Big If's.....

I'm posting on several boards to get as much response as possible- Thanks! Hi everyone,  It's been on my mind for a while and I ahve decided to take action.  So,  I thought I'd put it out there, see what comes back and depending on the response, try to put together set of a comprehensive results.  Thanks in advance for your help ( and for not FLAMING me...:) ! If you had to take a "written" test to help you understand if you were prepared to deal with, take on, cope with WLS, would you take it?  What quetions would be on this test?   If there were a test to help you determine where you needed to improve your skills and habits in order to have a successful WLS,  what would be on it?   If there were a test you could take periodically to assess your strengths and weaknesses in your pre- and post-WLS progress, would you use it? What topics would it cover? if there were a workshop for your "circle of support" to take to help you on your journey, would you ask them to participate? Why or why not? Would this be a one shot deal  or a series of workshops? If there were a test  devised to suggest and/or assess which WLS would be most successful for you, would you take it?  What questions do you think should definitely be on it? If there were an assesment you could use to determine if your WLS medical team was a good fit for you, would you use it?  What questions would be on it?  What info would you "have" to know? How would you define WLS "success"? How would you define being "WLS-challenged"? Thanks again!!!!

ps Actually it is something for me personally-  I am not writing a paper or publishing anything-  just want to know if others think this might be a useful tool or approach to WLS.  The only thing I would do with the info is make a post of the results here on OH.  And if there is anything significant- I hope it can be helpful for others to see and find something maybe they weren't aware of or didn't think of.  

Yes I would take a test to see if I was prepared to have wls. I did not have to take a test for my psych exam but I know alot of people do. I think a workshop is a great idea. I still go to support group, but having a smaller more intimate group would be wonderful and I think it would be great if it was an ongoing event, not just a one time thing b/c things are always changing, we forget over the months and years, we need different information at different stages of our journey, etc.  For me, wls succes was directly linked to if I  made goal or not. I know this isn't that important in the whole scheme of things b/c being healthier is the main objective in having wls. Even though I've made goal I still don't know (in my own mind) if I will be a wls success~I think achieving the goal is only the first step, but maintaining at goal weight for the long haul is also so important. Now that's not to say that I don't think others are successful even if they don't hit their goal weight~this is just the pressure I place on myself, not on others.  When I feel wls challenged is when I get off track~with eating, exercise, water intake, etc.

Tracy-  thanks for taking the time to respond  to my post- I think you hit on some good points! Sincerely,  Tara

I somehow think that no matter how many test questions there were we may fool ourselfs into answering them the way we know we should so that we could have had the surgery.  It is hard to know before surgery things like how you will react to what other people think about the new you, especially family members because you haven't ever been this peron before. It is also hard to know what the loss of food will do to you psychologically before it happens.  For me the difficult times  and battles I have had with my weight have not come as a result of WLS and the after effects but from the trials of my life that I had no way to predict would happen. ie: cancer, hubby having a stroke, children moving off to college and away from home. The key for me is learning to handle stress without turning to food. So I guess my biggest test question would be. How will you handle new stress situations that would normally cause you to turn to food. What are some other ways to handle the stress. Kaye

Kaye- WoW!!!  Love how you got right to the essence of what is important to you! Great insight for me!! thanks for responding to my post! Sincerely,  Tara

Actually, I did have to take a "quiz" on the wls.  It covered key facts about the surgery and risks, reasons for the supplemen****er/protein requirements, and some behavioral things.  Sorry I don't remember the exact questions.   I think it is good to have a quiz to make sure people have really heard the key details.  I don't think there is a good survey yet developed to measure compliance.  It would be a challenge to develop.  People will say what they think the doctor wants to hear to get the surgery rather than listen to the concerns.  There is one woman in my support group who has struggled from the beginning due in large part to her failure to comply.  She really did want the surgery to make her lose weight without effort.  And as someone who has gone through the same program, I know the program works activily to stop this kind of thinking.   I think a test to determine skills should look at motivation (internal and external), understanding (ability to read and understand food labels and nutrition information), and application of the doctor's protocal in a kind of case study situtation--problem solving. As for workshops for my "circle of support" I would not participate because I like to control what I reveal to whom and when.  But everyone is different. I wouldn't do a test on my team's fit--because here there aren't really any options! I am not yet at my goal, but still consider myself a wls success.  For me, success includes not only a range of % of excess weight lost, but also a level of health, limits of complications, and maintainance.  As for "wls challenged,"  I think that would include ongoing complications, lack of compliance, and on-going behavioral issues.  If there is a lack of weightloss due to reasons other than non-compliance, I think that would be a challenge as well. Interesting questions. Sally