Don't you hate it when people compare you with GB patients?

[nikkikki2292 2]

It gets really annoying.

I'm not banded yet, but it's like, they always compare you to someone who has had gastric bypass. Hello!?!? It's a TOTALLY different operation.

Example

perosn :"April lost 80 lbs in 4 months, but Suzie lost 20 in 5 months"

you: "Yea, but they had gastric bypass"

person: "So?"

Or when your talking to someone and they are like "look at so and so, that's what you'll look like in 4 months"

I guess people just don't get it?

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Sorry, haha, it just kinda makes me mad.

Edited May 4, 2008 by nikkikki2292

[Long2BFree 12]

I would attribute that to them not understanding how each surgery works. That's when you can educate them or encourage them to do research... though I doubt that wil happen unless they are considering WLS.

[picturemethin 0]

I agree with Long2BFree, they ask questions and assume its the same because of the lack of understanding. I don't mind, I'd prefer they ask so I can set them straight.

[kellygirl0520 0]

All I can say is AMEN! I probably would agree with Long to Be Free, and just freely give a quick education class. However, most of the people that are annoying me the most are those that speak with such conviction and act like they really know what they are talking about. Simple ignorance I can deal with, its the arrogance of many that do these comparisons that I am sick of. So again, I must say, "right on the money Nikkikki!"

[MacMadame 81]

Sometimes they are just making conversation too. Or they are excited for you, but don't know how to express it.

In the cases where you worry they will be comparing you unfavorably with someone else, I would just say something like "lap band often has slower weight loss, but I prefer that because I don't want to get a Tummy Tuck later" and leave it at that.

[slikchik10 85]

Yeah, but I've got a different perspective due to the fact one of my best friends had RNY 2 mos. before I had band surgery. I swear it seemed that the first 6 mos. (and sometimes it STILL happens) that she had "the answer" for everything that I might be going through. We talked and I tried to emphasize that our surgeries were DIFFERENT but I really don't think she got it at all no matter how much I tried to talk with her about it. (As we were sharing experiences)

On the flip side, I've got another close friend that had the RNY about 4 yrs. ago and she never behaved like the previously mentioned experience. She was excited for me and was very interested in the differences in our surgery and how those differences affected my weight loss.

I think it's just a person's personality, knowledge base and willingness to learn about your experience. Patience is a virtue in this instance.

Annette

[MrsFlipFlops 2]

Hm, I haven't had anyone compare me to GB yet. Maybe they're just thinking it in their heads... darn back stabbers.

[BJean 16]

Good one, Jack.

Reminds me of an old Chinese proverb: He who knows, listen to him. He who knows not, shun him. He wo knows he knows not, befriend him. He who knows not he knows... or, er, uh, well, gulp. He hoo, he hoo...

[ashabama 1]

I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with people thinking that, I mean seriously the only difference between the 2 is the quickness of weight loss and the surgery. I don't expect people to automatically know what the lapband is and what it entails. I can't believe anyone would complain about being compared to a GB patient. They did that for the same reason we got lapband. HELLO!

[MacMadame 81]

Yes, but the comparisons are often negative... as in Sally has lost 60 lb. in 3 months, why haven't you? I think that's worth complaining about. :woot:

[nikkikki2292 2]

I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with people thinking that, I mean seriously the only difference between the 2 is the quickness of weight loss and the surgery. I don't expect people to automatically know what the lapband is and what it entails. I can't believe anyone would complain about being compared to a GB patient. They did that for the same reason we got lapband. HELLO!

It's all about how people word things.

People just don't understand, It's 2 totally different surgery's.

You can't believe anyone would complain about being compared to a bypass patient? Uh okay.. :woot:

When that's all you hear, is that you'll look like 'so and so' in a few months, it kind of makes you mad because you keep trying to explain to them it's 2 different things.

But obviously that didn't happen to you..

[faithmd 14]

This is exactly why I've told only seven people in my life, two of them live MILES away. Three are my parents and DH, one is considering banding and the last one is a very dear friend.

So basically of those around me day to day that aren't related, only two people know. That's the way I like it and that's how it will stay. I don't want the food police asking me if I should or shouldn't be eating something. I don't want someone saying something about how shouldn't I be losing weight faster because they are comparing me to RNY patients or some other stupid thing.

I normally am a TOTALLY open book, I'll tell or discuss just about anything going on in my life, but this I'm keeping a lid on.

No one can compare you if they don't know you had surgery in the first place.

[Joyouslyme 0]

I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with people thinking that, I mean seriously the only difference between the 2 is the quickness of weight loss and the surgery. I don't expect people to automatically know what the lapband is and what it entails. I can't believe anyone would complain about being compared to a GB patient. They did that for the same reason we got lapband. HELLO!

There are only 2 similarities between the surgeries. Protein first and the are both weight loss surgeries.

[BJean 16]

There are some very important differences between the two surgeries. But the physical aspects aside, the problem with people misunderstanding the two surgeries brings the thought that they expect both to result in the same amount of weight loss in the same amount of time. Under certain circumstances and with certain patients, that is definitely possible.

But for most bypass patients, they are unable to eat, there are a whole set of physical reasons why they can be in serious jeopardy nutritionally, and GB is considered to be a non-reversible surgical procedure. Things are cut that can't be uncut.

With LB patients, there are fewer risks and potential side effects nutritionally. If we ingest enough Protein, we're pretty much good to go. If the band is loose, we can eat lots of food if we want to. The weight loss is often more gradual than with GB patients.

This is an over simplification, of course, and I'm no expert that's for sure. However, even though the LB patient can lose as much weight as quickly as a GB patient, it isn't always the case. And I do believe that LB patients must use more self-restraint than the GB patient who often has trouble eating enough food and getting enough nutrition. Also, the GB patient may gain some of the weight back, but usually not as much as the LB patient can.

So to have your friends compare you to a GB patient, means that they're expecting you to have the same kind of quick and drastic weight loss as a GB patient. The conditions are very different so NO FAIR!

[TheGh0st 9]

I've also had issues with the comparisons between the surgeries but my problems have been with people assuming that the LB carries the same surgical risks as well as the post surgery health risks. They start asking about issues such as dumping or malnutrition and say things like they would never take such a drastic & dangerous irreversable step.

I try to treat it like an opportunity to educate but sometimes it is hard not to get annoyed.