Guiding Light (US Soapopera) just started a storyline with the lapband

[GreenChrysalis 1]

I had to go looking to see if someone started a thread on this -- glad they did.

I have watched Guiding Light since I was a small child. There were periods off and on where I stopped for various reasons, but since I got DVR I got right back into it. Not as good as it used to be, but the nostalgia factor is still there for me.

I was glad to see a young overweight actress on the show. Ashlee is an interesting character, and although I got frustrated with how long it took for her to get together with her boyfriend, Coop, I've enjoyed their storyline. The show, like most soaps, is notorious for unrealistic storylines when it comes to medical stuff. For example, the hospital (Cedars) has one doctor that seems to do just about everything. I was surprised that Dr. Rick wasn't the one who did Ashlee's surgery.

When the surgery was brought up, I waited to see what kind. They just kept saying "weight loss surgery." It wasn't until recently that Ashlee said "gastric banding." It would've been a great product placement for Allergan but oh well. The details haven't been too off yet...except for when her mother, Doris called it "gastric bandage surgery." And when Ashlee came out of surgery and Doris and Coop were by her bedside, she had oxygen on. I wouldn't imagine she'd still have it on unless there were complications.

I didn't think that the lead-up was too bad either. She stressed to the doctor that she'd done a lot of research and thought a lot about it, that she wanted to be healthy and have her outside match her inside. And I think Coop is absolutely adorable. They had a great love scene the day before her surgery.

So I'm optimistic about how this will go and hope that it might encourage others to do research too.

Edited April 17, 2008 by GreenChrysalis

[plain 12]

Hey Greenchrysalis! Because I'm such an uber-geek, and spent many, many days working the recovery room as a respiratory therapist, I can tell you that everybody wears oxygen straight out of surgery (although most people don't remember very much about their recovery). It doesn't mean there were complications. Most likely, the writers / producers are unfamiliar with healthcare and the oxygen was to make her "look" all hospital-ly.

I know...I'm one of those geeks that corrects tiny details about insignificant thinks. I can't help myself sometimes. :rolleyes2:

[GreenChrysalis 1]

Hi Plain,

I should've been more specific -- I guess what I meant was, to my knowledge, by the time her family got there, she wouldn't still be wearing oxygen. I don't remember much about the first few minutes myself, but I know that by the time my family saw me after any of my surgeries (lapband wasn't my first one), I was no longer wearing it.

Oh, they're totally unfamiliar with healthcare despite having a hospital set. A heart transplant patient wasn't hooked up to anything more than a heart monitor. They didn't even try to make it look like she'd had surgery to her chest or anything.

[plain 12]

That is funny! I'm glad you took my above comment in jest. Whwn I re-read it, it came off as a little standoffish. I find faux pax's on TV like that "heart" thing extremely entertaining. When I was still practicing respiratory therapy, we used to play "ventilator errors on TV". It encompassed stuff like vents turned on but not connected to the pt, intubated pts that can "wisper", etc. Funny! (or sad, depending on your perspective, LOL)

Sorry to hijack the thread. Now back to soapoperas....

[GreenChrysalis 1]

After several days of other storylines, yesterday the Ashlee storyline had a few scenes. She was sitting up in bed reading. She wanted to go for a walk, and told her boyfriend that according to the "rules and regs" she was supposed to, but he was too worried about her.

She mentioned that her incisions were sore, and then there were a couple of things that amused me. First, I think (although I'm not 100% sure) that she asked her mother to feel her "portal" -- who says that? Second, she had her mother feel a "gas bubble" in her shoulder. OK, I am no medical expert obviously, but I didn't know that it was possible to feel a gas bubble. She also said that they "blew her stomach up" with gas and then "sucked it back out, but didn't get all of it." I'm pretty sure that they don't suck it out -- it's supposed to get absorbed by the body.

Anyway, I'm still on "lapband on soap opera" watch so I'll post again the next time it comes up!

[TheGh0st 9]

I remember asking her mother if she wanted to feel her port but didn't catch her calling it a portal. Too funny. No big surprise the mother recoiled at the thought, thats how most people I have asked react as well.

I'm no doc either but I tried searching google a bit and found one website describing a different laparascopic surgery and it did mention the removal of the gas before sewing the incisions shut so she was probably right about that part. But I've never heard of seeing the gas bubble under the skin only the pain people have described from having one. Thankfully I never had one.

I also had mixed feelings about the scene where she was upset about being at the photo shoot and not being able to eat the food laid out there. Overall I think it was a good point to bring up but then so would a discussion about exactly what the lapband is and yet not once has the details of the band been discussed. Everyone over on the Guiding Light board keep referring to it as bypass and worrying about all the assumed health risks they believe go along with that surgery.

