Born in Missouri

In the 1980s, the concept of “person-first language” developed among disability advocacy groups. Non-profit organizations, such as the Obesity Action Coalition have expanded advocacy for people-first language to obesity. As of 2017, five U.S. medical societies had pledged for it, and use it in their communications, among them: the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, The Obesity Society, and American Society of Bariatric Physicians. Labeling individuals as obese creates negative feelings toward individuals with obesity and perpetuates weight-bias. Quite often, one will see news stories, articles, and journal entries refer to an individual with obesity as “obese.” For example, I found this Wikipedia article on Carol Yager: Carol Ann Yager was one of the most severely obese people in history, and the heaviest woman ever recorded. In January 1993, Yager was admitted to Hurley Medical Center, weighing-in at 1,128 lb (512 kg). As is common with many severely obese patients, Yager was not able to stand or walk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Yager (Yes, one point of the article on Carol Yager is to focus on how many pounds she weighed, but the article also reveals weight-bias with its wording. Maybe to some, it seems like yet another attempt to be overly-politically correct, but really... how much effort does it take to use people-first language? https://radicalcopyeditor.com/2017/07/03/person-centered-language/ https://www.obesityaction.org/action-through-advocacy/weight-bias/people-first-language/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People-first_language The goal of people-first language is to stop dehumanizing individuals by labeling them with their disease.

I've been seriously thinking about compiling a bariatric surgery / weight-loss glossary of terms and I thought, "Oh! A new word to add." Good thing you corrected your post. I would have wasted time looking for the definition of a term that doesn't exist.

When my youngest son was a toddler, he saw a sparrow-hawk grab a small baby bird in our backyard. I thought it would be a disturbing moment for him, but he just turned to me and said, "Look. That big bird is giving that little bird a ride!"

People with severe obesity who undergo bariatric surgery have a higher risk for fracture both before and after the procedure. “To minimize the effect of bariatric surgery on bone, guidelines should be followed and the importance of adherence to supplements and physical activity should be reinforced among patients and healthcare professionals." https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/bone-mineral-metabolism/news/in-the-journals/{7e479b49-f551-4de5-a2c2-03b0718b1bdf}/fracture-risk-increases-with-bariatric-surgery IMPORTANT: Take your supplements! Vitamins! Minerals! And don't forget to excercise!

@nibble. Like you, finding out that obesity-is-now-a-disease was the impetus to find out if my insurance covered bariatric surgery. Fortunately, I didn't give up when my first phone call reached someone who mixed up my plan with another plan that did not have bariatric benefits. I became a squeaky wheel after that until I knew my benefits backwards and forwards, and if anyone tried to insert a requirement that wasn't in my plan, I let them know! One of the "requirements" that someone tried to convince me was a part of my plan had to do with not being allowed to gain any weight during the 6-month physician-directed weight-loss attempt. My plan required only that I do those six months. There was nothing in my plan that "punished" me for gaining weight during those six months. I've noticed several posters on this forum, primarily younger women, who aren't confident in being good self-advocates. Stop apologizing for everything. Stop allowing gatekeepers to keep you from getting the information you need. To make good decisions, you deserve to have all the facts. Read. Ask. Read some more. Keep asking. A librarian.. .. I considered library science for a while, but ended up getting a B.S. in health information management. Of course, that's not what I do for a living. Who else has a degree or degrees in areas that they don't work in?

@nibble. I had no problem reading the article or the letters. Thank you for sharing your personal story. I have no doubt that those researchers were happy to hear from you. People are often quick to complain, but how many people actually take the time to let someone know that their work touched you in some way. Your letter helped to break the bubble that researchers like Sarah work in. Everyone wants to make a difference and to be recognized.

@nibble. Don't argue. You are that good! I appreciate all the time and effort you put into getting this information to me -- and to others here who are interested. Woohoo. I found another (case)study-buddy!! Knowledge is power and sharing is caring.

@nibble I am speechless. You wrote to the AMA and they wrote back to you? Wow! That's fantastic. How did it feel to pour such powerful emotions into a letter and then send it to the very people who had a role in our collective abilities to have life-changing surgery? Without that disease classification, insurance companies would not have included bariatric surgery as a covered benefit. I COULD NOT OPEN THE DOCUMENT. Boo-hoo. Thank you so much. Your idea to write that letter profoundly impressed me.

