Why didn't we know ... before surgery?

[dawg 0]

I personally don't think targetting a person helps. Maybe she didn't word the subject well.

I think the question is very much "why / how are people so uninformed about this life changing event?". Thats a really good question.

Even if an individual does no research, they should have received an abundance of accurate and effective material from the medical professionals.

This procedure isn't cheap, and it is a complete life change. Our medical profession seems to do a poor job at relating that message to the patients.

When you see questions like:

"how much fill should I have?"

"when do I get my first fill?"

"what should I be eating?"

"Why does my port hurt?"

"why aren't I losing?"

"how long should I do the pre-op diet?"

It starts to make you wonder just what the heck doctors are telling their patients. Even more importantly is why these questions aren't being addressed to the medical professionals.

Whether you research or not, you shouldn't be able to have the surgery without your surgeon preparing you for the emotional and physical upheaval that is coming into your life.

I think it important for everyone to keep asking questions if they don't know (or can't find) the answer. But it is even more important that the bigtime questions be directed at the people best trained to answer them.

Penni's "Be your own Patient Advocate" says this in a much better way than I have.

[Txblue_eyedqt 0]

Amen Delarla....I went on what I saw from my friend and her 8 sibblings whom all have the surgery....to me I didnt see the band a life threatning procedure if I did, I knew for certain that I wanted to do it no matter what everyone expeierenced.

I think there are so many more important things to question or worry about rather than worrying if someone is lazy or dumb for not researching.....I mean for crying out loud there is the "Bird Flu" that may get us all!!

[cashley 0]

With the new title us "newbies" really look stupid and lazy for complaining about a title that isn't there anymore....

- I guess it's all and good fun! I can admitt I've been stupid and lazy more then once in my life.

[HeatherGurl 0]

Of course I can't keep my big mouth shut on this one!!!

Tricia is one of the most CARING people on this board... Honestly, for some of you to think she was trying to be ugly is ridiculous.

I get really frustrated with some of the posts also where people have no clue what is going on! When I signed up from this board... I had the same horrible posts... I was preparing for surgery and had never heard the term PB??? Well, I asked, talked and found out about it... My Dr. and your Dr.'s probably don't have the time to tell you EVERYTHING you need to know... but MY Dr. suggest a support group (LBT) and this is where I learned almost everything.

Now, when there are more specific questions, I do call the Dr., I don't just listen to an experienced bandster if I am REALLY scared.

Sorry to get off topic, but I thought this was a great thread, and I AGREE With Tricia 100%~

[NeenBand 7]

Personally, I think this thread is getting off track. It was not about dumb or stupid questions. It was about why are people not doing research before they have lap band surgery.

Can I get an amen and some cowbell to that?

[dawg 0]

Can I get an amen and some cowbell to that?

KLONK KLONK KLONK KLONK KLONK KLONK KLONK KLONK KLONK.

I got a fever....

[Desi80 1]

This procedure isn't cheap, and it is a complete life change. Our medical profession seems to do a poor job at relating that message to the patients.

When you see questions like:

"how much fill should I have?"

"when do I get my first fill?"

"what should I be eating?"

"Why does my port hurt?"

"why aren't I losing?"

"how long should I do the pre-op diet?"

It starts to make you wonder just what the heck doctors are telling their patients. Even more importantly is why these questions aren't being addressed to the medical professionals.

EXACTLY. I remember one post while ago someone was going to be having surgery in like 2 weeks and wanted to know what a fill was. :faint: I'm not shocked at the person for asking, I'm shocked/HORRIFIED that their doctor hasn't told them.

[PhotoNut 7]

... NO ONE told me that I would be so hungry after banding and PRE-fill. I dont see this information listed anywhere in the INAMED handbook or my doctors handouts..... MMM, does that make me less intelligent or does that mean I did not do enough research preband cause I come here and ask the question.. why am I so hungry.? Well, DUH your band is not filled, so therefore you may not have restriction after post op swelling goes down.

Heya Babs.. I've chosen this part of your quote to respond to because I think this is where most people are getting off track. There is nothing wrong with asking any question, a million times if you need to in order to really understand an issue. And there are plenty of things that are not medical issues that require a doctors attention which are fine to ask. I think what we were all talking about are posts by people who haven't been able to keep Water down for four days and are here asking us what they should do. Well.. duh.. call your doctor!

Now if you come to this site and complain you are not losing weight because you are eating 6 chocolate bars for Breakfast and want to know why your band isnt working, then I think logically you should know better.

