Elen

@@GinaCampbell What a nightmare for you and your friends. I can absolutely understand your frustrations, and agree that the booklet you mention should've been given first.
I'm in the US and self-pay, so the idea of complications is pretty terrifying, since I have to cover them myself. I already have irritable bowel syndrome, and a lot of foods I can't eat, so that's another concern... that it will make it worse. I've heard about lactose intolerance issues post-op and since I love milk and yogurt, that is also a concern.
I nearly died due to my gallbladder issues, and it was removed almost 6 years ago, so I don't have to worry about that. I was aware of that risk, however.
Your story is one of the reasons that I, personally, am opposed to WLS being done on smaller people who don't have any health problems. Because I think that it just invites the risk of too many permanent side effects that people could've avoided. But then I hold the unpopular opinions that fat doesn't automatically equal unhealthy anymore than thin automatically equals healthy. I believe you can be fat, athletic, happy and healthy. I believe you can be thin and terribly unhealthy, and no one ever knows because you "look healthy."
I have fibromyalgia and I'm far heavier than you and your friends were. I have a hard time getting adequate medical care/tests and while I think that's crap, and that people shouldn't have to resort to measures as drastic as WLS in order to get proper care, we live in this world, not the one I think we should live in.
Given my mobility issues, exercise is very hard for me. I have no idea if surgery will make that better or not. I'm not naive enough to believe it's going to "cure" anything. I can only hope MAYBE it helps, and MAYBE I can get some improvement.
Thank you for sharing your story and being so honest. I feel like the people who have experiences like yours are shunned on most WLS forums, and viewed as being overly negative. But your experience is valuable in helping people make truly informed decisions.

I always admire the possibility of some users being able to decide what's right or wrong for a patient.

@@GinaCampbell What a nightmare for you and your friends. I can absolutely understand your frustrations, and agree that the booklet you mention should've been given first.
I'm in the US and self-pay, so the idea of complications is pretty terrifying, since I have to cover them myself. I already have irritable bowel syndrome, and a lot of foods I can't eat, so that's another concern... that it will make it worse. I've heard about lactose intolerance issues post-op and since I love milk and yogurt, that is also a concern.
I nearly died due to my gallbladder issues, and it was removed almost 6 years ago, so I don't have to worry about that. I was aware of that risk, however.
Your story is one of the reasons that I, personally, am opposed to WLS being done on smaller people who don't have any health problems. Because I think that it just invites the risk of too many permanent side effects that people could've avoided. But then I hold the unpopular opinions that fat doesn't automatically equal unhealthy anymore than thin automatically equals healthy. I believe you can be fat, athletic, happy and healthy. I believe you can be thin and terribly unhealthy, and no one ever knows because you "look healthy."
I have fibromyalgia and I'm far heavier than you and your friends were. I have a hard time getting adequate medical care/tests and while I think that's crap, and that people shouldn't have to resort to measures as drastic as WLS in order to get proper care, we live in this world, not the one I think we should live in.
Given my mobility issues, exercise is very hard for me. I have no idea if surgery will make that better or not. I'm not naive enough to believe it's going to "cure" anything. I can only hope MAYBE it helps, and MAYBE I can get some improvement.
Thank you for sharing your story and being so honest. I feel like the people who have experiences like yours are shunned on most WLS forums, and viewed as being overly negative. But your experience is valuable in helping people make truly informed decisions.

"There are good foods and bad foods after wls, just like before. And just like before, your diet should consist of 90% good foods."
Yeah, see. This sort of mentality is a MAJOR problem for me. I don't look at food in a moral context. It's too triggering.

Yeah, that's not how "full" feels. Full means I don't feel like I'm starving myself, with the hopes that my body will eat itself, eat the fat, away. Full means I'm comfortable. What you're describing is what happens after a binge. Intuitive eating taught me that difference. Dieting is what made ME fatter. It's what gave me an eating disorder that I fought for decades, and still have to fight even today, although it's miles away from how it used to be before I began therapy and stopped dieting.
If I hadn't, I'd never have been in a good mental place to even consider this surgery. Which doesn't mean there aren't doctors who would've said, "no, not you." Because there were doctors pushing WLS on me when it should've been abundantly clear I was NOT mentally capable of handling any of it.

As someone in eating disorder recovery, I do not look at foods as "good" versus "bad." food is food. I eat what makes me, personally, feel good. Here are a few posts to better explain my position.
http://www.fatnutritionist.com/index.php/real-food/
http://www.fatnutritionist.com/index.php/good-food-bad-food-and-subversive-food-combining/
http://www.fatnutritionist.com/index.php/eat-food-stuff-you-like-as-much-as-you-want/
Obviously, the last one, for someone with any sort of WLS would have to be amended, but the point isn't to binge or overeat anyway. The point is, to eat what you like, until you feel full.

