NOT RECOMMENDED: Summerhays Restaurant (Ottawa)

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Brava!

mmm

Okay, seriously. This is ridiculous.

I was given the go ahead to go on to pureed foods the Tuesday after my Friday surgery. Yesterday, (Tuesday, after a week on pureed diet) I was given the go ahead to go on to the soft diet whi*****ludes toasted breads. Obviously not everyone moves so quickly through the stages but I have been fortunate. And careful, despite popular opinion.

My nurse practitioner and I discussed my personal progess in depth at my appointment yesterday. We discussed my birthday dinner options in depth because I was feeling down about not knowing how to celebrate. We decided together what I would eat.

I am sorry if you all disagree with my decision and her professional opinion but, ultimately, that is not my concern. My concern is my health and I would never do anything to jeopardize it. I am at peace with my decision, based on in-depth discussion with my medical professional who is intimately acquainted with my personal case. I make no apologies for taking her opinion more seriously than those of less informed members of a random message board.

My intention with my original post was to provide information to those who were interested, not to get into a discussion about my personal decisions and choices. I am not naiive enough to have not expected this but I am now done participating. After posting this last message, I will not read any further posts and I will not reply again (to this thread). I hope to not receive private messages berrating and judging my decisions, no matter how well-intentioned.

Go ahead and discuss my folly here to your hearts' content.

Best wishes to you all!

Sorry, but if you put your dietary decisions on the internet and people who CARE and know better have an opinion, well.... you're going to get those opinions.  Not sure why you would think you'd get PMs berrating you (sp?). Those of us actually concerned about you have put our opinions out here on the open forum. No need for secrecy.

Yeah, you got ****ty customer service. Don't ever go there again and by all means spread the word that the manager is a total asshole.   But on a WLS support forum we WILL comment on your choices.  Wonder why?? Are we triyng to be mean or do we actually care about people enough to comment?  Think about it.

But, but, but... she was CRAVING that grilled cheese sandwich! Apparently just not enough to quietly pay $2 more for it.

Seriously, Ottawa has got to have the worst NPs and Nuts of any centre, some of the crap we hear out of them is outrageous! I would love to see some stats on post-surgical complications broken down by assessment centre.

I appreciate your sharing the way Summerhay's chose to address your request. Regardless of whether or not others would or should choose to disclose their surgery or prefer to order off the children's menu, the reaction by the management speaks volumes about them. I have always enjoyed Summerhay's, but will reconsider offering them my patronage in the future. For us, it may merely be an issue of portion size or a relatively small price differential, but I can also easily see someone asking for accomodation for other reasons and being treated poorly, or even overhearing the exchange you described and choosing to not speak up about their own needs.

I also appreciate that at one and a half weeks post op, a lot of changes and challenges have already happened for you and many more are on the way. Ideally, you would have been ready to celebrate the first birthday in your new life with completely new confidence and enthusiasm, and not struggling with the feeling of uncertainty you described as your birthday approached. The emotional ties and significance of the role food has played in our lives may be similar, but is never exactly the same as each other's, and the added factor of family celebrations further makes each situation stereotypically unique, if that makes sense. The choice of a grilled cheese may not be one many of us would make, which is apparent in the posts so far, but it is not, in my opinion, a failure. You identified a source of uncertainty about how to handle a situation and sought out professional advice to support you in your weight loss journey. You did not act impulsively, you did not treat the occasion as a licence to indulge in all the ways you may have previously, so you avoided the 'all or nothing' type of thinking that many of us have used in the past to justify throwing ourselves off the wagon when we start to slip off just a little bit and that is not a sign recklessness or disregard for your health. I'm not sure how I would have done in the same cir****tances. Claim the victory of having a plan and sticking to it in a cir****tance that at other times you may not have been able to do so. Recognize that the criticism of grilled cheese as a food choice is well intended for the most part and a sign that old habits, traditions, fears and foods can be tackled to the ground, as others are sharing their success in that same battle. Look ahead to the next time you will have an opportunity to reinvent your traditions, your celebrations and to make a plan for yourself. I anticipate that the next plan will include a food choice that is more aligned with the goals that are exemplified by choosing to have WLS and you will be able to make those plans with the confidence gained from making and sticking to your cheesy plan this birthday.

Happy Birthday.

 Fully agree with above. I checked out the resterant on several review sites and the OP concerns are not unique. The place seems to have an issue with customer service. 

Good luck with your weight loss and journey.  Careful with that baby pouch. And Happy Birthday!!

Ditto and well said...



(Lisa...my clinic and I have discussed my "poor" choices since surgery.  And my minor indulgences and recognize that most "normal" people have indulgences periodically.  It doesn't mean they are evil or wrong somehow.  My indulgences now are minimal, infrequent and I feel satisifed with a few bites ie; my sons B-day cake  oh and the 2 perogies I ate last week) .

So Happy Birthday and congrats on seeking out the advice of your dietician before making the decisions you did.   

 
Great reply, Janet.

As far as the restaurant's concerned, they have the right not to serve you in the way you want to be served. You also have the right not to spend your money there.  It does sound like they have horrendously arrogant service.  I don't necessarily agree with the comment about having to cover costs with an adult premium charge.  What prevents people from ordering kid's meals at fast food restaurants? Absolutely nothing. 

As far as grilled cheese at 1.5 weeks out, I wouldn't do it. But then at that stage, I was busy becoming the Bob Ross of porcelain painting.

If there's one thing about online forums, you have to be prepared for the collective judgment if you show signs of weakness, failure or questionable behavior. Especially on OH amongst the prima donnas.

the way you were treated over and over was deplorable..and worthy of noting in a place like TripAdvisor where you get to rate resturaunts.

maybe this owner is rolling in $$ and truly doesn't give a care about how he treats patrons...very sad , but it does happen..well, at least you know (1) place you will never recommend to your friends, family or coworker.

What that business owner obviously does NOT realize Or maybe doesn't care about)
 
is tha the (marketing rule is)

t tell 100 people of a positive experience and they may tell 10 of their friends

...tell those same 100 of a bad experience and they will tell 10 who will then 10 etc etc...

You were treated badly and I don't blame you for not going back.

As far as these Dr.'s cards asking for a discount, they are not worth the paper that they are printed on.  They do not make any contract with these restaurants and we could make up our own cards and they would be just as valuable.  I was never asked to pay more at a buffet where I pigged out before wls, and shouldn't pay less now because I eat less.  Childrens meals often come at a loss for many restaurants and are usually full of crappy carbs anyway.  I don't see any reason whatsoever that they should consider giving people with wls a break.