You might want to check out the thread I started that addressed this very thing. There were a lot of very upset and hurt people who launched some fiery arrows at me for saying this should be a no brainer. The thing I've figured out is that those who fit the category being discussed in the thread are the ones who attack the hardest. Like the ones going for mine and Tricia's throats in this thread. It sure would be nice to see people be "adult" enough not to take these kinds of dicussions and turn them into personal attacks on people. I'm not saying that you have.. but it's happened in this thread and it's just childish. Sure it seems like anyone should understand that if you eat like a fat person eats, you will be fat. But some people just don't like to hear the truth. To Tricia and many others on this thread, it seems like a no brainer that people should be getting the basic information regarding surgery and the subsequent lifestyle change, yet a few have turned it into personal attacks simply because they dont like when they preceive that someone else thinks they were "wrong". In other words, anyone runs the risk of pissing off someone each time they post. I highly doubt that any of us post with the intent to hurt another's feelings. So let's give Tricia the benifit of the doubt here, ok?

[PhotoNut 7]

Yes, we do need to pick her apart...her title to this thread was rude.

Hiya Gloria.. I've been here at LBT for about three months now and the main thing I've learned about posting on the boards is that two wrongs don't make a right. A nice PM to Tricia would have given her the chance to think about how her title might have offended people and she might have quickly offered to change it. When we perceive that someone is directing insults at us, our first response is typically to defend ourselves.. often with equal or greater insults. I myself have walked right into this before I realized what I was being drug into. Nothing will ever be truly resolved by slinging hateful, hurtful words at one another. Even if Tricia said it to be rude.. how are we any better if we respond in kind?

If we see a post by someone that bothers us enough to address that person about the post, then we should have the maturity to do so in a PM instead of turning the entire thread into a mudslinging war. Because when we do turn it into a war, we end up with both sides looking less than intelligent.

[PhotoNut 7]

I'm curious as to what would possibly move you to think that we, a supposedly large group of adults, are going to follow your directions when you consistently really just want to control the situation? Normally I would not do this, but I have seen this for months and am baffled. You have really good information, but it consistently comes across with a lecture-type tone, like you're better than and you're relatively new at this, too! I hope this does not trip you up in normal life. I mean that. Sometimes people really resent this type of attitude and they miss the valuable "message" because of the "messenger."

I'm not here to win a popularity contest. If you don't like the way I present the information in my posts, you are welcome to add me to your ignore list. And I promise you.. it won't trip me up in my life whatsoever.

[DiDi 0]

I'd like to say that this site has helped me sooooo much! I researched on the web for a couple months, asked people that have had WLS or know someone that had it. Then I found this site & WOW I found out how many little things I still didn't know. When I finally went to the seminar, I asked so many questions the girl next to me asked me to hush! (I didn't.) I ended up staying 30 minutes after the seminar ended still asking my questions. And I think I was the only one there taking notes. I was the only person that brought up erosion, slips or other complications except infection. So I am also kind of baffled that someone would go through surgery without checking it out as much as possible, but if I didn't have access to internet and found LBT, boy I hate to ponder! My doctor & staff are the greatest & told me everything they could think of. Or that I thought of. Plus his website has tons of info. But still having y'all to chat with has been the most informative. It means more coming from people that have had the surgery & what it really feels like & what to expect. So thank you to everybody that asks & answers questions. But seems like bunches of doctors out there are not giving out enough info to their patients. Thanks to all.

[pugmum 0]

Aw Susan,

Relax a little. Are you a teacher by chance? You remind me of when we used to play school as children and someone is always trying to keep the order by explaining to everyone else why someone is doing something. I learned this great saying once (which I'm still trying to do) and it's called "staying in your own hoola hoop." It's amazing how well it works.

By the way, I thought of you tonight with thanks because you had posted that you eat Fiber One Cereal. I bought some and appreciated your sharing that with us. :biggrin1:

Kelli

[NeenBand 7]

DiDi, you and I had just about the same experience. But I was with a group of people who were allready banded!

[PhotoNut 7]

By the way, I thought of you tonight with thanks because you had posted that you eat Fiber One Cereal. I bought some and appreciated your sharing that with us. :biggrin1:

*smiles* I sincerely hope it helps.

[sleepyjean 0]

1. Tricia's title did it's job. This is the most active thread I've seen in a while.

2. I visit a lot of online communities and I choose to believe that everyone has good intentions. And on those few occasions when I find myself feeling angry or defensive, all I have to do is remind myself that these are all total strangers and when it comes right down to it, I don't really care what someone who doesn't know me thinks or says about me. There's too much crap going on in regular life to let some faceless, voiceless person on the internet ruin my day.