting discussion with lots of good information. I do want to comment on the original vent. To me, the comment comparing WLS to cancer or other surgery is an extremely important one. Even with tons of recent research that shows that obesity often has physiological origins that we aren't even close to understanding, insurance companies and even health care providers still treat obese patients as if they are too stupid and out-of-control to know what's best for them. You must be stupid if you allowed yourself to get this fat, so we'll educate you for your own good. Your "relationship with food" must be unhealthy. And yes, there are always a few people out there who seem happy to conform with the stereotype just so that we all have someone to point to as proof that the lowest common denominator is alive and procreating. I'd be happy if insurance companies would leave it to the surgeon to decide if the patient needs more education, or counseling, or time. At least I can have a real conversation with my surgeon, but every time I try to have a conversation with my insurer, I end up deeply depressed and sure that humanity has contributed to its own demise.