I just need to rant a bit

I was in the doctors for my two week check up yesterday and there was this lady there who was getting ready to have gastric bypass and she was asking everyone which surgery they had and did they have to take the vitamins with the lap band like they do the rny because and I quote " I dont want to have to do something for life" I was toatlly flabergasted and so was several others there. I mean is not this entire procedure a lifetime commitment? I told her so and I mean it just floored me that she was there for a consult but she doesnt want to make a lifelong committment.

Mommahen:

After almost a year here every day and reading posts from forum to forum - I understand your response to this lady's comments!  Unfortunately not all patients who undergo any of the WLS procedures understand completely what they are getting into and some are just in such a state of denial that no amount of direction will get them where they need to be!  Hopefully this lady had not had her psych eval yet and they will be able to bring her some sense of "reality" about the procedures. 

ANY weight loss endeavor needs to be a lifelong committment for it to work!  It is not even dependant on whether it is surgery or diet!  Obesity is a disease and needs to be treated as such!  Just like some of the "periperhal" diseases that obesity causes or exascerbates - it has to be treated and understood.  But that is not what our society does - right now there is a current in the air that this is a "QUICK FIX" and a bullet to fix the issue.  But as we all know - it is not - you have to WORK at it - FOREVER!! 

You can eat your way out of any of the WLS surgeries by a little bit of complacency, old habits or just plain bucking the system!  Sad as it is - it happens! 

I am glad you spoke up and let her know that this is a lifelong committment.  WE are our surgeons best advertisements for doing things the RIGHT way!  Keep up the good work and don't worry another moment about her.  Maybe she'll finally get it and maybe she won't.  But YOU do and that's all that matters!!

Ruth

Sometimes people are gullible....  I being one of them....  you see, I thought if I had the surgey, that I wouldn't have to worry about what I ate anymore because I could eat till i was full and that I couldn't get fat again because my belly wouldn't be able to hold much....

I was always on some form of Atkins diet....  yep...no carbs..  i'd pull off like 80 pounds then go off the diet and eat everything and have it come right back to start Atkins again....I wanted the cycle to stop....and i was gullible to think I could eat whatever I wanted if I could just get the surgery....wow...  "everything worthwhile comes at a cost"....that should be your mantra when you come across people that think the way that I did...  nothing comes easy...nothing...

You would have DIED to have seen the food-porn going through my head....  I was day dreaming about decadent carrot cake with cream icing, and lots of pasta,and rum drinks, and well lets just say chocolate and killer desserts constantly...then I met with the a nutritionist years ago that set my thoughts straight....  so I proceded and got my thoughts right...  I still eat very low carbs...but now there are options for all of us... low carb pastas....low carb snax (2 net grams or less per serving)....  and I'm happy as a clam now... 

I'm skinny....healthy..(as a skinny horse)...I'm active....  I'm hella-fun...  most importantly  I'm not in the body prison of  300 pounder anymore....  my skin is tight without surgery and my twisted sence of humor is finally returning....  happy camper? you bet....  living the best life possible?  yes...   looking forward to tomorrow?  every minute of it....   adventurous?  oh hunny you have no idea....

the possiblities are endless for me at this point..... hard work and knowing what your capabilities really are in these situations, will do more than just inform you....they empower you to do the stuff you only dream about....

T.

It IS a lifetime commitment no matter what surgery you choose.  If you get a band and don'****ch nutrition, your hair will still fall out, nerves weaken, etc....it doesn't free you from the need to take care of your body.

My criteria now is that I try to take as good of care of MYSELF as I do my animals-if my leftovers aren't suitable for my dogs/bird-I don't bring them into the house.  I can tell a huge difference in the way I feel in this several day holiday-I'm not gaining weight, but have had more sugar and less fiber and I feel like crap-so I'm still shoveling the crap out to the hordes but I'm not eating it.

One of the things you learn is that "not gaining" weight isn't the only criteria-feeling like you can take on the world, that's the best thing. 

sarah welcome to the world of post ops!
thats why I am as blunt as I am! i got so sick of the same stupid questions that i resorted to be blunt as I can be. Before I had surgery I was committed to taking prescriptions every day. I decided that I would rather make that commitment to being healthy. There are days I forget to take my vitamins..I have CRS...
If she is seeing Dr. Keith I can bet you he will deny giving her surgery for he will see she is not commited to a new life style.

Tis definately an eye openner. I guess because I went into it after so much research I just thought that more people would be educated as well. I can understand why you are so blunt and I for one know I learned much from your bluntness over the months I was researching and fighting with my insurance company.