Saint Patrick's Day 2021

I return to reality today (back to my place in Florida vs Key West). It has been a wonderful trip. And even Justice seems to have fared well at his "camp". I can see him on the cams both in his suite and hanging out with the other dogs. He really seems to enjoy the others which is a change for him as he has typically been kind of shy.

And boy do I need to get going with weight loss. My VSG still works well on portion control, but too many snacks and wine certainly bypass it!

Those of you hovering who need support, please join us and tell your stories! Sharing really does help all of us and we become friends along the way.

Have a safe and healthy St. Pat's Day!!!

Liz, I hope reentry into real life isn't too much of a shock after your splendid vacation. Probably nice to scoop up Justice.

My visit with the endocrinologist was good. If my blood work comes back good, she wants to start me on Fosomax. It's number one side effect is gastro intestinal problems. She feels it's still appropriate for a sleeve (but maybe not for gastric bypass). There are some less common, but very scary possible side effects, so I will have a more in depth risk/reward conversation at our next appointment. I'm going to check in with my dentist (rare side effect, problems with jawbone healing during more invasive dental work), and with my WLS clinic.

Blood work appointments are being scheduled a week out. I was so surprised, because usually I can go to my clinic the same day any specialist orders them. They told me it's because a lot of the staff that does the blood draws are working at vaccination clinics.

I'm going to the actual school tomorrow and Friday for yet more training for another shift in how we are doing instruction. This will be the 4th version of distance/in person learning we have implemented since the pandemic started. Hopefully next fall will be pretty much business as usual. I'm also hoping that when I'm back in the building fulltime in April, that the change in activity level will help nudge the scale down a bit.

Interesting that your doctor wants to use Fosomax. I am on the cusp of needing treatment and I thought that I would need one of the newer treatments which are not ingested. Have you asked your WLS surgeon about it?

Good morning everyone and greetings from Canada! (long post to follow)

I am a lurker who has just emerged from the woodwork in the "Weight Regain" post from 2 days ago and wanted to say Hello. Lifelong weight battler, here (I remember attending TOPS when I was 9 yrs old and Diet Centre in grade 9). Anyway, I had my VSG in 2014 and reached my goal in about 1 year. I also had a few surgeries along the way: gallbladder removed at 1 year out, plus a few plastic surgeries to remove excess skin.

I was doing fairly well but also think I tested the waters too often with overeating on vacations because I'd gain up to 10lbs while away and then with 1 or 2 weeks of correct bariatric eating would be right back at goal. Not healthy but I felt fairly (falsely) in control. In 2018 things took a turn when I started menopause almost to the day I turned 50 so was dealing with hot flashes, hormones, sleeplessness and then 4 months later my mom was diagnosed with metastatic stage IV pancreatic cancer.

I lived 4 hrs from her so dropped my life to stay with her (no kids and VERY supportive husband who even attended my dr. appts for me) and it became a flurry of specialist appts, home care visits, administering pain meds every 3 hrs and keeping her place running while dealing with my only sibling (brother) who didn't want to deal with her illness and lived 30 mins from her. He was more of the "I don't want to know" and "we should put her in the hospital or hospice" whereas I made the mental decision to be a part of everything she faced and would help her to stay at home as long as possible providing I had the skills/expertise to help her manage things. As it turned out things went very fast and she was gone in 6 weeks and only entered the hospital about 4 days before she passed.

My brother was a constant source of agony for me because we never got along (I was the 'favorite') and he fought everything. Even made a scene in the hospital during Mom's last days because he saw me talking to a nurse and thought I was making decisions without him. Nurse had to pull him into an empty room to calm him down. I was asking about blankets or something.

Having the plan the funeral and trying to settle her estate with him was not easy (I ended up walking away from most of the stuff I was entitled to because he had to monitor everything I was doing and 'approve' what I wanted and I'd reached my limit with him). My dealings with him lasted one year after she passed and since then I've cut all contact. All of this really let me drop all my good habits and develop bad ones and I kept soothing myself in the time since then. I've also been diagnosed with anxiety disorder and am on meds for that.

So I'm up 50lbs since my goal and back to fighting the battle. Especially with myself. When I was at my goal I told myself to remember how it feels and to not let myself go back to where I was but I didn't listen. Soothing with food was/is easy. Then along came Covid and being locked at home. Added to that we had to say goodbye to our 2 sibling cats within 3 months of each other last year. We'd had them for 17 years and they were our babies. I'm sure you can surmise the rest. It's hard not to loathe yourself when you realize regardless of all the crap that has happened, in the end it comes down to what I put in my mouth and why can't I just do the right thing?

I enjoy all your shares and find myself nodding my head along with what you've said and appreciate this place where you 'get it' about the trials and tribulations of WLS and life afterward. You seem like nice people and I express gratitude for all of you opening up the hardest parts and the best parts of your lives. Thanks for letting me be present.

Welcome, Nexxie! So glad you've joined us and thank you for sharing your story. I'm a believer in the idea that we do the best with the tools we have when faced with trials in life. It would be great if food as a comfort wasn't one of them, but for us it is. Be gentle with yourself.

Welcome Nexxie. I am so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you're posting here, I look forward to sharing this maintance journey with you.

Welcome Nexie!! Your story is so familiar to me! Glad you shared it. After WLS life still goes on and all its issues. Hope you will join in and feel comfortable here. We all struggle with regain to one extent or another. So junk right in!! Diane S

Oopa, I meant JUMP right in, not junk!!! ds

Welcome MissNexxie! Nice to meet you!

Weight 187.6. I took a 4 mile walk last night.

Another friend sent me a link to a site that notifies you of standby vaccines in your area (hidrb.com). I signed up. He got a call 2 days after signing up. We'll see! Another friend's husband got the Moderna shot and has had a painful burning sensation in both his legs since his second one a week ago (he's 70). A sobering reminder that side effects are still a thing with new medicine.

Nothing on the books today. I was supposed to walk with a friend, but she had a change of plans. So I'll walk on my own.

I'm dull as oats today as my parents would say! Happy St. Patrick's Day to my Irish friends!