[GreenChrysalis 1]

Oh, well that's interesting about the laparascopic surgery and removing the gas. I guess you learn something new every day! I forgot to mention the other scene. I had mixed feelings there too, but I do think it was good to bring up that you have to change your lifestyle and it can be upsetting, especially at the beginning when you might have those "WTF did I do?" moments.

It would be nice for them to discuss the band itself and how it works. I haven't been to the GL board, but I did correct some people on the TWoP GL board who kept referring to it as bypass (and got to deal with the "that's the lazy way out" mentality, hurray). GL has discussed big issues before and had a little tag after the show telling people where to go for more info, so why not do that with the band? I'm not saying that weight-loss surgery is on par with breast cancer, but why shouldn't GL be one to educate if they're going to build a storyline about it?

[TheGh0st 9]

... GL has discussed big issues before and had a little tag after the show telling people where to go for more info, so why not do that with the band? I'm not saying that weight-loss surgery is on par with breast cancer, but why shouldn't GL be one to educate if they're going to build a storyline about it?

I agree, I think the problem is $$. First off, one of their major rivals, Johnson & Johnson are the backers of the Realize band and I'm sure they don't want to do anything that might help them even if they don't have a competing product. I suppose if Allergan paid them enough they might consider it. They don't even use accurate credit card logos next to the register at "Company" or in the storefront windows. They read "Vista" and "Master Care" presumably because they weren't paid for product placement.

I'm wondering where Ashlee is right now. Haven't seen her for several days.

[TheGh0st 9]

I did some digging the other day and found the actress that plays Ashlee has her own MySpace page but I've never got into myspace so I don't know how or if I can send her a message. I'd love to ask her if she has heard of LBT or if she even has an alter ego over here.

If any of you are ambitious enough to send her a message let us know if you hear back from her.

[GreenChrysalis 1]

I agree, I think the problem is $$. First off, one of their major rivals, Johnson & Johnson are the backers of the Realize band and I'm sure they don't want to do anything that might help them even if they don't have a competing product. I suppose if Allergan paid them enough they might consider it. They don't even use accurate credit card logos next to the register at "Company" or in the storefront windows. They read "Vista" and "Master Care" presumably because they weren't paid for product placement.

I'm wondering where Ashlee is right now. Haven't seen her for several days.

I'm sure you're right. It's obvious that they don't have much budget, hence the steadicams. But it seems like it was a good opportunity to make some product placement bucks. If they're going to go with a fake band name, though, they could at least get the details of how it works right. I've noticed the fake product names; the only thing they ever have is P&G products of course!

I don't know; I am about a week behind on shows. But from what I've been reading of recaps, Ashlee hasn't been around. I guess they think we're all too interested in the Harley/Cyrus/Josh/Cassie mess. But that's a whole different topic!

I saw Caitlin van Zandt's MySpace page but I am not on MySpace, nor do I plan to ever be (I think I'm too old), so I won't be messaging her. But I'd be interested to know her thoughts on the storyline, and how it relates to her personally if at all.

[TheGh0st 9]

Anyone still watching GL and Caitlin's weight loss progress?

She isn't getting a huge amount of air-time and the band storyline is still bugging me a bit. Its not that what they are showing doesn't happen to some of us but its like are making her come across as some mental case that isn't happy she got the band when that isn't the case from what I can tell.

For those not watching in the little air time she is getting she has decided to break up with her boyfriend and has had a major row with her "thin" best friend and has been shown to get upset when at events that have food available that she can't eat. Individually I think each of these stories are valid and worth telling. The problem comes in with the lack of air time making it look like all she has are problems and not focusing on the positive changes that are happening as well. Like making it clear that the fact that the argument with her friend as well as the problems with her now ex-boyfriend may in part stem from positive changes that may be happening in her making her realize she no longer needs to allow her friends to treat her as the "fat-friend" that you can take for granted, treat like dirt, walk all over and still expect them to smile and tell you what you want to hear.

And did any of you see the video of her at the recent Soap opera awards that was posted on CBS.com's GL page? She was wearing strapless black dress that looked great on her. Absolutely AMAZING! I am so happy for her.

Caitlin if you are reading this "I LOVE YOU!!, and you are my HERO for having the courage to air this life changing and personal journey your are making." any comments I'm making are out of my love for what you are doing and my desire for more non-banded people to better understand what we are going through. Darn those writers, why can't they give you more air time??

[minimeme 1]

Here is a link to her weight loss with pics. She lost over 100 lbs.

Caitlin Van Zandt On Shedding Nearly 100 Pounds