Re: Those "Fancy" Weight Scales

I bought one of those type of scales recently that (supposedly) measures water, muscle, and bone %%% in addition to lbs. This was for a very good friend who is on the down-slide from stage "c" cirrhosis of the liver, unfortunately. She needs to maintain an eye on her water/hydration level, since her docs have her on STRONG diuretics due to the retention of fluid in her body, particularly in the abdomen (i.e. "ascites"). In fact, by the time she went to the hospital upon finding out about her cirrhosis they ended up draining 35 lbs. - about 8 liters or 4 gallons - of fluid off of her.

First time though I got her on the scale I bought, it showed supposedly her hydration level was only around 15%. I then got on the scale myself and it showed about the same level for me. wth??? A normal level is closer to 50%, btw. So, I'm wondering just HOW accurate those type of scales are. One caveat I did run across though is that L.E. victims (as we both are, in our lower legs) can sometimes have "inaccurate readings". Still, I wouldn't think it would be off by THAT much - showing us with about the % hydration level of a raisin. I told her that, until they come up with a handheld version of those scales (i.e. meter), then I guess it just won't work.

Has anyone else used those scales, either pre- or post-op., and how did they work out for you?

btw, a coupe of notes about "Pam" .. :

(1) she is M.O., and I offered her many years ago to do my best to try to help her in getting WLS. She steadfastly refused, though, worried apparently about the post-op loose skin issue. I don't know if weight loss would have helped her with her liver issue, but guess I (and her) will never know. PLEASE, IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT WLS, DON'T LET CONCERNS OVER 'LOOSE SKIN' DETER YOU FROM IT. That is a very minor (well, maybe not that minor for some) cosmetic issue compared to the major health issues that threaten your life due to the excess weight. Also, keep in mind that there are PS procedures available for the loose skin later on, if indeed it distresses you.

(2) her cirrhosis and liver failure are apparently due to untreated Hep. C., which she has had for a long time (she never told me about it until a month or two earlier****reated, Hep. C. will often lead to such scarring of the liver that you end up with cirrhosis (or even liver cancer) - as in Pam's case, she had no obvious signs of cirrhosis until near the end (which is also common). Hep C. can now easily be cured up by taking a new medication for it for approximately 8 weeks. I'm also right now going through the same thing with a good M bud who, unlike Pam, knew he had Hep C., but never got it treated either (he is a vet and COULD have easily gone to the V.A. hosp. here for it). He is now showing signs of abdominal distension and I suspect he may now also have cirrhosis. PLEASE, IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WITH HEP. C. WHO IS NOT GETTING IT TREATED, TELL THEM ABOUT THE NEW MEDICATIONS FOR IT AND URGE THEM TO GET TREATMENT -- the sooner they can get it cured up the less damage will occur to their liver.

There is something wrong with that scale. Mine is 45.9% today and that is low. 60% is about normal.

Hmmm .. do you have LE though? What is the brand of your scale? I forgot the brand name of the scale since I bought mine, but, IIRC, it was the mid-priced one of three brands of scales that WM sells with that ability, at least here in Dallas. It and the lowest-priced one were in the $20s range, and the top one about 2x that amount .. I guess it's too late to take it back for a refund. Question is whether I should "invest" another $40+ in another scale, hoping that version works properly.

Thanks for your reply ...

I have the Garmin Index scale. I paid $150 for it when it was introduced in 2015 I thought the price would go down, but it is still $150. I do not have edema.

My issues are nowhere near as severe...

for me scales don't work because I live in a hundred year old house where I can scoot the scale along the tilted floor and lose or gain thirty pounds in a single day ... so it's essentially worthless.

I don't know what's wrong with me ... I keep throwing up and not being able to eat . What comes out of my butt is black liquid mostly ? And yellow ( fat malabsorption) when I eat lowfat cheese . I can't eat meat or seafood at all .

Well, since I'm a DSer, I don't know if I can comment on what you are going through with your RNY, Veggie .. I know with us DSers "fat malabsorption" results in the "orangies" in our stools. Basically it looks bright orange, kind of like that stuff our mothers used to put on our cuts back in the day (mercurochrome? methiolate?). And of course it SMELLS (but not as bad as the actual stools, i.e. digested food remnants). As to "black liquid", I have no idea .. but IMHO that doesn't sound good. What does your surgeon ('s office) say?

They sent me a fecal test kit to put up

my butt and send back in the MAIL!!!!

That's not how at home fecal tests work. You don't stick anything up your butt. Make sure to read the directions completely or it may not be accurate.

No it's actually a LOT worse ... ya gotta swipe nasty things that make you want to puke out of the toilet... and we're talking three big glass vials and something that basically like a Kitty box in the toilet for collecting poo !!!!

Call me a child but I can't do it . I barf like literally thinking about collecting these samples.

I really shouldn't be concerned with what you write, but if it is true that you keep throwing up and have black liquid poop then you really need to be seen by a doctor. You could have cancer, internal bleeding, ulcers or something else very serious. Being sick like that is never a good sign.