if you are considering WLS please read..

http://luvsexytrstno1.blogspot.com/2008/11/death-by-hot-wing .html

Its a graphic post but it has some honest information about life after weight loss surgery.
You might also read;
http://luvsexytrstno1.blogspot.com/2008/08/dumping-we-will-g o-dumping-we-will-go.html

and;
http://luvsexytrstno1.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-be-good-we ight-loss-surgery.html

and most importantly;

http://luvsexytrstno1.blogspot.com/2007/03/life-changes.html

Which is why I'm not getting the RNY (well, among other reasons).

I am SO sorry you're having a rough time. However, not everyone dumps with the RNY. I believe the statistic is somewhere around 40% of RNYers experience dumping long term (more than 1 year out from surgery).

And sometimes it's worth it. If a few horrible experiences with dumping are the alternative to dying in a few short years from a weight-related illness, I think it's not a bad alternative!

Thanks for sharing, though

I have read this post several times before and I feel compelled to respond.  Yes, dumping is a serious issue that can have life threatening results.  In your blog you have posted "Well, yesterday I did something REALLY STUPID and very dangerous. I had a slice of a torte. Did I know that it was not the right thing to do, yes. Did that stop me, unfortunately, no it didn't. I am unfortunately one of those post ops that can get away with a little sugar and not dump, usually. I can push my limits up to the 15mgs and sometimes even beyond with no ill effects.".  You knew better.  How would you have known that you could push your limits up to 15 grams had you not been pushing the limits all along?  I, too, have pushed the limits and discovered that I rarely, if ever dump on anything.  I was not an emotional eater.  I gained my weight for a lot of different reasons.  If you have a good surgeon then you are made fully aware of all of these possibilities before surgery.  This should not scare anyone away.  It should be a lesson in following your surgeons guidelines.  There is nothing wrong with RNY or dumping.  It was the best thing I did other than giving birth to my daughter and getting pregnant with our other daughter.  WLS of any kind is not a fix all.  That is why you have to go thru a psych eval prior to having it.  It is a tool that you are provided with.  How you chose to use it is up to you.  If you push the limits then you will have bad results...if you follow the rules and guidelines then you will have a much better success rate.

If you read my post about the hot wings then you will notice that I wrote that I too am very greatful that I had my surgery and that I too am most greatful that I now have energy and am healthy enough to play with my little girl.  My surgeon was exceptional in his honesty and in his follow up care.  I now live in Alaska and work in healthcare and encounter physicians and post ops who have NEVER been educated whatsoever about vitamins, lifestyle changes, etc.  It happens, it is scary but it does happen more than you think.  The nurse that I mention in that post works with me in a hospital where WLS is preformed and where she is sometimes assigned fresh wls post ops and she is that uneducated about it.  My surgeon told us that all of us would test the limits eventually.  I sat there in my pre surgical state thinking, "Well I won't!  No not me!"  And here I am a little over a year and a half later and yes, indeed I have eaten things that I knew I shouldn't.  I don't do it regularly or even on purpose (one of my worst dumps was on a protein shake from a gym) but I do.  No one is so diciplined or restictive with their diet that they haven't dumped or had a bad food reaction, at least no one that I have ever encountered.  I posted this so people can be aware that this surgery does require a lifestyle change.  you would be surprised how many people don't realize that.

All very true.  We have all tested the limits and it does indeed require a lifestyle change.  I, too, work in the health industry.  I am on the insurance end and see what a lot of others don't by the claims and doctor notes that come in that I am required to read.  I agree that too many are not educated properly.  I firmly believe that we as consumers need to take our health into our own hands and research to our fullest ability before having any elective procedure.   I think all surgeons should be required to inform patients 100%.  It is one reason I am personally against going to another country just for surgery.  I also believe that follow up care with your surgeon or a bariatric office is for the rest of your life...not just a year or two.

RNY is just like anything else in life, you have to take the pluses with the minuses.

I would rather dump every day for the rest of my life than to have to carry around the extra 240lbs that I was carrying around, personally (and the diabetes, heart disease, etc that was sure to follow). I will even take the reactive hypoglycemia which seems to have replaced it this far out.