@BajanSleeve All I have is a baby-killer possum living under my front-door steps. She's killed three seasons of baby red birds in my bushes. I finally had the bushes pruned down so they wouldn't nest there anymore.

@Bajansleeve. I dragged the photo onto my desktop for a closer look from the neck down. It's hard to believe that your doctor had surgery. Won't it be great when someone says the same about us? "You had weight-loss surgery? I never would have guessed. You're just so slim and trim."

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@Tealael. What's your favorite way to eat chia seeds? Do you refrigerate them? I bought some once and they seemed to go rancid fairly quickly.

Dexlansoprazole only comes in delayed-release capsules, 30mg and 60mg. Who prescribed this for you? I wonder if this doctor is aware that delayed-release medication won't be as effective as immediate-release meds after you have your bypass. If you can't swallow the capsules whole after surgery, (I swallowed all my meds whole, including my horse pills) you can open the capsule and sprinkle the contents into a little applesauce and swallow it immediately without chewing. As you know, sometimes certain medicines can't be crushed or opened. It's okay for this one.

Try one or all of these! The answer is not always what is preferred but what WORKS for you. Natural is the best. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318694.php Continue taking the chia seeds and kale if you enjoy eating them. They're chockful of valuable vitamins and minerals. At just 33 calories, one cup of raw kale has: Nearly 3 grams of protein 2.5 grams of fiber (which helps manage blood sugar and makes you feel full) Vitamins A, C, and K Folate, a B vitamin that’s key for brain development Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. (While kale has far less omega-3 than fish, it is another way to get some of this healthy fat into your diet. Lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that give kale its deep, dark green coloring and protect against macular degeneration and cataracts. Kale also includes minerals like phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc. Chia seeds contain essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid; mucin; strontium; vitamins A, B, E and D; and minerals, including sulfur, iron, iodine, magnesium, manganese, niacin and thiamine; and they’re a rich source of antioxidants.

You're among friends here, @krissy95 We won't judge or belittle you. Joining this forum was your "easy way in" to getting support, advice, and a whole community of like-minded women and men. Welcome, and never apologize for a rambling rant. Those are the most therapeutic kind.

@BajanSleeve What a nice, nice banner photo you uploaded on your profile page. Is that your doctor next to you?

Excellent read, Barbados girl. I, too, just use my multivitamin as my source of B vitamins, except for B12. That one is different. It has to be taken sublingually (under the tongue). I know you've been struggling with hunger. As long as you are getting enough of each vitamin to stave off a deficiency, what more can you do? Trust in yourself. You know your body. We're in this together, girl. How are your dogs doing? I think it's wonderful that you share your home with rescues. My birds and your dogs. Wow. Wouldn't that make a chirping-barking houseful?

My daughter is a PharmD and, believe me, I ask questions. I am sadly not surprised that you were given a drug with poor availability. Omeprazole capsules are all delayed-release. They are dosed at 10mg, 20mg, or 40mg. There's is also an oral suspension available at 2.5mg or 10mg -- also delayed-release. Omeprazole has one tablet dosed at 20mg, delayed-release. When will other medical specialties catch up with the pharmacokinetics* of bariatric medicine? Not only did you pay good money for some "bedpan bullets" but omeprazole has plenty of unpleasant side effects (for some people). Wait. Did I read something wrong? Did you say your bariatric surgeon prescribed omeprazole for you knowing that the tabs, caps, and oral suspension (liquid granules) are ALL delayed-release? Incredible. **refers to the movement of drug into, through, and out of the body—the time course of its absorption, bioavailability, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. As for the sucralfate (Carafate), did you only take it for those initial 6 weeks? Sucralfate has numerous drug interactions and side effects. Hyperglycemia is one side effect. Bezoars are another; however, most people usually have some kind of medical condition that predisposes them to bezoars (such as delayed gastric dumping). I've had my gallbladder out, too. What are you being given for your ulcer pain now? I'm a chronic pain patient.<sigh>. I've been taking morphine to control my pain for years. You should not be allowed to suffer this much. Whatever you're taking now is not strong enough -- and doesn't appear to even come close to touching your pain. I've never actually heard of anyone with a marginal/anastomotic ulcer. I have nothing but empathy for you. I'm also fearful that someone will drop the ball again. I'm furious with that gastroenterologist for unequivocally "proclaiming" that your scope was normal. One of my three sons (two are medical doctors, btw), had eosinophilic esophagitis so bad that his esophagus was close to severing. That son, weirdly enough, is a GI pathologist now. I wish I could say more to comfort you. Again, I have nothing but empathy and concern for you. Please keep us posted.

