Coming out of the closet...LONG
what a long thread! It is good to know that the vast majority of posters believe you. That one guy - well, there's a few in every group who think they know EVERYTHING and that what works for them, works for everybody. I sort of went through the same thing with my autistic child where everybody thought they knew she could talk if THEY were her mother, know what I mean? It is hell. You just have to outlast them in some fashion.
I hope more people read Dr. Sharma's blog on a daily basis - I haven't read today's or yesterday's but they are also about problems with bariatric surgery. It sounds like truth that we haven't heard much of to this point!
My husband asked me (after he read the blog I posted about) whether I would have still done the surgery had I known about this info (and believed it). I had to really think about it but I think I would still have done it. But I would have had lower expectations and would have been kinder to myself during the times when the scale just wouldn't move for love or money. I would consider myself a success already and that anything further was just a happy bonus.
My TOPS group is a real joy in many ways as they celebrate every pound I lose, no matter how long it takes, and also I watch others who lose weight without surgery and man, after a certain point (usually about 40 pounds) they just can't seem to help gaining it back. They are trying so hard, but it is like the ghrelin takes over and they can't fight any more. This is the 10,000 dollar perk I think. That so far (inshallah!) the keeping off the weight is not that hard. Losing is hard. Staying still seems pretty easy (relative to what it was like before).
The money spent for self-pay is annoying because 10K is a TON of cash, but I think about how much my back hurt - I would have paid 200 dollars a night (if I had it) for someone to make it better! Maybe more!
One time I had a bulging disk in my neck (mysterious repetitive strain injury) and I couldn't keep my head up without absolute agony. I went to a chiropractor just to try to dull the pain, and he made it a little bit better (took months before it was good) and I would have paid that guy 1000 dollars for each treatment if I'd had it! LOL
10K to get rid of the pain (hopefully permanently). Relief and better health? Priceless.
I have too have noticed that I don't regain. I had a bit of a lapse back in March. I was celecrating a huge family event and ate rather poorly for a week or so. Normally, I would have gained 10 pounds, only gained a couple and then quickly lost those 2 back.
I feel better in general and you right, feeling good is priceless.
I am trying to have a more thankful attitude for how far I have come. Truly without the surgery, I would be 30 or 40 pounds heavier, and I would be loathing every ounce.
I am beginning to see that I am WAY too hard on myself. I need to celebrate how far I have come and work hard to go as far as I can.
My mom died when I was 7, so I never had much affirmation growing up. I was an over achiever, always trying to win favor.
I have had lots of counseling and am practicing self love....that is not as easy as it sounds.
Somehow, I have always felt incomplete and hopelessly flawed. I don't really believe I am...I am just too darn hard on myself.
Thanks for posting and the encouraging words. Sometimes we have to go through hard things to be able to have compassion on others. Sounds like you have had your share of tough times.
I marked Dr. Sharma's blog on my favorite with the intention of reading as often as I can.
Congrats on your success so far!!
I read thru the entire thread inc. all your additional posts..instead of just replyin to yer first. I do get a much clearer pic. ALOT of peeps have given ya GREAT advice n support! Take the pearls of wisdom, gifts ya need and want from this board, irl, be grateful, and leave/ignore the rest (if ya wanna that is) lol
OK SO...
Anatomically SLEEVE is GOOD! No question there! Ya got restriction. 
Any meds ya can be takin that can affect blood sugar/bump up insulin resistance..if so check into those.
How's your sleep? regular full night
How's your daily vitamins,minerals intake?
Yer exercising...so no physical limitations
I think you 1st and foremost need to RULE OUT anything remotely physical in nature like others point out!!
A Comprehensive Metabolic Panel incs. Fastin Insulin
but DOES NOT inc. an ORAL GTT (you need that ordered in addition!!)
A BMR /metabolism test ...as Luna lady says...what the hay
To GET that BASELINE.
I would do THAT before you even consider RNY.
Get that HARD COPY of all yer labs, and BMR results...in yer hot little hands!
The results MAY wind up sendin ya malabsorption way so be prepared ok
The results MAY say ya need to see a specialist like sum others pointed out ...an endocrinologist (maybe yer peri or meno I dunno! That estrogen sure does F with us gals!)
The results MAY wind up sayin nothin wrong physically....(as in my case)
JUST DON'T GIVE UP!!
Good thing yer doc will do yer FI and an oral GTT next week! ... MAKE SURE he/she has ORDERED that ORAL GTT... A CMP w/ fasting insulin IS NOT ENOUGH to test insulin resistance.... you fasted all night!! of course your morning insulin is LOW/er ...cuz of that, a sole FI don't tell YOU nuthin at all!
BTW what were yer 6 month CMP & other lab draw results like? ..might be an indicator right there sumthin was amiss 3 months ago! any deficienies or marked elevations at all that might be affecting yer metabolism, slowin yer weight loss?
What did your surgeon tell you at yer follow up meetings about yer abnormal weight loss during the RAPID WEIGHT LOSS phase?
Keep doin what yer doin, cept I would bump up them calories!! Nuts, raw veggies,soybeans!!, protein, dairy cheese, greek, carbmasters yogurt...get more calories in ya!
break down yer daily diet ...to Mini meals..more frequently throughout the day! Every 3-4 hours, set yer watch or cell!...I know it goes against everythin we're told. SO WHAT!! Calorie Shifting works!! for me that is.
I hit that classic (common) 9month stall for around 3 weeks! or was it 2..can't remember..before I finally decided to do sumthin about it!
Im not sure if yer original postin is a PART of bein in a classic stall..Ya trackin inches lost? Any major accomplishment in that dept. the past few months?
Some more useless info on VSG...In 2009 the STATS on VSG and EWL/ eventual weight loss...averaged 55% basically neck n neck with RNY. Anything over 50% tho, is considered a MAJOR SUCCESS! as far as WLSs go! The range is sumthin like 32-85% of EWL with VSG.
I sure hate to hear of recent VSGrs here havin such a poor outcome! Yeah Im a hater ,-) You ain't alone ya know Lu!! Its happened to others here! Its real upsetting to me!! I can JUST IMAGINE...how badly YOU feel!
and wut up with you doin Induction for a MONTH?? When I did Atkins induction phase back in the day..it was only for 2 weeks! thats all we were required to do, maybe they changed it I dunno.....you did it for a month and nothing? Ketosis for a MONTH!!! holy cow and no loss...that right there would of sent me to my doc in lightnin speed!!........YEAH SUMTHIN AINT RIGHT!
Bottom line.. to lose only 40 pounds in 9 months and yer on top of yer diet, vits n mins hopefully, exercisin.....SUMTHIN PHYSICAL has got to be wrong!
that's all there is to it. GET THOSE LABS!! It will EASE YER MIND!! and MINE!! lolol
and IF ALL ELSE FAILS....P.U.S.H. (pray until somethin happens!!) couldn't hoyt! lolol
Hang in there Lu...THE ANSWERS WILL COME!!
They always do sooner or later ,-) Sendin ya super duper hopeful vibes to a better understandin of what makes YOU tick! Keep us posted!
I'd push for the endocrinologist, even if it makes your pcp unhappy. I've been in healthcare for a long time, and man on man, some of those insurance companies really give great kickbacks to pcp's who manage the care themselves and who don't refer out to specialists. Good luck and I hope they get this resolved for you very soon!
