I just finished watching seasons 1-4, hoping to catch up with the story before the last season airs. My favorite character is Hurley, because I can identify so much with him. He often doesn't get it right, but always tries hard with the best of intentions. Money has been a source of sadness and stress for him. The jolly fat person loved by all, but also universally derided for the weakness implied by being overweight. And don't forget the stigma of mental illness.
Watching Lost got me wondering, what would happen to someone like those of us with altered digestive systems if we'd crash landed on that island ? Instead of hoarding ranch dressing like Hurley, would we be hoarding boar meat? Would the other people on the island understand when we said no, can't eat more pineapple or oatmeal, must have animal protein ?
You're probably wondering what this has to do with real life.
Well, on the first Saturday of the month, I volunteer at our church's food pantry, where we hand out a bag of groceries, mostly full of rice, canned veggies and beans, to people who are living in tough situations. The lucky ones are in the hotel that has a hot plate, the less lucky are in their car. WLS is for life, but what happens when life gets hard? My family has a tough time accepting that I need to eat meat protein, saying you do what you have to do when you are poor. What happens if I end up like one of the families who show up at our church? If my family has a hard time accepting my dietary needs, someone with a bag of free groceries sure won't care.
In today's economy, eating a high protein diet isn't exactly the most frugal option out there. Look at a site like The Dollar Stretcher and you'll see tons of recipes for making your meat go further, usually by adding carbs. Unfortunately that isn't the best choice post-WLS. We can try to convince ourselves that our food bills will shrink because we'll be eating so much less, but protein costs more than carbs. And if you end up sensitive to certain foods, then you may not be able to eat the cheapest cuts.
WLS is for life in the long-term. That includes everything from moving away from your surgeon to living paycheck to paycheck, running your bank balance down to the last dollar, to having no paycheck and spending your last penny.
