~sigh~ Had my 2 week follow-up today....

Beth, I'm not irritated at you...I'm irritated at your surgeon and PA!

Karen

**like**

Karen, my comments were not directed at you, or even at the PA profession. I've worked with great PA's and I've worked with crappy PA's and everything in between. What's sad and frustrating, and IMHO should not be acceptable, is for a PA to work in a bariatric surgery practice and not realize that there are differences between the operations the surgeons that this PA works with performs, and that patients need care and advice specific to these different operations.
     And really, the ultimate responsibility belongs to the surgeon, since PA's work under the supervision of physicians. That surgeon should care enough about the longterm outcomes of his patients to make sure that everyone working under his supervision knows what they need to know. But we've seen over and over that this often doesn't happen.

Larra

Larra, I agree with you 100%. And, I have read enough of your well thought-out posts to know that you would never intentionally insult someone. And, I'm not insulted...just frustrated with Beth's surgeon and PA. There's no excuse for her being given instructions that are completely wrong! It saddens me that this kind of thing happens.

Karen

That's exactly how I feel about it too. We tell pre-ops to just nod their way through the incorrect advice because we don't want them to do anything that might jeopardize their getting their surgery, but once people are post-op, they can speak more freely.

Larra

 if I were someone who didn't know about this site and couldn't get great advice from the vets, I'd be a DS'er on an RNY diet

I know, it's so sad that there are ppl out there in just that predicament.

I get the same info from my surgeons NUT. I argued with her pre op, during group teaching and post op. Sometimes she didnt even have an answer! I would just let it go but like you say, if we didnt have this board, we'd be in a mess! I told everyone at the pre op teaching to get on this site and dsfacts.com.

At support group tonight the RNYers were talking about misinformation given to them by their surgeons. I laughed and said try being a DSer living in a RNY world!

And they wonder why we see reports of severe malnutrition with the DS! Ah, DUH misinformation=malnutrition!!!

Keep fighting girl!!!

The hospital sent in a NUT to see me during my recovery and THANKFULLY, the road had been paved before me by Bookfaerie. Instead of coming at me with advice for the RNY (as usual), she looked at me and said that she really didn't know what info to give me for the DS.  I thanked her for her honestly and she said that the DS patient before me from a year ago had scared her straight.  THanks Laura.

Sheri

 had scared her straight.

How cool!

Print out some information about the real DS diet and give it to the PA when you see her again.  Tell her, in a nice or snarky manner, whatever your preference, that her incorrect directions could lead someone (less aware than yourself) into a life of malnutrition down the line. She wouldn't want that on her conscience now, would she? Maybe you should print out some information on the DS and in particular the malabsorptive component so she sees the big picture and she gets why we need more fat.  There's an article on dsfacts.com that explains the difference between the DS and the RNY. Maybe that would help her grasp the big picture as well. Heck, somebody has to educate the poor thing. Might as well be you.