Question:
Can someone clarify?

All through my pre-op learning stage Dr. said dumping was bad bad bad!! Now I see people posting trying to "reset thier dump-o-meter", "thankful they still dump", etc. So which is it? Dumping=good or Dumping=bad? I havent dumped yet but to hear it explained..fever, chills, nausea, diahrea...sounds bad, VERY BAD!    — Michelle B. (posted on October 20, 2003)

October 20, 2003
Hi Michelle, Dumping is BAD when you look at how awful it makes you feel, however; dumping is GOOD because it helps to keep us away from foods that we know are not healthy for us by causing that awful feeling if we eat it. I hope that helps you out some :o)
   — blank first name B.

October 20, 2003
I couldn't have said it any better than you did Tammy.I am 13 months post-op and dumped for the second time last week. Its a terrible experience but yet yet it reminded that I still very much so have my 'tool' that caused me to loose all this weight..Good Luck..Enjoy the weight loss process as well as all the compliments you are gonna get!! RNY 9/12/02 down 125+lbs
   — Sharon1964

October 20, 2003
Tammy hit the nail on the head: dumping is a horrible experience, but a great reinforcer. It does no physical harm to you, but feels so awful that you don't want to do it again, so you keep away from the foods that caused it (high sugar or high fat), which is a very good thing. I rarely dump, and I wish that I did (it would have kept that free-sample cookie out of my hand--and mouth--at lunch today).
   — Vespa R.

October 20, 2003
Dumping should serve as a way to keep you from wanting to eat whatever foods caused the dumping experience in the first place. I know that at 11 months post-op, I dumped on Japanese food- a stir fry dinner, and to this day (now at 20 months post-op), I won't try it again. 1 bad experience was enough. Now if I could only figure out how to have one of those Japanese food experiences with chocolate!!
   — Cindy R.

October 26, 2003
Dumping sucks, but if you don't dump, you wish you did. It's too easy to eat a piece of cake if you know you won't get sick....dumping MAKES you behave!
   — jengrz

October 26, 2003
The pain you get from holding your hand over an open flame is bad in that it hurts, but it's good in that it prevents you from further injury. <p> Similarly, the symptoms of dumping make you feel bad but if it makes you stay away from the high-fat or high-sugar foods that normally trigger a dumping episode, then it's a good thing *G*. Unfortunately, a reported 30% of post-op RNY patients do not dump and some of the remaining 70% are stubborn enough or addicted enough to eat through the dumping syndrome. When they do this, their "dump-o-meter" gets set higher and higher until eventually, they won't dump at all...JR
   — John Rushton