I think my surgeon is playing games with me.
He is a very good surgeon and he has taken care of me through all my issues but I really think he is playing games with me. He knows i'm vulnerable right now. I'm sick everyday, had three dilations of a stricture and am just feeling horrible. And I want to feel better more than anything. I'm too week to go back to work. I've told him all this and he says well we will have to get a reversal. I've done more research on reversals and you don't do reversals just like that! They are complicated surgeries. I think he is telling me he has to do a reversal to scare me into eating better because he thinks i'm not eating good.
I eat mashed potatoes, pureed everything, and apple sauce. I eat slow and every two hours I am not eating hot dogs or bread or crackers or even most meat. But I really think he is playing games with me. He had no intention of giving me a reversal but in my state of mind what the heck am I supposed to think. Playing games, especially for a surgeon, is ****ty.
I eat mashed potatoes, pureed everything, and apple sauce. I eat slow and every two hours I am not eating hot dogs or bread or crackers or even most meat. But I really think he is playing games with me. He had no intention of giving me a reversal but in my state of mind what the heck am I supposed to think. Playing games, especially for a surgeon, is ****ty.
Height - 5'8 - SW - 292/ CW - 177.6 /GW - 150 - BMI - 27.1 - 114.4 lbs lost!
"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore" Vincent Van Gogh
"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore" Vincent Van Gogh
I agree that is pretty ****ty. A reversal is something you don't just jump into. Maybe it's time to get a second opinion from a different surgeon. I think my surgeon has done a handful of reversals and he told me the only way he would ever do a reversal is if the patient's life were in danger. It doesn't sound like what you're going through is life threatening, just uncomfortable. He can't fault you for getting a second opinion. A reversal is a serious surgery, moreso than the original RNY in my opinion.
As far as your diet maybe take a step back to full liquids? I know I can't eat mashed potatoes or applesauce without getting sick. I would go back to full liquids, focus on protein in and see if maybe giving your pouch a break for a week or two helps at all. It's hard to think that purees aren't break enough, but maybe your pouch is just extra sensitive. Full liquids sucks, but it may be what your pouch needs to heal and start working like it's supposed to. I hope you find some answers soon and start feeling better! I know you've been through a lot.
As far as your diet maybe take a step back to full liquids? I know I can't eat mashed potatoes or applesauce without getting sick. I would go back to full liquids, focus on protein in and see if maybe giving your pouch a break for a week or two helps at all. It's hard to think that purees aren't break enough, but maybe your pouch is just extra sensitive. Full liquids sucks, but it may be what your pouch needs to heal and start working like it's supposed to. I hope you find some answers soon and start feeling better! I know you've been through a lot.
Mary Catherine
on 5/2/11 2:17 am
on 5/2/11 2:17 am
You are right. He is playing games with you. Ashley just gave you perfect advice. The mashed potatoes and applesauce are too hard on your pouch right now.
Treat your pouch like the new born baby that it is. Full liquids until there is no more soreness. Then tiny amounts of pureed foods. You are at the beginning of a wonderful journey. Take it slowly and enjoy it.
You will heal and learn to live with your surgery. Surprise your doctor with a smiling, happy report. You will both feel better.
Treat your pouch like the new born baby that it is. Full liquids until there is no more soreness. Then tiny amounts of pureed foods. You are at the beginning of a wonderful journey. Take it slowly and enjoy it.
You will heal and learn to live with your surgery. Surprise your doctor with a smiling, happy report. You will both feel better.
If that's the way he works to "get you" to eat better - as if that weren't something you'd want to do for yourself - then that's a form of reverse psychology I've never seen! It does sound like you're getting in a fair amount of food, maybe not to the extent expected but maybe Ashley's right, you may just have an extremely sensitive pouch that needs way more time to heal and just doesn't like complicated food. Are you getting in enough protein? Even in liquid form?
I have a ton of that "thanksgiving in a blender" stuff in my freezer and doubt I'll ever be able to eat it all. Would you like to take some off my hands? It's pureed beyond belief and I've never had a problem with it. Eggs on the other hand.... not going down so well.
