Grrrrrrr

Just a vent ... you would think a educated person wouldn't be so uneducated eh? So frustrated with this encounter.

I was talking to an aquaintance yesterday. She is actually an MD. I told her I had my surgery. She asked who did it. Told her I went to Mexico, that I did my research and had a very good experience.  She was super negative about that.. I expect to get that reaction, people assume Mexico is a bad idea and bad care.  She asked who does my follow up here. I told her my family doctor can do anything I need, there is very little follow up besides blood work.  She asked about complications, I told her right now I'm not having any and although I'm not out of the woods it looks good. I've had 4 leak tests ( 2 in the or and 2 on day 3) ... She said " Well, we'll see. I'll be watching"  

She also was negative about the type of surgery. I explained what VSG was. She asked why I didn't get the lap band. I did a little education about how it is the least successful of the the wls, that there are so many more complications like errosion, scarring, and slippage. How you have to get multiple fills to hit the sweet spot . There is more vomiting and lots of people don't lose weight and end up getting it revised to a vsg anyway. 

She was disturbed how little we eat post op , She dissed protein powders, said she had a patient who was a body builder taking all that stuff and his bloodwork was all screwy.. liver enzymes all over the place etc... I said - well I need the extra protein . I need 60-80 grams a day and can't get it all from food at this point.  She kept going on about how you couldn't trust what was in the stuff (???!!!???)

I told her I have just moved to soft minced and made a crockpot dish the other day and one chicken breast lasted 5 meals . She said " well if you just ate the 1/2 chicken breast before the surgery , you would have been better off and thinner." I told her that took will power and if I could do that I wouldn't have needed the surgery.  I said I don't have that will power and needed this tool .... that 95% of people who diet don't do it... they are unsuccesful or gain the weight back.  She kept saying " well, I'll be watching" as if I was going to have horrible complications or not lose or gain it all back. grrrrrrrr

The kicker is that she is overweight herself. I'd say at least 50-75 lbs ..... I felt like telling her she needs to just have 1/2 chicken breast.

Wow! How frustrating is THAT!! I'm so sorry you had to go through that. She sounds like my worst nightmare. Don't you dare let her get to you. Her reaction is about HER issues not yours. You are doing GREAT! It does seem rather hypocritical that she's overweight and telling you how to eat. Clearly she hasn't broke the weight loss code any better than anyone else. I could see someone having that attitude if they were normal weight, in shape and never had an issue with being overweight. I'm sure for someone like that is would be hard to fathom why we can't just eat less and exercise more to lose weight. I'm pretty sure that her reaction was about her frustrations with her own weight.

I'm glad she is just an aquaintance to you. No one needs that kind of person as a friend!

At my 6 month visit, I went to my surgeon's nurse and told her that I need some information I can copy and give to a couple of other docs I see (my PCP, my OB) because they have no effing clue about this surgery. She laughed and said they actually had a write up in and she printed a copy for me right there.

It's crazy that so few people know about this surgery. But, with time, the info will get out there.

It's frustrating that this was coming from a Dr ...

protein powder is bad... ya.... I felt like telling her to go and tell the nutritionist and drs here in my city that.   Couldn't possibly be that this body builder was taking in too much protein or god knows what else... nope had to be the protein supplements.

  She gives her mom boost... maybe I should have said" well you don't know what is in that . eh?"
She had no idea what this surgery was. Her mind lap band was good , even RNY would have been better, this just seemed so extreme to her , which is crazy. lol...

Based on the negative reaction now you know why she is an acquaintance and not a friend. I had a friend like that who is now an acquaintance. I have no time for negativity and neither do you!

My doc was actually very supportive, but he kept thinking it was like bypass.  I kept telling him my pyloric valve is intact, there is no bypass, just restriction!  I'm not sure he got that!  But at least he was supportive! 

My only complication 7 months out is a vitamin B1 deficiency, corrected now by a supplement.  I have been at a stall for 4 weeks and it is driving me crazy.  Trying to up the water and exercise and break this stupid stall!  Ugggghhhh!  Gonna measure today and see if I've lost some inches though.  Always makes me feel better to lose inches!

Hang in there!  You are doing just fine.  Not likely that you will have complications if you follow the guidelines set by your surgeon!

Id say she's jealous that you had the nerve to do it!! This is one of the prime reasons why Im trying not to say much to people because I dont want to have to defend my decisions I have made with my life..and unless you are prepared to hear my opinion on some of your life decisions, lets not talk about it. As a doctor she should have been more openminded..some people are just plain stupid! When you lose all your weight, you'll show her!