Scary Stuff Going On Here.......

i was referring to what someone said about people down the line who work around their sleeve by eating junk food, like six months or a year out, resulting in weight gain.  i know you are referring to me in a post earlier about commenting without surgery but i'm on your side.  like i said if people can't stomach their protein at first what do they do?  i'm taking this all in, do i not have a right to say something until my surgery date?

I wasn't referring to you because I didn't know you hadn't had surgery, but I was referring to people making comments acting like these confused newbies are total **** ups and aren't going to succeed while at the same time pointing out how much research they have done or implying that they will be successful when they have no idea what will happen when they cross over. Everything changes on surgery day and there is a great liklihood that they too will be confused over certain things.

I agree with everything you said and you didn't try to belittle anyone.

"i don't think ANYONE is really 100% ready for this.  reading for days, years whatever doesn't give you the same experience as actually going through it.  some of those who are fresh out will find that things don't always go smoothly or according to plan because of how their body is reacting, and they are afraid and they come here for help."

And I ESPECIALLY agree with this.

let me tell you, since i decided to do this surgery i've been OBSESSED with reading these boards and honestly, it's probably getting to be too much for me.  i mean i'll read about someone having pains somewhere and my body will start feeling the exact pain they mention.  maybe it's time for me to step away from the board lol.  i wish i wasn't such a sponge, just soaking stuff up and needing to know everything i possibly can.  i probably shouldn't be commenting this much either because i haven't been through it.   i just want to say i think you are really brave, and so is anyone else who had this surgery.  i hope they lose all their weight and enjoy life!

that's funny! I think you should comment as much as you want but i see some people who haven't had the surgery commenting as if they have had it  or passing judgement on those who have and have made mistakes and it baffles me.

i don't pass judgement but i think that 'oh i'm gonna do it all right and follow everything 100% and be such a success!'  i'm sure every one thinks that before they have surgery.  i've read like three different boards and all the good and bad and now i know if you feel stomach hungry afer surgery you probably need a PPI, protein helps you heal, DO NOT get dehydrated, potatoes are slider foods and fluffy carbs are evil, etc etc lol.   do i have the right though to tell people that?  i don't know. 

Passing knowledge is completely different. You are free to do what you want but that is just my opinion are far as people making comments on other peoples failures or slip ups when they haven't been there. I don't think that you did that at all.

So yeah.

People eating around the sleeve.  On one hand, it's frustrating - why are they so crazy!?  Why sabotage yourself?

But on the other hand, I figure they are hurting pretty badly inside.  Swamped in guilt, sense of failure - I feel for them.  (Reminds me a lot of pre-op life).

The problem - here and with so many other tough things in life - is you have the logical understanding (I must eat well) colliding with an intense, overwhelming emotional state (need of love, feeling of safety, reassurance) etc.  I think one of the things humans are worst at is rectifying a logical imperative with an opposite emotional state.  I sure suck at it, and I know others do too.  I think we all have unique, different breaking points, that day we run smack into that brick wall and say "that was so damn unpleasant I'm not going to let it happen anymore".   Unfortunately, every so often, someone's brick wall is past their point of death.  

I remember when I would eat soooo much - it actually made me _feel_ good.  It could push away other pain I had in my life.  It was a drug and I was self-medicating.  I'm fortunate now to be free of that kind of pain, but I think I'll remember it closely for the rest of my life.  

That's why I sometimes think people who haven't learned to say goodbye to their diets aren't always ready for surgery.  Sometimes they have a hell of a learning experience, but I've read/seen a few cases of people actually hurting themselves.  One guy really did blow his staple line.  Another guy broke down, crying to his surgeon on the phone that he couldn't figure out how to blend a pizza during the mushy stage.  I wish we had better tools to help these people ahead of time - the surgery is already challenging enough.

I know the feeling of pushing away other pain with food... :(