I was browsing through a couple of the online forums that I no longer participate but still read from time to time. Today I was jaw-dropping floored by a couple of threads from people soliciting opinions about how long they should make their common channel and then reading the responses, sometimes backed up by fact and other times by quasi-statistics or semi-fact. One of those threads ended with the OP agreeing to go against her surgeon’s suggestion out of fear she won’t lose all of her weight.
Look people, I’ve touched on this topic in the past, I know I have. The Internet is a wonderful place to do research, read personal stories, and get opinions. But none of this is a substitute for medical facts obtained directly from a medical professional. Why the hell would you take the opinion of FormerFatty026 or LookAtMe or some other Net Person over the suggestions of your surgeon?
The only…and I mean ONLY…opinion or suggestion that is always correct from a discussion board member is: “Get a second opinion”. Anything else is certainly fodder to think about and perhaps discuss further but that discussion and clarification needs to happen with a doctor. There is not a single person who can predict how much weight you will lose with a specific surgery. In fact, most surgeons cannot either and I caution anybody researching WLS options to be extraordinarily wary of any surgeon who guarantees you results, good or bad. He can give you averages and statistics based upon his patients but no surgeon in his right mind will ever say to you, “OK, you are 175 pounds overweight and if you have this procedure with this common channel, you will lose every ounce. However, if you do it this way, you will only lose 125 pounds.”
Why? Because even with the precision of weight loss surgery, every body responds differently and every brain does too. You could have a technically perfect BPD/DS procedure and still not lose all the weight you wanted even if you do everything right. And let’s face reality - there are very few people who do everything right. You make choices. You select pastas or simple sugars or other foods over the lean protein. Some continue to drink. Others choose not to exercise. We all make lifestyle choices post op and that affects your bottom line weight loss too.
The best you should expect is to be given a percentage range (never EVER a specific number of pounds) of excess weight you could lose with any given surgical procedure. That number should come from your surgeon and it should be based not upon standard charts but on his own personal results from his patients. He should be able to give you statistics from his patient base for 6 months, and 1, 2, and 5 years. Not just weight loss but also common deficiencies and how they are being handled.
Use your head, people. Why would you even consider putting your health and future in the hands of an avatar? And don’t use people as a baseline or an example. You can’t look at me and think to yourself, “OK, Marybeth was 335 pounds and 5′8, had a 100 CC and lost her first hundred in 5 months and second hundred in 11 so therefore if I do the same, I will lose the same amount and at the exact same rate”. Marybeth’s absorption is different. Marybeth exercised until she dropped during her weight loss window. Marybeth routinely got in a huge amount of protein. But then again, Marybeth made some pisspoor choices too and they’ve caused some problems along the way. Marybeth is violently anemic. She’s got some other nutritional deficiencies. Yes, she’s maintained just about every single pound lost for years now but she works damn hard at it.
Through no fault of your own or your surgeon, you could start at 5′8 and 335 pounds, have the DS with a 100 CC and lose 125 pounds. Or 250. Or you could have a 50 CC and lose 75 pounds. No two people have the exact same result in the exact same timeframe even if they have the same surgery. Your body is a beautiful thing and it is unique unto itself. There is not another one like it on the planet. And it’s going to work your surgery the way it’s going to work it, no matter what FormerMember_206 posts to a forum.
Doctors. Surgeons. Medical Professionals. They are the ones you need to talk to. And if you hear something that worries you, get a second opinion. From another medical professional. Check “facts” you’ve read online with those who can answer scientifically. One of the best questions you can ask a doctor is “Why?” because then you get additional information and it could lead to important follow up questions.
But seriously, quit basing important life-altering decisions on what complete strangers have to say. They could be full of shit, they could be legit. How do you know? You don’t. And if you follow their advice and it falls apart, what is your recourse? Nothing…posting a flame somewhere isn’t going to fix your broken guts if you listened to a bunch of avatars and not your doctor. At most you’ll get shit like “Oh wow, that didn’t happen to me” or someone sending you fairy dust hugs and blessings and including you in a prayer chain.
Doctors. Listen to them or forever hold your yap.
