Fun with medical professionals

I want to start by saying that I love my PCP.  I've been with her for 10+ years and she's great at listening to me and willing to experiment with things if I've done the research.  She's also willing to talk me out of things I have researched when it's applicable.  She has never fat shamed me or made me feel like my health problems were because of my weight.  And she happily orders all the labs I ask for, with no questions.  :)  She's been totally supportive of this weight loss surgery process.  

That said, I saw her yesterday to get my 6 month labs ordered.  She was SUPER happy with my progress and said that it's a good thing I'm doing so much exercise since then I won't have issues with loose skin.  Yeah.. we all wi**** worked that way, right?  :P  

She then asked me about my goal weight and I told her that normal BMI for me is 145, but I don't really know what my goal should be because I'm smaller than I ever have been as an adult now and I have no idea what I'll look like in another 20 pounds, or 50 pounds, or whatever.  I told her that my next big goal was 180, which is what I weighed when I graduated high school, and she said, "I think 180 would be a good goal for you.  Anything less and you might look too skinny."  

WTF.  At 180 I'll still be obese and there's no way I'm stopping there.  (I'm 5'4".)  Yes, my ultimate goal of 120 might not be feasible, but I'm going to work my ass off to at least get as close to normal as possible.  I did not go through surgery for a goal weight that is still in the obese range, though.  ARGH.  I wish she had never told me that hair brained idea since I know, when I get to 180, there will be a little nagging voice in my brain that says, "it's okay, your doc says you're good now."  I'll need to work on quashing that voice before it even starts.  

Then, today, I went to the lab to get my blood drawn and the lab tech asked, "what's wrong with you anyway?"  (In reference to the large number of vials I had drawn.)  Wow.  Super classy there, lab tech, super classy.  :P  

But now I have my monthly massage, and everything will be right in the world.  

Oh brother!  People who say you will look too skinny are saying it because they have never seen us at a normal weight in our adult lives.  Most of my friends weigh less than me and I don't think they look too skinny so why will I!   My surgeon gave me a goal weight of 165.  I am not a small frame person anyway, so he thought that would be reasonable for me.  I'm ok with that actually, even though I'm going to try for 145-150.  Anyhow, I will share what my doc and surgeon both said to me. They said stick to plan and keep doing what you're doing.  Your body will tell you when it's done losing.  If you are not supposed to weigh 150, then your body will stop you before it gets there.  That totally brought me some clarity, so I hope it helps.

very insightful and right to the point :)

"People who say you will look too skinny are saying it because they have never seen us at a normal weight in our adult lives."

It's funny, since I totally agree with this.  I've even told people the same thing in these forums!  I just.. wasn't expecting that from my PCP, you know?  She's a doctor :P   Sheesh!  

My surgeon said that I could expect to at least get to overweight if I had the surgery, but he didn't actually give me a goal.  And I'm not going to ask for one!  In my own mind, once I get into overweight-land, everything is gravy.  :D  I'll work hard to earn that gravy, but I'll be playing things by ear from there.  Since I really have no clue about what my body will be like, so it's hard to even fathom picking a goal to aim for!  

I think that's a good plan!  You have done so well that I'm sure you'll be there before you know it! 

shoulda told the lab tech a highly contagious.....makes people around me have cranial rectal inversion.

My partner said I should have said "ebola."  :P  He's sick that way.

I think doctors aren't used to seeing super-successful WLS patients...at least that's what I'm coming to realize.  Most docs don't run into patients who have lost 100% of their excess weight, let alone kept it off.  So these doctors try and set "realistic" (AKA stupidly-high) goals.  

Sure, you'll look good at 180 lbs - I'm only 5'3" and I looked decent at that weight too but I was still a good 40 lbs. away from getting out of the "overweight" category.  And that's important to me since I want to apply for long-term care insurance in the next few months and I want my life insurance premium re-evaluated.  Actuaries and underwriters don't give a **** about whether or not I "look good" - they go strictly by their little charts and tables that says someone 5'3" is overweight at 180 lbs.  

And your lab tech gets the crappy customer-service award ribbon for the day - jeesh!  

I wonder if that's the case.  I mean, what, we're told we can expect like 60% EWL?  I'm 6 months out and already at 52% so I plan to blow past 60!  I think you're on to something with "realistic" goals.  Like they don't want to set us up for failure, so they give us an expectation of mediocrity instead.  And I want it all :D  

I definitely hear you on the life insurance thing.  That's something I should look into as well once I'm healthier.  

Yah, that's what I was thinking when I read your OP--that your PCP probably cares a lot about you, and wants you to feel successful no matter what weight goal you finally reach. It's always so hard when people aren't on our wavelength, right?!?