@@GinaCampbell What a nightmare for you and your friends. I can absolutely understand your frustrations, and agree that the booklet you mention should've been given first.
I'm in the US and self-pay, so the idea of complications is pretty terrifying, since I have to cover them myself. I already have irritable bowel syndrome, and a lot of foods I can't eat, so that's another concern... that it will make it worse. I've heard about lactose intolerance issues post-op and since I love milk and yogurt, that is also a concern.
I nearly died due to my gallbladder issues, and it was removed almost 6 years ago, so I don't have to worry about that. I was aware of that risk, however.
Your story is one of the reasons that I, personally, am opposed to WLS being done on smaller people who don't have any health problems. Because I think that it just invites the risk of too many permanent side effects that people could've avoided. But then I hold the unpopular opinions that fat doesn't automatically equal unhealthy anymore than thin automatically equals healthy. I believe you can be fat, athletic, happy and healthy. I believe you can be thin and terribly unhealthy, and no one ever knows because you "look healthy."
I have fibromyalgia and I'm far heavier than you and your friends were. I have a hard time getting adequate medical care/tests and while I think that's crap, and that people shouldn't have to resort to measures as drastic as WLS in order to get proper care, we live in this world, not the one I think we should live in.
Given my mobility issues, exercise is very hard for me. I have no idea if surgery will make that better or not. I'm not naive enough to believe it's going to "cure" anything. I can only hope MAYBE it helps, and MAYBE I can get some improvement.
Thank you for sharing your story and being so honest. I feel like the people who have experiences like yours are shunned on most WLS forums, and viewed as being overly negative. But your experience is valuable in helping people make truly informed decisions.

@@GinaCampbell What a nightmare for you and your friends. I can absolutely understand your frustrations, and agree that the booklet you mention should've been given first.
I'm in the US and self-pay, so the idea of complications is pretty terrifying, since I have to cover them myself. I already have irritable bowel syndrome, and a lot of foods I can't eat, so that's another concern... that it will make it worse. I've heard about lactose intolerance issues post-op and since I love milk and yogurt, that is also a concern.
I nearly died due to my gallbladder issues, and it was removed almost 6 years ago, so I don't have to worry about that. I was aware of that risk, however.
Your story is one of the reasons that I, personally, am opposed to WLS being done on smaller people who don't have any health problems. Because I think that it just invites the risk of too many permanent side effects that people could've avoided. But then I hold the unpopular opinions that fat doesn't automatically equal unhealthy anymore than thin automatically equals healthy. I believe you can be fat, athletic, happy and healthy. I believe you can be thin and terribly unhealthy, and no one ever knows because you "look healthy."
I have fibromyalgia and I'm far heavier than you and your friends were. I have a hard time getting adequate medical care/tests and while I think that's crap, and that people shouldn't have to resort to measures as drastic as WLS in order to get proper care, we live in this world, not the one I think we should live in.
Given my mobility issues, exercise is very hard for me. I have no idea if surgery will make that better or not. I'm not naive enough to believe it's going to "cure" anything. I can only hope MAYBE it helps, and MAYBE I can get some improvement.
Thank you for sharing your story and being so honest. I feel like the people who have experiences like yours are shunned on most WLS forums, and viewed as being overly negative. But your experience is valuable in helping people make truly informed decisions.

@@GinaCampbell What a nightmare for you and your friends. I can absolutely understand your frustrations, and agree that the booklet you mention should've been given first.
I'm in the US and self-pay, so the idea of complications is pretty terrifying, since I have to cover them myself. I already have irritable bowel syndrome, and a lot of foods I can't eat, so that's another concern... that it will make it worse. I've heard about lactose intolerance issues post-op and since I love milk and yogurt, that is also a concern.
I nearly died due to my gallbladder issues, and it was removed almost 6 years ago, so I don't have to worry about that. I was aware of that risk, however.
Your story is one of the reasons that I, personally, am opposed to WLS being done on smaller people who don't have any health problems. Because I think that it just invites the risk of too many permanent side effects that people could've avoided. But then I hold the unpopular opinions that fat doesn't automatically equal unhealthy anymore than thin automatically equals healthy. I believe you can be fat, athletic, happy and healthy. I believe you can be thin and terribly unhealthy, and no one ever knows because you "look healthy."
I have fibromyalgia and I'm far heavier than you and your friends were. I have a hard time getting adequate medical care/tests and while I think that's crap, and that people shouldn't have to resort to measures as drastic as WLS in order to get proper care, we live in this world, not the one I think we should live in.
Given my mobility issues, exercise is very hard for me. I have no idea if surgery will make that better or not. I'm not naive enough to believe it's going to "cure" anything. I can only hope MAYBE it helps, and MAYBE I can get some improvement.
Thank you for sharing your story and being so honest. I feel like the people who have experiences like yours are shunned on most WLS forums, and viewed as being overly negative. But your experience is valuable in helping people make truly informed decisions.

