Listen up Public: I did not have a bypass!

[DownInSocal 12]

Ok public listen up:

I did not have the ?bypass?. Not every person who has bariatric surgery has a ?bypass? or band. K?

I don?t know why it irritates me so much when people assume I have had a bypass when they find out I had surgery. Even after I say ?No I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, or VSG for short.? they still say bypass later. Nothing is bypassed in my body. Why is this so hard to understand? I understand that the average Joe is not educated like us on different weight loss surgeries but after a person says no I did NOT have a bypass why would you still use that term?

I was watching a rerun of Big Medicine the other night and the patient was having a VSG. When interviewing her after her procedure it said ?Bypass Patient? under her name. I almost flipped a lid. I was yelling at the T.V. My husband thinks I was funny to watch but he gets mad too. No my wife had a VSG. It is a different kind of surgery. Someone had the gall to say ?Oh she should have waited for that new balloon thing.? Excuse me? It was not the latest gadget I was picking out.

Sometimes I feel like saying: ?Saying VSG is a bypass is like saying someone who had a lumpectomy had a radical mastectomy. NOT the same surgery.? What got me into this rant is a close member of my family (not DH) said ?bypass?. They got an earful. The whole world knows I had surgery so I suspect there will be many more bypass comments. I will educate them one at a time and I reserve the right to rant more later. :confused1:

[Tiffykins 673]

Rant away because I feel the same exact way. It drives me insane. I pretty much just tell people now that I've had a partial gastrectomy and that my stomach is tiny without rerouting anything else. They seem to get that a bit more.

[cajun 46]

I think "bypass" is all some people know about. It's just ignorance and actually presents a "teachable" moment to tell them about other options that are available in my opinion.

When I saw my internist yesterday I learned that she has few WLS patients. Only several bypass pts, several sleeves, and several bands. I commented that I think bands ought to be "banned". She said "I agree with you". I gave her a lot of information and a packet too, and I'm sure she is interested in learning more. She was surprised that I had gone to Mexico for the surgery, since she had suggested a surgeon about 1 1/2 hours from here. But I think she was very pleased with my report about Dr Aceves' program and the outcome I have achieved so far...can't knock 30# at 2 weeks post op!

[Manatee 0]

Why does it matter?

[Bob_350lbs 105]

For me, it really mattered when my PCP confused the VG with the bypass. He just couldn't fathom what a VG was, kept saying I would have malabsorbtion and end up gaining all my weight back and have to take supplements the rest of my life. I even brought out the pictures to show him, and his mind just couldn't wrap around it. That upset me. I needed his support and didn't get it. My family got it, after I explained it about 3 times. And, I got their support. Yes, it kinda of makes me mad when people don't get it. Because I would have never had a bypass. The VG is so much smarter.

Edited October 10, 2009 by Steph_123

[Malaika 50]

Bearded and I get the same thing when we tell anyone about our surgery ... "Oh, you had a bybass?" "NO." "Oh, so you had the band?" "NO" ... well what else is there? So we explain it to them -Bearded had to explain it to his PCP and his cardiologist -- his cardiologist was EXTREMELY interested and asked for all kinds of information and for information on Dr. Aceves as he has patients who need different types of surgery and he said he would never refer anyone to surgeons in Las Vegas -- he refers them to Utah, California - so he may be referring patients to Mexicali for weight loss. So we just keep trying to educate people - although I'm not so sure they really pay that much attention.

[deedee 5]

I feel the same way, I get tired of people mistaking my surgery with a band or bypass AFTER I've taken the time to discuss the VSG procedure I did have with them. Not that there is anything wrong with the other procedures, but it isn't the one I had, it's not true and I like to be true as much as possible...I'm pretty much an open book.

If I knew people were just confusing the name of the surgery, but still knew what I had done, it probably wouldn't bug me so much. The other week when I had to leave work early because I was feeling sick, my assistant principal wanted to talk to me about Vitamins because her good friend "had the bypass also" and she knows how important it is to take all the Vitamins because "we" do not absorb everything. I kindly explained once again that I did not have the bypass and although vitamins are super important, I do absorb what goes into my body and I was taking mine.

It's just a pet peeve, and while it may not bother some, it seems a lot of us get annoyed with it.

[DownInSocal 12]

Why does it matter?

That is a good question. It bothers me because as others have said you take the time to explain the surgery and it is still called "bypass". It is irritating that a show like Big Medicine would get it wrong. They should know better.