Bone broth is superior to regular broth. Regular broths and stocks don’t contain as much collagen or any of the other nutrients found in bone broth. It's available in small shelf-safe packaging for convenience. I've found beef, chicken, and turkey bone broth. I also like to buy non-dairy milks (coconut, macadamia, almond...) in shelf-safe packaging so it's ready to mix with my protein powder. Who wants to head out for groceries pre- or post-surgery? Have your protein powder, bone broth, non-dairy milks, non-fat milk, sugar-free Jell-o cups, and sugar-free popsicles ready. Talk to your doctor about which vitamins you might want to start taking before your surgery.

Okay. I see that you mentioned that you were uploading something. I've had that experience, too. I think there's a delay of some sort, we get impatient and assume that our image isn't uploading, so we try uploading it again. Every attempt results in a duplicate.

It's been my experience that there is a brief window (how long I'm not sure) in which one can edit posts. In the "dog" post, the window was still open, so the poster hit EDIT and erased/altered her comment. As for the doubling or tripling of posts, that sounds like a glitch. The only thing you can really do is erase all content from duplicate posts so you won't have three posts with the same words. I'd rather have two "blank" posts and one with words, than all three with the same wording. The other day, I saw someone create three identical topics. I believe that she was new and, unfortunately, was not treated with kindness or patience. Once a new topic is created, I don't believe that you can undo it. Not by yourself, anyway. Hopefully, someone will stop by and answer these questions FULLY for us. I didn't even know the area WEBSITE ASSISTANCE & SUGGESTIONS existed! I guess I know now.

Are you referring to the "dog" post from yesterday?

Your post was far from repetitive. Everyone has a different story and your story was heartfelt and uniquely your own. I will send you a private message. Look for it in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. There are two overlapping word balloons up there next to Earth and a shopping cart. If you have a message, you will see a number in a pink square with white numbers. I will teach you some other features/functions, too. Talk to you soon!

Even when I do get to my goal weight, I doubt if I'll want to be photographed. Camera dread is a hard thing to shake. Mirrors are still something I avoid. So far, I've lost around 30 lbs and I don't see any change. Ha. I know that this site underlines certain words like shake. In this case, it's a verb.

@Tealael BajanSleeve's post intrigued me. If anyone has figured me out a little by now, you'll realize that I just gotta get to the bottom of anything medical or scientific. I was SHOCKED to find this: " Some people notice an increase in feelings of hunger after they start to take vitamins. Although some vitamins may affect hunger in certain situations, these increased feelings of hunger are more likely due to another cause. Although most vitamins won't cause you to feel hungry if you're healthy, people with certain conditions may experience this effect. One of the side effects of certain vitamin deficiencies is a loss of appetite. If you have such a vitamin deficiency and then begin taking vitamins to correct it, you might feel hungrier because you're no longer experiencing a loss of appetite because of the deficiency. Loss of appetite is a side effect of vitamin B-12 deficiency, which is more common among vegans, chronic alcoholics, people with digestive disorders and those who've had weight-loss surgery. A deficiency of folate can cause loss of appetite. Among the other B vitamins, thiamine, niacin and biotin deficiencies can also cause lack of appetite. Vitamin D's effect on appetite is interesting, as both vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D toxicity can cause appetite loss. A vitamin K deficiency, which is most common in people on certain medications or those who have difficulty absorbing fat, may also lead to loss of appetite." This vitamin deficiency alert scared the becheezits out of me. I need to be more vigilant about my vitamins, but it's almost a full-time job to organize. My multivitamin has to be spread out 6x/per day and my calcium 4x/per day, and then I can't mix the iron with the calcium... the sublingual B12 is the easiest to take. I'm also taking magnesium citrate now because of post-op cramping in my legs. As for vitamin D-2, I've been deficient in that for years, even though I take 50,000U 2x/per week. It's hard to keep up. And, of course, I have to incorporate my regular meds. I must be half-horse by now... considering all the horse pills I have to take!