"There are good foods and bad foods after wls, just like before. And just like before, your diet should consist of 90% good foods."
Yeah, see. This sort of mentality is a MAJOR problem for me. I don't look at food in a moral context. It's too triggering.

@@GinaCampbell What a nightmare for you and your friends. I can absolutely understand your frustrations, and agree that the booklet you mention should've been given first.
I'm in the US and self-pay, so the idea of complications is pretty terrifying, since I have to cover them myself. I already have irritable bowel syndrome, and a lot of foods I can't eat, so that's another concern... that it will make it worse. I've heard about lactose intolerance issues post-op and since I love milk and yogurt, that is also a concern.
I nearly died due to my gallbladder issues, and it was removed almost 6 years ago, so I don't have to worry about that. I was aware of that risk, however.
Your story is one of the reasons that I, personally, am opposed to WLS being done on smaller people who don't have any health problems. Because I think that it just invites the risk of too many permanent side effects that people could've avoided. But then I hold the unpopular opinions that fat doesn't automatically equal unhealthy anymore than thin automatically equals healthy. I believe you can be fat, athletic, happy and healthy. I believe you can be thin and terribly unhealthy, and no one ever knows because you "look healthy."
I have fibromyalgia and I'm far heavier than you and your friends were. I have a hard time getting adequate medical care/tests and while I think that's crap, and that people shouldn't have to resort to measures as drastic as WLS in order to get proper care, we live in this world, not the one I think we should live in.
Given my mobility issues, exercise is very hard for me. I have no idea if surgery will make that better or not. I'm not naive enough to believe it's going to "cure" anything. I can only hope MAYBE it helps, and MAYBE I can get some improvement.
Thank you for sharing your story and being so honest. I feel like the people who have experiences like yours are shunned on most WLS forums, and viewed as being overly negative. But your experience is valuable in helping people make truly informed decisions.

"There are good foods and bad foods after wls, just like before. And just like before, your diet should consist of 90% good foods."
Yeah, see. This sort of mentality is a MAJOR problem for me. I don't look at food in a moral context. It's too triggering.

I weigh myself 2 to 985,789,475 times a day, naked, clothed, morning, night, before a poo, after a poo, just because. I don't measure my success by that number, though.

I measure my success by how my clothes fit, how easily I can climb a flight of stairs, how physical activity doesn't make me sweat excessively, how easy it is to buy clothes, how I fit in seats, how I feel about ME.

I applaud your approach. As long as YOU are happy with your achievements, nothing else really matters.

@@GinaCampbell What a nightmare for you and your friends. I can absolutely understand your frustrations, and agree that the booklet you mention should've been given first.
I'm in the US and self-pay, so the idea of complications is pretty terrifying, since I have to cover them myself. I already have irritable bowel syndrome, and a lot of foods I can't eat, so that's another concern... that it will make it worse. I've heard about lactose intolerance issues post-op and since I love milk and yogurt, that is also a concern.
I nearly died due to my gallbladder issues, and it was removed almost 6 years ago, so I don't have to worry about that. I was aware of that risk, however.
Your story is one of the reasons that I, personally, am opposed to WLS being done on smaller people who don't have any health problems. Because I think that it just invites the risk of too many permanent side effects that people could've avoided. But then I hold the unpopular opinions that fat doesn't automatically equal unhealthy anymore than thin automatically equals healthy. I believe you can be fat, athletic, happy and healthy. I believe you can be thin and terribly unhealthy, and no one ever knows because you "look healthy."
I have fibromyalgia and I'm far heavier than you and your friends were. I have a hard time getting adequate medical care/tests and while I think that's crap, and that people shouldn't have to resort to measures as drastic as WLS in order to get proper care, we live in this world, not the one I think we should live in.
Given my mobility issues, exercise is very hard for me. I have no idea if surgery will make that better or not. I'm not naive enough to believe it's going to "cure" anything. I can only hope MAYBE it helps, and MAYBE I can get some improvement.
Thank you for sharing your story and being so honest. I feel like the people who have experiences like yours are shunned on most WLS forums, and viewed as being overly negative. But your experience is valuable in helping people make truly informed decisions.

