The Greater Fool

The best laid plans of mice and men (and doctors and contractors) oft go astray. Generally, documentation for the goose is documentation for the gander, or something like that. The insurance sets most of the documentation standards. Good luck, Tek

You will probably live through your ordeal. My medical team never gave me a blanket ban on any medication because each of our situations are different. Because of liver issues Tylenol was a no-no while aspirin products were "take and monitor, be careful" medication. Some people do have issues the first time they take aspirin products though it is not at all common. Good luck, Tek

It took me 2-3 weeks to get to a point where I could sustain an adequate level of thought to muddle through working at home. It was a combination of getting to a point where pain wasn't completely disabling and the ability to consume enough calories consistently to keep my brain working. It was only about a week more before I could manage office attendance. A work acquaintance just had Gastric Bypass a couple months ago and was useless for work for 6 weeks which included a bad period of a couple weeks that had him back in the hospital for a couple days. Part of his problem was trying to work too hard too soon which compounded the other issues. If there's a lesson it's don't push too hard too soon. Good luck, Tek

Your surgeon's staff will be able to help you on this. They deal with it day in and day out. They want you to get surgery, so they will do the best they can to see it happen. They will help unconfuse you. Good luck, Tek

The whole WLS experience is an experience in conditioning. Our actual plans have sometimes vast differences yet no one seems to want to reconcile the differences. It seems the actual plan doesn't really matter but it's following a plan that seems to be the important element. We are learning a new way of eating, a healthier and sustainable way to eat and live. As a reward we consistently lose weight. What conditioning! We follow plan and lose weight. The surgery helps us follow the plan the major part of which is not eating too much. In point of fact most people would lose weight for the first several months no matter what they eat. The surgery is doing the heavy lifting. We all have read of people that eat what they want, pick and choose plan elements, and/or quickly return to their old habits, and yet early on they lose weight. Think of how they are being conditioned: Eat what you want and lose weight. Eventually comes the point where the weight loss stops, or even reverses. It comes for us all. How have the two groups conditioned themselves? Well, the group conditioned with following the plan continue to follow plan, perhaps tightening a little. It's the same thing they've been doing and continuing is just doing what you've been conditioned to do. This group continues doing well. The second group that wasn't following a plan is stuck. Now they have to make a change to something they are unprepared for and unconditioned to do: They need to eat to plan. Except they have no positive conditioning related to plan. For these folks, they are back on the dieting circle. They are conditioned to eat what they want, so this is where their conditioning keeps wanting to take them. They are back between a rock and a hard place. Eating to plan has more implications than simply losing weight fast. We are conditioning ourselves for long term success. Sorry for the sermon, lecture, and longwindedness. Someone will be passing the contribution box. Good luck, Tek

A teen would not have the slightest issue following my surgeon's plan. Heck a grade schooler could handle it. Having been a precocious teen I tend to believe teens are generally able to handle themselves as much as adults generally. If I had really wanted such a surgery and made a good case demonstrating I understood the impacts my parents would have supported me. My greater worry would be parents. The overbearing parents that push their kids into things they don't want or require and the Milquetoast parents that give their kids every whim. Neither situation is healthy for kids. All this really depends on the individuals and family dynamics. Should we really stop the people that can deal with this stuff rationally because some people can't? As with other controversial teen surgeries it seems thorough psychological evaluation should be part of the process. There is no one size fits all answer to these things. But I am long past having to worry about this for me and my kids. I'm in the peanut gallery for everyone else. Good luck, Tek

I dump on sugars and fats. There is early and late dumping. It isn't just a WLS thing as non-ops can dump. Gastric Bypass just makes it easier in many cases. Early dumping usually hits 20-30 minutes after eating. After 20-30 minutes if there is still food in reach there can be vomiting but generally it's just dry heaving with nothing coming up. There is also sweating profusely, weakness, diarrhea, and rapid heart rate, sometimes a headache. Late dumping happens an hour or three later with similar symptoms except for dry heaves. Usually I just start sweating and the other symptoms, if they occur, seem much milder. Dumping is a great educator as it's not something I wanted to repeat so I learned quickly to avoid certain foods. 19 years out from surgery I know what foods in what quantities generally make me dump. But if I am tired, stressed, med conflicts, or a myriad of other situations my dumping threshold could move and I get surprised. At this point it's just something I take as part of the joy of being me. Good luck, Tek

Can you spare it? Good luck, Tek

There are a few possible angles to this. It's very possible you ARE being overly sensitive, as you're in a big state of flux emotionally and physically. You may have lost one of your coping mechanisms with food no longer being as available; Your SO has probably seen you fail time and again on diets and they may be afraid you are going down that path again. We didn't generally start eating off plan on previous diets all at once, it usually starts with a bite here or there first, then get's out of control; Doing this in front of your nephews probably added a level of embarrassment that wasn't necessary, making you both a bit more prickly for each being corrected in such a public way. Your SO and/or you may also have some fears about how you losing weight may change your relationship. WLS tends to highlight both the strengths and weaknesses in relationships. You are changing the status quo. In the comfort and privacy of your home have a calm discussion about everything. About how your SO has been supportive and how you appreciate the support. About your plan and what the details, depending on how involved you want your SO to be. About the level of policing you would like or not like, even how policing (if appropriate) should be done, specifically privately and any other features. Talk about fears and make reassurances as you are both on the same team. Reinforce your positive feelings about each other. This discussion may happen more than once, or in different ways. It's OK. Good luck, Tek

