Why do people try and jeopardise their operations?

[jaffa_cake]

I am expecting to get some angry comments on here but its just something I have to ask!

Why do so many people eat something they shouldn't so soon after their operations? and I am mainly talking about NHS patients here!

I'm not interested in stories about how you were costing the NHS more by the meds etc you were on, I am just so curious to know WHY when you have been given an operation on the NHS to you go against guidelines and your teams advice? It is no different to the likes of George Best being given the liver transplant and continuing to drink, why when you have been given the gift of a bypass/band do you continue to eat foods that caused you to get fat in the 1st place and that YOU KNOW could cause old habits to creep back in again

Private patients should know better aswell but at the end of the day their op was paid for privately so if they want to jeopardise it then so be it its well for them that have money to burn but when so many people get their funding turned down etc do you think its fair that those who allow old habits back in and start on the downward spiral of putting on weight again should continue to cost the NHS money?

I dont post alot on here but I do spend some time reading through old posts and the amount of times I have read about people having bad days and just eating whats infront of them is just mind boggling!

I also know we are only human but at the end of the day you swore blind to your team that you would follow their guidelines and do as they say, if you were to tell them before your op that you might have bad days and eat things you shouldn't risking pouch damage etc...do you think they would give you the operation...I doubt it!!

I really hope people dont have a go at me, its something that I have wanted to ask for weeks and here is the only place I am able to get an answer

 

[cherry]

hi jaffa.......
hmmm its that one moment of weakness hey, esp if someone has used food as a fix for many many years, i do understand what your saying and can be incredibly frustrating for people when say there funding gets turned down, but sometimes i bet it happens when your mind is so trained on a certain way with food that you end up grazing or picking up food without even realising your doing it or even tasting it!!! imagine how many of us have done that, and then we think ooo sh*t i could imagine thats happend a few times on here and then people have posted because there frightened they 'll damage there pouch...i know when you have your op its a bloody blessing! im under no illusions regarding that, but as for the mind thats a whole diff story, the longest time for a op is 3 hrs.... what is 3 hrs??.... some people have trained there minds for 30 plus years regarding food and using and abusing it for all the wrong reasons, i suppose it could be classed as learning to walk again! changing the way you look and eat food and changing your perception on what you use food for.... ooo ive waffled abit!!!! haha sooorrry thats just my take on it! but good point raised xx

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

the simple answer is food addiction we are all food addicts that make bad food choices and have done for many years its NO excuse to go against what the team tells you but for some food is more of an addiction for some than others and some people dont learn till they learn the hard way through dumping or pains, thats my thoughts on this one, but i agree people should if can follow rules as they are there for a reason.

 

[Mixman]

I totally agree with your thoughts jaffa cake, I don't believe what I read sometimes, but I understand it.

The thing is, it's exactly like George Best. He was addicted to the booze as people are addicted to food. And through everything he did and has done, he's still a hero. What are peoples thoughts towards people having weightloss surgery? Why don't they just eat less! Did they say that to George? No, it was 'Poor George'

I never cheated once and it's been fantastic for me, and, like I said, I don't believe the things I read, but I do understand! Maybe a lot of us wouldn't be treated like lepers by the majority of the human race if they understood. Maybe, if they did, we'd all get a 'Poor george' instead of being labelled 'Obese'

 

[cherry]

hear hear mixxy!

 

[jaffa_cake]

I NEVER agreed with George Best getting the liver op because I knew he would never be able to give up alcohol, that liver should have went to someone who deserved it and needed it more than him, I certainly dont think 'poor George', he may have been a great footballer but he was a drunk at the end of the day and 100% did not deserve that liver!

 

[Meggie]

Sadly when I was on the operating table they forgot to give me the optional lobotomy!! My brain still occasionally wants me to eat bad stuff. I'm going to be honest and say that I occasionally eat a few things I probably shouldn't. I don't have them very often and only have a little. I agree with you in principal but I had this op to live, not to live a life of restricting myself to good food!!