@@GinaCampbell What a nightmare for you and your friends. I can absolutely understand your frustrations, and agree that the booklet you mention should've been given first.
I'm in the US and self-pay, so the idea of complications is pretty terrifying, since I have to cover them myself. I already have irritable bowel syndrome, and a lot of foods I can't eat, so that's another concern... that it will make it worse. I've heard about lactose intolerance issues post-op and since I love milk and yogurt, that is also a concern.
I nearly died due to my gallbladder issues, and it was removed almost 6 years ago, so I don't have to worry about that. I was aware of that risk, however.
Your story is one of the reasons that I, personally, am opposed to WLS being done on smaller people who don't have any health problems. Because I think that it just invites the risk of too many permanent side effects that people could've avoided. But then I hold the unpopular opinions that fat doesn't automatically equal unhealthy anymore than thin automatically equals healthy. I believe you can be fat, athletic, happy and healthy. I believe you can be thin and terribly unhealthy, and no one ever knows because you "look healthy."
I have fibromyalgia and I'm far heavier than you and your friends were. I have a hard time getting adequate medical care/tests and while I think that's crap, and that people shouldn't have to resort to measures as drastic as WLS in order to get proper care, we live in this world, not the one I think we should live in.
Given my mobility issues, exercise is very hard for me. I have no idea if surgery will make that better or not. I'm not naive enough to believe it's going to "cure" anything. I can only hope MAYBE it helps, and MAYBE I can get some improvement.
Thank you for sharing your story and being so honest. I feel like the people who have experiences like yours are shunned on most WLS forums, and viewed as being overly negative. But your experience is valuable in helping people make truly informed decisions.

Thank you! I want everyone to do what is right for them and they can't do that if they aren't given adequate information.
I too hoped that I would get some relief from fibro, and was told that I would never lose weight because of fibro so this was my best option. I am more housebound and bedridden now than before.
I know that people don't want to hear me say that this was a bad idea for me and my friends.
I understand that people want to hear the great parts.
Do they think that I want to suffer? Be housebound and sick?
I simply want everyone to be armed with the right questions and to give themselves the best chance for success.
You are right, none of us really were heavy enough to alter ourselves for life simply to lose weight.
My weight loss has occurred through illness, not from the vsg.
Thank you for seeing what my point is. If people here want to shun me, I can live with that. Especially if it means one person asks a question that helps them give informed consent.
This isn't about bashing the NHS. I could have had the perfect surgery and recovery and I would still regret having done this to myself.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Elen It sounds like you are in a great place mentally to be successful with WLS. You know what will work for you and what may cause self sabotage. Good luck on your journey!

I am preparing to have sleeve surgery in January. I have spent the last 7 years working on intuitive eating and mindful eating and not dieting, because dieting made me mentally and physically unhealthy. I have an eating disorder history that goes back decades.
After discussing the possibility of weight loss surgery with my therapist, she agreed with my position that IF I were to move forward and do it, I should NOT know my weight loss, nor set a weight loss goal. I am not going into this expecting to be "thin" by any definition society might recognize.
At the consult, my surgeon said he understood my reasons and has no problems whatsoever with this. But I feel like this puts me in such a weird, uncharted place because everyone I know has very clearly defined weight loss goals and wants to know and tracks their weight loss. Which is cool... if that's what works for you and what you need, that's 100% understandable.
For me, it would be a trigger fest nightmare. I've worked long and hard to be in a good place with my eating disorder. Ironically, I think I am far more mentally prepared to handle WLS than I would've been back when I still dieted.
I'm not doing this to become X size or look X way. I'm doing it because being my size in a fat phobic world sucks. It means I don't have access to certain medical treatments or care. It means I am constantly judged by so called medical professionals for my weight, and that instead of being treated for what is wrong with me, I often am prescribed weight loss, even though doctors know full well it fails for most people.
I have fibromyalgia. I don't expect that all of my pain will go away, but I am hoping if I lose some weight, even 100 pounds (which my surgeon expects, within a seven - twelve month period), I can become more mobile again. If I can become more mobile again, I can do things that will potentially help the fibromyalgia.
I've done enough research to know these surgeries are not without risks, sometimes big ones. It terrifies me. I don't have a good history with surgeries. I've had complications with both my gallbladder surgery (it caused a hernia) and then the surgery to fix that hernia (it caused permanent edema after I got cellulitis following surgery).
I am not going into this with rose colored glasses. I'm probably more realistic than most, frankly. I don't think it's a "cure all" for any or every health issue. I think it could be a very useful tool. But only if I am allowed to do it in a way that doesn't trigger my ED. Because then it could turn into something very negative and unhealthy for me.
And that is why I refuse to set any goal weight or even know how much weight I've lost. It's not about that for me. I don't know if that is going to make sense to anyone here... or really to anyone in the WLS community anywhere.
And having surgery won't make sense to my friends in the body acceptance/fat acceptance communities, either. Even though I'm not aiming for any set weight, even though I'm not going into it expecting to ever be thin (and frankly, "thin" doesn't appeal to me anyway... IF I did pick a goal weight, it wouldn't be one anyone would consider "thin").
So I guess I'm feeling a bit like a lone wolf. And hoping maybe someone else here has done things in a similar way.