isajck

Pot, meet Kettle.

I sailed through surgery and recovery. Lost the diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea after two months. I have posted this before plenty of times for those looking for stories. Heck, I was horseback riding after my 2 week follow-up.
I also read extensively about the complications before I had my surgery. I vowed to stick to my pre-op and post-op diets and to eat Protein first to 70-90 mg, cut the carbs, drink my Water and take my Vitamins so I would succeed.
There was one lady who had a horrible time of things just about when I was to go in. It didn't bother me a bit. It just wised me up.
I find that this forum is more positive than negative actually. There are so many success stories that I found myself more hopeful and happy. I just knew that I would succeed too!
I thank God that I wasn't subjected to nothing but flowery posts. Sure, YAY for you, but tell me about the Constipation and slimes and gas pain so I know what the heck to do about it.
There has to be room here for the people who have troubles too or it turns into some kind of never-ending group hug. Nice, but silly in light of what's at stake here.

WTF....the OP mentioned her specifically in the very first post so how does it have nothing to do with her? Then when she did post she cracked a joke and then said she hopes every one has a good recovery...where was the negativity? I don't think every word that comes out of Iggy's mouth is golden, but honestly the Iggy haters have got some blood red colored glasses on.

I just want to drop in and say - I had a leak, I had complications, I was off work for 5 months total, had a feeding tube, etc, etc. But you know what? I am at goal now, I have been healthy (not even a COLD) since my leak healed, I feel WONDERFUL and YES I would do it again! My recovery wasn't easy, I spent a big chunk of time with everyone here telling me it would get better every day and it didn't - I kept thinking man, I am a WUSS. Well finally I had a bad lab test that showed, low and behold, a complication! I am a very positive person. I am so thankful for Tiffykins and some other ladies I know on FB groups who also had complications and encouraged me through it all, let me know I would get through it. I did and I LOVE MY SLEEVE!

How absolutely BORING this forum would be if we all just posted, "my surgery went so well, I have nothing to say."
Again, I have to say, I am greatful for this forum, for this country and all the opportunities we have that allow us communicate with each other this way.
I think Iggychic is awesome, too. I'm sure she knows that if her experience had been different, she would have a different feeling about it now. Is there anyone who doesn't have a negative opinion about something that happened to them? Even something simple like, oh, that meal made me sick and I haven't had one since.
So, would you promote a surgery that almost killed you?
Also, there are a million good stories on here, from all over the world, not just here in the best country in the world (sorry I'm patriotic).
If something on here was too rough to listen to, then maybe you do belong on a "different" site. I would prefer straight talk, even if it sometimes comes out sounding mean. Most people can't handle the truth. That's why they leave.
Yes, sometimes, you encounter posters you won't like, but, it's the same out in the real world. I believe for sure, those posters are probably walking around staring at the floor because they fear ever having to be in contact with a real person. So sad for them.
I was just sleeved on 12/27 and since I expect the worst and hope for the best, I am still waiting for something to happen, but will be so happy if it doesn't That's just me and we are all different and that's great.
Frank, you did great, as we hope we all do and keep posting!

This post needs to be pinned at the top of the forum. Wish I could do more than like it.

This post needs to be pinned at the top of the forum. Wish I could do more than like it.

Congrats on your new life BigFrank. I appreciate your post but feel a bit differently. I think it is easy to discount the negative experiences when your journey has been 100% positive but those stories are real and just as important. For every 10 perfect surgeries there is at least one that is not and those people need support too.
During my first three weeks post-op in July I had a few issues, nothing serious on a medical level but they were to me. This forum and its posters kept me sane and more important, informed. I will never forget that.
Before surgery I wanted to hear about both sides. I wanted to know the truth, not just the white washed version which usually ends with "but I'm still losing weight". I would hope all VSG pre-ops join the forum, read, become educated and make the best decision knowing the good, bad and sometimes ugly side of weight loss surgery.
This journey is about so much more than just weight loss, it is about quality of life as well.

This post needs to be pinned at the top of the forum. Wish I could do more than like it.