I have a ton of that "thanksgiving in a blender" stuff in my freezer and doubt I'll ever be able to eat it all. Would you like to take some off my hands? It's pureed beyond belief and I've never had a problem with it. Eggs on the other hand.... not going down so well.
First ultra: Stone Mill 50 miler 11/15/14 13:44:38, First Full Marathon: Marine Corps 10/27/13 4:57:11, Half Marathon PR 2:04:43 at Shamrock VA Beach Half-Marathon, 12/2/12 First Half-Marathon 2:32:47, 5K PR Run Under the Lights 5K 27:23 on 11/23/13, 10K PR 52:53 Pike's Peek 10K 4/21/13, (1st timed run) Accumen 8K 51:09 10/14/12.
He probably is playing games with you. But as the others said maybe go back to full liquids for a while while you heal. I know that mashed potatoes made me feel really uncomfortable for a while. Remember that everyone heals at a different rate and you need to go at a pace that you are comfortable with. I am actually kinda surprised that he did not mention that first before he even brought reversal up.
RNY- 2/18/2011
" I think he is telling me he has to do a reversal to scare me into eating better because he thinks i'm not eating good."
Well, at least now I feel better about telling you yesterday that I thought he MIGHT be trying to scare you in order to find how how truthful you were being with him...
As I said yesterday, I don't condone it. I do, however, understand it. Lots of patients play games for one reason or another (this is especially true of mental heath patients) -- and I am NOT saying that YOU are... I am just trying to explain his point of view -- and, as with children, sometimes the fastest way to get them cut cut the crap and be honest is to scare them a bit. (No, I do not personally utilize this "technique", but I also don;t work with clients with substance abuse issues.) For a WLS patient, of course, the most powerful thing in his aresenal to use as a scare tactic is to threaten that you might "lose" your surgery via a reversal.
Aren't you glad that folks here were smart enough to question why he would suggest such a drastic step so early?!? (I don't mean that as a pat on the back for us, but to point out how important it can be to stop and think for yourself (and question when necessary) what ANY doctor tells you. They make mistakes (they might forget we cannot take NSAIDs or time-release meds), sometimes they play games with patients (think the soda stretching your pouch nonsense), and sometimes they just don't know as much as they should (think Flintstones vitamins).
Did he suggest anything useful today?!?
Lora
Well, at least now I feel better about telling you yesterday that I thought he MIGHT be trying to scare you in order to find how how truthful you were being with him...
As I said yesterday, I don't condone it. I do, however, understand it. Lots of patients play games for one reason or another (this is especially true of mental heath patients) -- and I am NOT saying that YOU are... I am just trying to explain his point of view -- and, as with children, sometimes the fastest way to get them cut cut the crap and be honest is to scare them a bit. (No, I do not personally utilize this "technique", but I also don;t work with clients with substance abuse issues.) For a WLS patient, of course, the most powerful thing in his aresenal to use as a scare tactic is to threaten that you might "lose" your surgery via a reversal.
Aren't you glad that folks here were smart enough to question why he would suggest such a drastic step so early?!? (I don't mean that as a pat on the back for us, but to point out how important it can be to stop and think for yourself (and question when necessary) what ANY doctor tells you. They make mistakes (they might forget we cannot take NSAIDs or time-release meds), sometimes they play games with patients (think the soda stretching your pouch nonsense), and sometimes they just don't know as much as they should (think Flintstones vitamins).
Did he suggest anything useful today?!?
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
I agree with the liquid diet idea. It can't hurt and at least you will be getting your protein in. When I was doing only shakes, I'd make the protein shake with the plain Greek yogurt added and a little Torani syrup for flavor with the vanilla. Three shakes a day would get in 60-90 grams of protein. I know it isn't the most palatable thing to go through again, but if you did it for a few days to see how you felt?
Also - my surgeon won't even let us have mashed potatoes until after 16 weeks. He thinks the nutritional value is zilch and the carbs are too high. I'd eat plain yogurt so at least you are getting the protein value out of what you are eating.
Also - my surgeon won't even let us have mashed potatoes until after 16 weeks. He thinks the nutritional value is zilch and the carbs are too high. I'd eat plain yogurt so at least you are getting the protein value out of what you are eating.
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