Funny story about 'obese,' to get approved I had to prove 5 years of morbid obesity. Since I had spent years avoiding cameras I had no photos, and since every physical issues I had was blamed on my weight I rarely went to the doctor. However, on a whim and grasping at straws I got my medical records from our PCP and it turned out I had seen her every year or so and at each appointment she noted I was "Super morbidly obese." It was the one and only time I've ever been so happy to see myself described that way. It got me my surgery in about 2 months. Good luck, Tek

I'll add that she may very well be falling back on food as a coping mechanism for her current and/or recent woes. It may be a wise move for her to connect with a therapist to help with coping with her situation and to help establish new and healthier coping mechanisms. Good luck to her. Tek

5 swallows is my limit. On 6 the odds are pretty good that everything will back-up on me, which is just about as much fun as it sounds. I can't remember the last time I went past 5. Good luck, Tek

I don't quite feel 'ick' about anything in particular. I've seen my 'pouch' and it is not what I would call a pouch. It is about the same size as my esophagus and the intestines it connects to, in pretty much a straight line. 'Sleave' would be more appropriate, but I guess they wanted to make it sound like a small stomach that isn't. I have, however, resumed calling it my stomach as it approximates what non-ops call that part of the plumbing. 'Dumping' is pretty much spot on. It seems everything that can come out of your body dumps out wherever it can: Diarrhea, sweating, dry heaving. A good time for all. The positive thing is dumping is a great educator. Good luck, Tek

8 to 16 pounds the first month is not equal to 8 to 16 pounds every month. Good luck, Tek

SF Popsicles. 'Nuff said. Good luck, Tek

I've never heard of Thyroid issues getting in the way of WLS. Having said that I'm sure that in the zillions of WLS patients out there at least one couldn't or wouldn't have surgery because of a Thyroid issue. All you can do is wait to see *IF* there is an issue. Then you will know if it's a WLS stopper. Worrying won't help. Good luck, Tek

Good job! I wouldn't put future weight loss on a schedule because as you [editorial] approach goal it usually goes tediously slow. When you only lose 30 it will make you feel like a failure rather than the success you actually will be. But that's me. Then again, I'm a freak so I wouldn't pay much attention to me if I were you. Good luck and continued success. Tek

Well, technically alcohol is not recommended for anyone, just like so many things we eat, drink, inhale, inject or whatever. The trick of such things is to be aware of the possible harms and to mitigate them as well as we can. For Gastric Bypass folks the reason some foods and drinks are an issue is when we eat them they don't get to spend any time in our stomachs soaking in digestive juices anymore. Everything drops directly into our intestines. Many/Most Gastric Bypass folks, of which I am one and this is true for me, report that alcohol hits quicker and harder. On the flip side it fades quicker and the after affects, if you have any, happen and fade sooner. Because of all this try it at home or in and otherwise safe place to see how alcohol affects you. Now for the warnings and caveats: Again, since the alcohol is not being doled to your intestines over time by your stomach, it is being digested and absorbed quickly and overwhelms your liver quicker which creates problems for your liver. Issues on the liver with overdrinking will happen quicker for us. Then there is the whole addiction transfer thing to which we may be more vulnerable. Especially early post-op we've had food taken away and haven't gotten used to our new situation. With the quick buzz it's a not uncommon problem. Especially early post-op alcohol on a healing surgery invites ulcers. On to real life: We're adults more or less. Most of us that drank pre-op will drink post-op. Try to be cautious and enjoy. Good luck, Tek

Is the scale broken? You'll be asking the same question in an amazingly short number of days when you don't lose an ounce for two or three weeks. Scales are not your friend. How would YOU feel if the people you know stepped all over you all the time? Exactly. The only way to make the scale your friend is to cuddle with it, keep it clean and shiny, tell it jokes, but never ever step on it. Congratulations and good luck, Tek

I got tired just reading that. Congratulations and continued success. Tek

I took a robe, slippers, and a book. I never used the slippers because the socks with traction the hospital provided were more comfortable. I tried reading when I realized I was reading the same page over and over. I don't know if it was the anesthesia or what but I just could not absorb anything. Maybe it was the bed from hell which was a special bed they rented for me that was slightly less comfortable than a cement slab. I spent more time sleeping in the comfortable chair in the room. The robe was useful, especially on walks. Last thing other patients needed to see was... well... you know. Everything else was provided by the hospital. Good luck, Tek

From first consult to surgery was about 2.5 months. Most of the time was waiting for all the testing appointments I had to get done. There were also requirements back then with my insurance to prove 5 years morbid obesity then 6 months medically supervised diet in the last 2 years which was already documented by my PCP in the previous year, so I had all the months/years long requirements already documented. Once my Doc put in for insurance approval, which took 2 weeks because they were relocating, it didn't even take 1 work day for insurance approval. Good luck, Tek

Is 3oz of pureed steamed cauliflower within your plan? Did you make yourself sick or uncomfortable? Your answers determine your answer. My plan said 3oz protein, 1oz veggies, not that I could manage it that early. There were days when 1oz of anything was overdoing it, others when 4oz wasn't. Good luck, Tek

I never was on a liquid diet. I was able to eat real food until 6:00pm the night before. After surgery, for dinner I had pureed stuff, I don't remember exactly what it was. Puree went for 6 weeks, then real food again. Different strokes for different surgeons, as usual. Good luck, Tek

Are you sure your cousin wasn't playing a joke on you? While I am in admiration of your accomplishment your cousin should know this is no way to run a railroad. Good luck, Tek