I find it ironic that there's this thread right here wondering why people do these things, followed by a bunch of "you don't know or understand" and "you're not being supportive!" posts...and just a few threads down on this board are a bunch of people reaming out another person for wanting to start solids before their surgeon allows it.
Look, being a food addict doesn't give you a free pass to do stupid things. And yes, it's not nice or PC to say it, but it's absolutely a stupid thing to trust a surgeon to slice your body open and remove most of an organ, and then to decide on your own to just eat what you want despite the fact that he/she gave you a diet specifically geared to prevent life threatening complications.
YOU CAN DIE FROM A LEAK. Do you know why the complication rate is low with the sleeve? Partly because our surgeons give us post op diets to follow to prevent complications!
I'm sorry, but if you are not in a place where you can mentally withstand three weeks of a liquid diet and would rather risk your life eating Cookies and hamburgers during that phase, you should probably get some counseling prior to surgery. I am not being cruel, I am saying this as nicely as I know how to say it. There is no shame in needing support. However, it would be a real shame for someone to risk their life and undergo serious pain and follow on surgeries because they were not prepared to exercise willpower long enough to heal.
We all have food addictions and bad habits - every one of us. Some people cope better than others, certainly. But nobody here has an easy relationship with food or we'd have skipped the organ removal!
And I don't care what anyone says - being supportive means being HONEST. Sure, there are nice ways to do this and blunt and harsh ways. In my opinion, the OP was not harsh or rude in any way. Certainly she said nothing out of line.
If you come here and ask the advice of total strangers on the internet, do not expect that everyone is going to give you a rainbow sparkles hug when you're doing dumb things. Sometimes we need a wake up call and gently saying, "Gosh, I don't know that eating a cheeseburger is a good idea a week post op" probably isn't as effective as saying, "Do you have a death wish?!"
People with addictions love to blame their addictions for their own choices and weakness but the reality is that every one of us can change. We have to choose to do it. Do not say "I can't stop eating" because YES YOU CAN. It's just harder to stop, that's all.
Good luck, folks. And to anyone I offend now or later on VST, I'm sure I meant it in the nicest way possible.
~Cheri

I agree and understand - I have been obese since childhood and have failed more diets then most people have even heard of! I am very emphatetic about how hard it is . I think it is great that people come on here and have tantrums and jump up and down over their frustrations. WE understand what maybe others don't....
What i DON'T understand is how people can go into this surgery knowing so little and always looking to game it. In my mind, that is different then someone who slips up because it really is hard.
I am not judging people, we do all have our own road to travel, but I failed once at weight losss surgery (lapband) and I DON'T intend to fail again. I try to share my experiences so hopefully others can learn from my mistakes. Maybe they need to make their own mistakes... but I am quite familiar with the road to failure and for those that care to pay attention might benefit from that. I am not the only one, there are tons of people on this site who know what it takes to make it work. Always looking for ways to just do what you want to anyway isn't one of them.... and I am not interested in being an enabler to those that hope they can avoid changing their habits and lifestyle while becoming a swimsuit model...lol
I try to be positive and supportive but i dont feel the need to lie.

I've seen people asking if they can drink alcohol 1 week post op. That has nothing to do with a doctors strict post op regime.

What surprises me is not the people who ask for permission to begin eating crap food 3 weeks post op, it's the people who give it.
Enablers.....

I don't disagree but bombs are going to start going off now...sheesh..

Look, if you've ever worked customer service then you know the most vocal are the ones that had the worst experience. It's true across the board whether it be a restaurant, shopping or surgery a satisfied customer will tell 2-3 a dissatisfied one will tell 8-10. If you're having no complications, then the only reason to stick around is to look at before and after pictures, to check how your "friends" are doing and to waste time. By it's very nature if you're doing well on the sleeve then you're not going to have your ass stuck to a chair, you're going to be out MOVING and living life.
Ig IS a bit of a brow beater when it comes to her complications. That said, I know of at least one person she convinced to go back to the doctor (after she was sent home because she was "fine") who did indeed have a leak. If you're upset that she's trying to become a one woman crusade to make sure everyone knows there can be complications, maybe you should create Team Good Vibes to tell everyone how great you did.
I personally have thrown up 3 times so far, each time was my own stupid fault for being dumb. (big swig of Water when I first got out of the hospital, ate a pork chop too fast and didn't chew well enough, and tried some kind of weird Bacon ranch chicken lunch meat that I probably should have known better than to try even before sleeve) My incisions got a little infected, but not enough for antibiotics, and one of my nurses in the hospital was a mean twit.
I was sleeved 11/21 and as of this morning I am down 47 pounds. Most days I feel awesome and I have never regretted getting the surgery.