My husband pointed out that it might irritate me because fat people are always lumped together. We are all lazy, we all smell, we all gorge everyday on 10 million calories, etc. I am tired of being lumped. :biggrin: I admit it some of it could be that I feel the VSG is superior to the bypass in many ways. I am proud I made such a good decision.

I am always nice and explain the difference. I was more irritated that a family member still can't get it right.

[DownInSocal 12]

I feel the same way, I get tired of people mistaking my surgery with a band or bypass AFTER I've taken the time to discuss the VSG procedure I did have with them. Not that there is anything wrong with the other procedures, but it isn't the one I had, it's not true and I like to be true as much as possible...I'm pretty much an open book.

If I knew people were just confusing the name of the surgery, but still knew what I had done, it probably wouldn't bug me so much. The other week when I had to leave work early because I was feeling sick, my assistant principal wanted to talk to me about Vitamins because her good friend "had the bypass also" and she knows how important it is to take all the Vitamins because "we" do not absorb everything. I kindly explained once again that I did not have the bypass and although vitamins are super important, I do absorb what goes into my body and I was taking mine.

It's just a pet peeve, and while it may not bother some, it seems a lot of us get annoyed with it.

See now this would annoy me for several reasons. Again I you did not have a bypass. I am sure you have been over this with her before. Second she is going to tell you about vitamins after surgery? What? How would she know what you need when she has not had the surgery? For me it would be kind of like "I am fat not stupid."

[MacMadame 81]

It bugs me too because it means people don't care enough about me to pay attention when I talk to them.

[carolyn24seven 11]

OMG. you guys. Since when does anyone pay attention. They all want to tell you what to do by their superior knowledge and have you say thank you oh great one. I do that to anyone who gives me advice. Kinda mean I know, but, really they do not want to know the facts. They do not want to be educated. I am not telling anyone about my VSG. I am just telling them I am on a diet. AGAIN. Not suprisingly they are all supportive of that. I am going to save the anger for the gym, burn more calories!

[Bob_350lbs 105]

Carolyn, I so agree, only my family knows. My sister has a big mouth though, so I told her if anyone asks about my weightloss, tell them they have to ask me about it. People are too judgmental, or I am oversensitive, either way. NOW, I understand how Star Jones felt. And, I feel bad for her, because she was so judged for not telling. Barbara Walters sits there on her skinny butt and judges Star. I think she and others were just jealous. No matter how much plastic surgery that 80 y/o old broad has on her face, she isn't going to be young again or be able to compete with Star. I am sick of Oprah too. Star had to go on her show and justify why she didn't tell the world her business. Looking at Oprah, I know that 54 y/o has had some work done on her face, get real. She isn't exactly coming out about that either. Okay, time to go work out, before I get myself into trouble. Good thing I am not talking about Dr. Almanaz or whatever his name is.

Edited October 11, 2009 by Steph_123

[Chancie 65]

Ya know what bothers me more??

When an overweight person asks me what I did ( people I know ), and when I tell them. their reply is, well, I can lose the weight, I just gain it back.........DUH... isn't that what we all did at one time prior to this surgery???

People just don't want to be "educated" and want a "magic" cure.... and there is NONE..... even surgery is not a "fix all" we have to work at it!

And THATS what I tell them.....

I was really BIG...... I'm still "obese", but not super morbidly obese any more, but when people see me that i havn't seen in a LONG time, they think there is some magic cure to this disease. I think I see disapointment at times when I say the word "surgery"...... they want that magic PILL.......don't want to work for it.

[thinoneday 445]

I agree with Chancie, people are always looking for that "magic pill" I know I sure was! Heck I tried everything from A to Z. . .some things worked, most did not. . .I'm not telling anyone either, if they ask what I'm doing my answer won't be a lie "I'm eating less and exercising" . . . plain and simple. . . I don't want to go into educating anyone about something they won't do anyhow. . . they will just whisper nasties behind my back. . . I educate people all day long at work, do they listen??? heck no, and I just think "huh, they don't listen, come back, and I have job security" . . . good for me!

[carolyn24seven 11]

thinoneday: great answer that about eating healthy and exercizing. I do not care to "educate" anyone about this. Most think I am being "lazy" to do this. The only people I have told are my hubby, bless him. and one Dr girlfriend. Hubby still thinks I should do it on my own but will support me, Dr. G/f says go for it. I just am not telling anyone else. to much negativity out there. It was bad enough when I would go on a diet, what are you eating? you are???? oh please. spare me.