 

[Mazza]

Because we are human and no matter what op we have it doesnt instantly turn us into a food saint. Bad food choices and habbits by some have been there for many years and being operated on doesnt change that. Our WLS is a tool and I agree we have to embrace a healthy diet and exercise regime to get the best out of it.

People come on here to admit to or share a slip for help, motivation or just a kick up the backside.

 

[cherry]

oooo jaffa! you'll be lynched everyone has there view hey hunni, hmmm what do i think on it?... i think everyone no matter what there vice is deserves help and whatever they need should get to help them live a longer and healthy happier life... that would be like wls paitents being told.... 'nope your not having wls go get off your lazy arse and do something' we could be spending that money on say cancer research or investing in finding out new treatments.... and that is proberly some people s views on wls being funded on the nhs..... because lets face it some people have medical conditions that have helped them on there way becoming overweight/obese and the rest of it is down to us and noone else..... so you could say the same about say george best, or drug addicts etc.... its one long horrible circle....

oooo hope ive not caused offence hunni its just my view xxx

 

[PoppyCorn]

Tbh, if I had my op before going to therapy for binge eating disorder, I know I'd be one of 'those people', as I didn't have the tools to prevent myself from emotional eating. So the real question should be why isn't everyone given this therapy before bypass like I was.

If you don't have a rod catching fish is a lot harder.

I don't think that a distinction should be made for NHS vs private patients as if someone gets drug rehab on the NHS they are still entitled to go back to NHS rehab if they fail.

Just because I don't have access to the money a private patient does, doesn't mean I'm undeserving. And if I did make wrong food choices post bypass it would just mean I'm human, and trying to find my way still.

A bypass isn't a ticket to healthy weight forever, it's a tool to be used correctly and it'll take time for us to become proficient at using that tool - whether we paid in cash or suffering or both.

 

[Sambucca]

hmmm....

Long term members will remember that I had a similar attitude to the op whilst I was waiting for surgery, but my attitide changed completely when I got off the operating table and realised I had had stomach surgery and not brain surgery.

All of the years of misusing food dont disappear overnight. Most of us (I do appreciate not all) are here, having WLS because we couldnt control the volume of food we ate, and we had failed at dieting.

I have lost 8 1/2 stone in 11 months. Yes, maybe I would be at target now if I hadnt had the occasional biscuit or packet of crisps during my journey, but so what. Normal people have "treats" and moderation is the key. Moderation is something my bypass has enabled me to finally get control over.

Do I think I have wasted the gift the NHS gave me? Do I hell! Do I think Im less deserving of surgery than someone who promises never to eat a biscuit again? Absolutely not.

I hate this constant comparison between private and nhs patients as well. Most of us would have jumped at the chance to go private if we could afford it. Saying that private patients have the right to jeapordise their ops, whilst NHS patients have no right to do that is offfensive in my opinion.

 

[phatmomma]

People are human! It's not our place to stand in judgement of people who occasionally fall off the wagon! I feel empathy for those who have a bad day and reach for comfort food on the odd occasion. I wouldn't feel the same if it was someone just eating crap all the time just as we do pre op.... I'll

I daren't say anymore as to be perfectly honest i found the tone on this thread quite annoying. I also find it quite annoying when people who deserve a chance at life saving surgery don't get it....

 

[Mixman]

I got to agree with the thoughts on NHS/Private.

Am I, a man who has worked constantly from the age of 16 and paid my taxes, my national Insurance etc etc all my life, not entitled to get some of that money back by using the NHS that it's used to fund?

Or is 'my' money better spent giving it to a drug addict who's never worked, got a flat paid for, a weekly amount of cash to blow on drugs and a daily dose of methadone thrown in for good measure?

 

[Kerry Jo]

I got to agree with the thoughts on NHS/Private.

Am I, a man who has worked constantly from the age of 16 and paid my taxes, my national Insurance etc etc all my life, not entitled to get some of that money back by using the NHS that it's used to fund?