You're doing it wrong!!!

Their body does not need popcorn any more than my body does. That's a nice cop-out but the docs aren't prescribing so little food that you are going to die. No one "needs" a cookie to survive. You do have foods you are allowed which can sustain your life quite well.

Stef I like you LOL And your comments are SPOT ON! It's not cheating when it's post op. It's Russian roulette. Those bites can cause you unbelievable pain and lead to death if you're not lucky.
I am post op. I had a leak, not caused by stupidity, or at least my own LOL (I'm not giving the doc a pass on that he heh). As Tra?? mentioned, I have babies to return home to and for me, I was taken away from my baby because of the severity of my complication. That was hard. More than I can explain, but I can't imagine how that would have felt if I had caused the issue!
Yes people have addictions, but if they can't get them under control prior to the surgery than they shouldn't have the surgery. It's too risky!
So I respond to those posts and often get beat up. I'm hated by half the posters and I think liked by others, but I don't care. What I care about is seeing that no one suffers what I did due to a stupid choice on their part.
I have a feeling you and Traj? (last poster LOL) won't be in that group. Keep that sanity, and even healthy fear of breaking the doc's rules with you alive and well and you'll do fine. I wish you both the best!

Goodness, people certainly are taking this personally.
Contrary to what someone inferred, I'm not trying to belittle anyone. I'm genuinely flabbergasted by the behavior I've seen and trying to comprehend why it happens so often. It's probably the engineer in me, always trying to solve problems. I understand the temptations people have, I have them myself. I was stuck at a stoplight in front of a KFC today and my mouth was watering because I smelled the Colonel's secret recipe of eleven herbs and spices. I swear, that chicken smelled like the most delicious thing on the planet. My pre-op diet is kicking my ass and I know for sure the post-op diet will be even worse as my surgeon has an extremely conservative post-op regimen.
Cravings themselves are not the issue. I'm not criticizing anyone for having cravings or temptations, that would be incredibly hypocritical. I completely sympathize with folks who start threads looking for help because they're craving something. That's not what this is about. What I'm having difficulty understanding is this; why do people seek approval from what are basically complete strangers to violate their doctor's directives, when they know it's not in their best interest? It just doesn't make sense to me.
Quite frankly, I'm shocked that people are getting out the torches and pitchforks over this. Perhaps instead of lashing out at me because I touched a nerve, we should figure out why this happens so often and see what can be done about it? That would be support, wouldn't it?

Insensitive and judgmental?? Why? Because she expressed her opinion? Those who post their concerns when they know they've mismanaged their recovery should expect honest responses. Those who feel the original posters of such messages were foolish in their choices have an equal right to post their honest thoughts as those who want to post sincere support and words of understanding and empathy. No one opinion is more or less valid than the other. If support for foolish mistakes is what any of you want or need, and you want that with no possibility naysayers can respond, may I suggest you private message the litany of posters on these boards who regularly offer that kind of sympathetic response. There is a time and place for both to coexist peacefully.

I've only been here for a couple of weeks but I am stunned by the number of posts where people ask if it's ok to ignore their post surgical dietary instructions because they really want to eat something they know they shouldn't.
Is it really worth the chance of having complications to satisfy a craving? Do you want to be cut open again to deal with a leak, infection or some other complication? Are people really lacking that much basic common sense? It honestly boggles my mind to read so many posts like that.

Personally I think that is a little bedtime story they like to tell patients to make sure they follow pre sleeve diet and it makes the surgery easier. I do not think they would look at your liver and go "yep, she/he ate a whopper with extra cheese. We better sew'em back up." That just seems implausible. My surgeon team said the same thing and, no, I did not cheat. Doctor said I had the best pre sleeve liver he has ever seen. Just saying....

This happens to a lot of people, slow down while eating and chew well, that should take care of the problem.

You know every time I see another thread like this, I think the same thing. I remember discussion and being given information about birth control necessity and such after surgery because weight loss can increase fertility. Obviously not all physicians do the same.
Good luck to you southernbelle, may you have an uneventful pregnancy.

Arent you supposed to wait AT LEAST a year after surgery to get pregnant? I think gaining weight back should be the least of your worries. You need to make sure your baby gets enough nutrients and make sure your body is stable enough to carry a baby.