If I hadn't, the rest of my life might have been limited to a few years. Maybe less than that.

Good trade off, in my opinion.

I would have it again in a heartbeat so would my husband as it cured his type 2 diab.  and got him off tons of meds (his tryglicerides were 1300 while on medication preop)  he is surely going to be living a longer and healthier life thanks to this surgery. But,  even having said all of that, it is not a magic cure all that some people are lead to believe..  I hope that by reading my posts people that think that or have been lead to belive that, will start to realize that and do some research preop.

I can tell you are passionate about your blog.  I very briefly scanned over it and see you are one of the bloggers that uses pictures and does product reviews.  I always enjoy reading those and will bookmark you for future reading.

I read the four links provided.  My comment to the wings and dumping blogs -
 - Don't eat 4-5 hot wings w/skin but not greasy
 - Don't "push" the limits of sugar intake past 15gms
Duly noted.  Honestly my reaction to your sending your OP was alarmist in nature - to show people what you think they don't know.  Well what I'm wondering is why WOULD you think eating 4-5 wings would be okay?  Why WOULD you push the limits of sugar?
I like a fried chicken thigh...is it the best thing for me?  Heck no.  Do I think I can eat 4-5 of them?  HELL no.  I haven't even found out yet if I have a problem with sugar because I don't "push" anything.

I'm willing to bet that you post your messages on many boards.  I thank you for your contribution but also want people who are considering WLS to know this...

NEWBIE DISCLAIMER:  Please follow your surgery center's nutritional plan.  I can state with certainty that various items addressed in the OP's post(s) are in conflict with what I have been instructed.  Is it great to learn from various people about their WLS experiences and what works for them and what doesn't work for them.  Heck, that's what OH is all about - INFORMATION EXCHANGE.  But, I advise you to be cautious and always go with you surgeon's direction.
 

you are very lucky for three reasons 1. you were informed and/or researched that this surgery requires a lifestyle change in order to work long term  2. that you took it seriously   3. that you have been sucessful in making the lifestyle changes.  I am happy for you.  I just wish the everyone was as dedicated, myself included.  We all eventually hear about someones aunt, neighbor, cousin, sisters ex boyfriends teacher, etc who had WLS and gained it all back .  I remember when I started to hear that from people, I went out and purchased every book I could on the subject of wls (yes, my reviews of them are on my blog also) and educated myself.  I also had, as I mentioned above, a wonderful surgeon.  Old habits are hard to break and bad behavior can sneak up on you one lapse at a time, just like weight gain.  That is why I write these blogs because I am not perfect and I do lapse and I hope by reading about my mistakes, others won't beat themselves up too much when they lapse themselves and to let them know what can happen when they do so they don't get an ugly or dangerous surprise like I did with the torte.  please keep in mind that every surgeons program is different (if they even have a follow up program) and so are the recommendations.   No one and I stand by this statement 100% will be able to live 100% by the plan for the rest of your life.  the trick is ;when you fall of the wagon, get back up dust yourself off and get right back on.  Don't lay there letting the wagon drag you down the hill behind it!  In other words, realize you are not perfect, no one is.    Accept your lapse, try to learn from it and get back on track.  Sounds easy right, but it can be very hard for some of us.  I was the queen of, well I already blew my diet so I might as well eat -----.  pre op.  This was the bigest lifestyle change for me.  Everyone is different (kinda like those post op reccomendations) and different people will struggle with different things post op but eventually we will all stuggle with something.  I hope by posting my stuggles and being blunt and honest about them, I help others.  I hope my blog gives you some information you might not have found otherwise that helps you on your weighloss journey.  That is the reason I write it, and to post photos on my daughter (can't help it, I love her to bits).

"when you fall of the wagon, get back up dust yourself off and get right back on.  Don't lay there letting the wagon drag you down the hill behind it!  In other words, realize you are not perfect, no one is."

I agree 200%!!  I seriously LOVE OH for this very reason.  We are all so diverse and can learn so much from each other.

And BTW - your daughter is gorgeous - continue to be a proud mama and post her as well as your blogs and reviews!  :)