Or is 'my' money better spent giving it to a drug addict who's never worked, got a flat paid for, a weekly amount of cash to blow on drugs and a daily dose of methadone thrown in for good measure?

Here here, now this really does do my head in xxx

 

[Meggie]

hmmm....

Long term members will remember that I had a similar attitude to the op whilst I was waiting for surgery, but my attitide changed completely when I got off the operating table and realised I had had stomach surgery and not brain surgery.

All of the years of misusing food dont disappear overnight. Most of us (I do appreciate not all) are here, having WLS because we couldnt control the volume of food we ate, and we had failed at dieting.

I have lost 8 1/2 stone in 11 months. Yes, maybe I would be at target now if I hadnt had the occasional biscuit or packet of crisps during my journey, but so what. Normal people have "treats" and moderation is the key. Moderation is something my bypass has enabled me to finally get control over.

Do I think I have wasted the gift the NHS gave me? Do I hell! Do I think Im less deserving of surgery than someone who promises never to eat a biscuit again? Absolutely not.

I hate this constant comparison between private and nhs patients as well. Most of us would have jumped at the chance to go private if we could afford it. Saying that private patients have the right to jeapordise their ops, whilst NHS patients have no right to do that is offfensive in my opinion.

I agree hun. God I was so sanctimonious (sp?!?) before my op. I was so sure that I was going to be good and only have healthy food after my op, and I couldn't believe it when I saw some things that post-ops ate. However, I'm 5 months out and far more realistic!!! I have occasional treats now (1 biscuit instead of a pack of biscuits!!!).

All I can say is good luck to everyone who chooses to have this op!! You'll have good days and bad but, as long as you work with the gift you have been given, you'll do fine (even with the occasional naughty treat!!!)

 

[Mazza]

Just because I don't have access to the money a private patient does, doesn't mean I'm undeserving.

Hmmm I think you will find that most private patients have remortgaged their homes, taken out loans, or begged and borrowed the money because NHS funding is not an option. Please dont assume that because we have had to pay that we are rolling in it or also undeserving - the postcode lottery means a lot of us will never have the chance for what could be for some a life saving operation.

 

[keeley86]

if we were all perfect dieters and could stick to a diet religously like our teams ask of us - we wouldnt need the surgery in the first place. at the end of the day one bad day is better than a life time of bad days! (weight up down up down) so to them that have had bad days since surgery well done on your work so far and keep up the hard work! its surely not easy! i was worried about loosing to much weight myself pre op but sum1 said that they will still do the op even if i have lost lots of weight, to help me keep the weight off. in other words pretect us from those "bad days"
i suffer from intracranial hypertension and my weight is causing me to go blind - someone said to me.... "if i new my weight is causing me to loose my eyes id do something about it" now being 15 - 16 stone when it was diagnosed i was happy in myself i would have happily stayed that size and not wanted WLS but being faced with this condition and finding myself having to diet, i truely cannot do it! - i have put a further 8 stone on in the last 2 years trying to diet. explain that????? eyes or belly? i choose my eyes but getting rid of the belly has prooved dificult.
and also in my opinion....it seems to me.....your just feeling bitter because you didnt get it on the NHS.

 

[keeley86]

I got to agree with the thoughts on NHS/Private.

Am I, a man who has worked constantly from the age of 16 and paid my taxes, my national Insurance etc etc all my life, not entitled to get some of that money back by using the NHS that it's used to fund?

Or is 'my' money better spent giving it to a drug addict who's never worked, got a flat paid for, a weekly amount of cash to blow on drugs and a daily dose of methadone thrown in for good measure?

HERE HERE!!!

 

[cherry]

o dero! very emotive subject

 

[Mixman]

o dero! very emotive subject

It's always going to be

But, in all fairness, jaffa cake started off by saying she expected some comments like this.

We're all entitled to our own opinions, no matter how wrong other peoples opinions seem to be!