What did you do???
(deactivated member)
on 9/6/08 4:53 am, edited 9/6/08 4:54 am - WA
on 9/6/08 4:53 am, edited 9/6/08 4:54 am - WA
Stacey, here's something from the book "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies" that I think is really helpful...I hope it will help you too. Maybe print it out and have it on hand to hand to those who say you've taken the easy way out.
Nothing angers a weight loss surgery patient more than hearing someone say that weight loss surgery is the easy way out. There is nothing easy about it. Consider the following:
* You have to go through rigorous physical and psychological testing to ensure that you're an appropriate candidate for surgery.
* You may have to fight with your insurance company so the surgery is covered.
* You may face complications from the surgery.
* You have to endure about four weeks of liquids and pureed foods - not fun!
* You have to learn a whole new way of eating - and there are consequences if you don't follow the rules. You may throw up, suffer dumping syndrome, experience nausea, and get food stuck in your stoma (the opening from your new small pouch to your small intestine) - and that hurts!
* As your system adjusts to the surgery, you may have a real problem with nausea.
* You may lose a lot of your hair for a three- to five-month period after the surgery.
* When you realize that you can no longer use food for comfort, you have to adjust psychologically and find new ways of coping.
Next time someone tells you that weight loss surgery is easy, try naming just a couple of the items on this list. That'll show 'em - and besides, you'll be aducating that person so he doesn't make that comment to someone else in the future.
From "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies"
Nothing angers a weight loss surgery patient more than hearing someone say that weight loss surgery is the easy way out. There is nothing easy about it. Consider the following:
* You have to go through rigorous physical and psychological testing to ensure that you're an appropriate candidate for surgery.
* You may have to fight with your insurance company so the surgery is covered.
* You may face complications from the surgery.
* You have to endure about four weeks of liquids and pureed foods - not fun!
* You have to learn a whole new way of eating - and there are consequences if you don't follow the rules. You may throw up, suffer dumping syndrome, experience nausea, and get food stuck in your stoma (the opening from your new small pouch to your small intestine) - and that hurts!
* As your system adjusts to the surgery, you may have a real problem with nausea.
* You may lose a lot of your hair for a three- to five-month period after the surgery.
* When you realize that you can no longer use food for comfort, you have to adjust psychologically and find new ways of coping.
Next time someone tells you that weight loss surgery is easy, try naming just a couple of the items on this list. That'll show 'em - and besides, you'll be aducating that person so he doesn't make that comment to someone else in the future.
From "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies"
I kept kinda quiet publicly, but told a few friends and got a lot of flack. One friend, though, followed every step I did and had her WLS a few months after I did! We were our own little support! BUT I did attend groups from day 7 on.
At 14 yrs, I still think the groups are important. We do 3-4-5 per month.
This month will be 4. 2 are here in Puyallup, this week, Tues (9th) & Wed (10th) at 7pm. Attend either, or both
1 is next Tues (16th) (Bremerton, Harrison Hospital, main entrance, 7pm)
And then this weekend (13th), a large group in Portland. That weekend would normally be a Tukwila group.
There are plenty of groups around for you to attend. Find the one that fits your style, timing, location.
Some groups prefer to focus on someONE or sometTHING, whereas our Puyallup groups are about us, as in you 'n me, except in August when I unload whatever data I gather at the big conference. And every now and then I will invite a doc, but rarely. I usually prefer them not to wear their doc suits so they can observe what our issues really ARE vs what they are reading in journals.
The group in Portland this week is featuring a few docs, as well as, well, me, altho I'm still not sure what it is they are wanting me to do, exactly.
The Bremerton group sometimes has speakers, sometimes has just the round circle discussion, more like ours here.
At 14 yrs, I still think the groups are important. We do 3-4-5 per month.
This month will be 4. 2 are here in Puyallup, this week, Tues (9th) & Wed (10th) at 7pm. Attend either, or both
1 is next Tues (16th) (Bremerton, Harrison Hospital, main entrance, 7pm)
And then this weekend (13th), a large group in Portland. That weekend would normally be a Tukwila group.
There are plenty of groups around for you to attend. Find the one that fits your style, timing, location.
Some groups prefer to focus on someONE or sometTHING, whereas our Puyallup groups are about us, as in you 'n me, except in August when I unload whatever data I gather at the big conference. And every now and then I will invite a doc, but rarely. I usually prefer them not to wear their doc suits so they can observe what our issues really ARE vs what they are reading in journals.
The group in Portland this week is featuring a few docs, as well as, well, me, altho I'm still not sure what it is they are wanting me to do, exactly.
The Bremerton group sometimes has speakers, sometimes has just the round circle discussion, more like ours here.
Michelle
RNY, distal, 10/5/94
P.S. My year + long absence has NOTHING to do with my WLS, or my type of WLS. See my profile.
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