melting mama

ASMBS: Bariatric Patients at Risk of Substance Abuse

MM notes - could have told you so.  Again, have you read Weighty Secrets? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Y8FfU39gs

ASMBS: Bariatric Patients at Risk of Substance Abuse

By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: June 30, 2010
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor 
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

LAS VEGAS -- Some bariatric surgery patients may trade one type of addiction for another, according to a small study of patients who entered substance abuse programs after surgery.

Las Vegas is a GIANT SPARKLY TRANSFER ADDICTION

This is my brain's impression of VEGAS.  Try not to have a seizure.

I

I realized that this place is not place for a baby weight loss surgery post op.  If this had been a WLS conference for patients?  

There would be drama, dumping, divas and debt.  

Merely getting off of the plane and walking into the Las Vegas airport, you walk into slot machines!  Maybe I expected something else?   Getting into my hotel - a full blown casino!  Chair massage?  Girls with fake boobs and dresses cut at the pube line to hand out free drinks!  

Running past this -- I pass restaurants!  A buffet!  A bakery!  Fresh made crepes!  Gelato stand!  Chocolates!   

Bars!  THE BARS!

Then, in the room, a mini bar, stocked with $50 bottles of champagne and $30 chocolates.  (Let me explain the Red Bull situation later.)

Las Vegas is a GIANT SPARKLY TRANSFER ADDICTION.  You can have sex, drugs, sugar, alcohol, gambling, shopping, smoking, and binging -- ALL in a matter of minutes.  Just walk outside.  O-o

There is ZERO glamour in any of it, I will tell you that right now.   

(She was one of many girls handed to me outside.)

I have said it before drunk gastric bypass'ers ARE not sexy, not glamorous, kind of, icky.  

Drinking post op is very different.  Many of us (you) become drunk quickly and dangerously, and might keep drinking to continue that level of inebriation, and it's scary.  I read a post last night from a fellow attendee of this conference about "finding the perfect drink for a post op" for this event, and having a couple each night and sleeping like a baby.  

Edited to add later, no longer in Vegas - Yes, I have 'a drink.'  

Yes, I've been photographed With! A! Drink! SHOCKER.  

But.  I am 6+ years post op. AND hypoglycemic.  I have ONE.  

Maybe two over a few hours if my husband is with me, which is RARE.  

I nursed one light beer at a function during this event.  I sipped half and threw it away.  Again, at a dinner event, sipped half and threw it away.  I cannot trust my body to metabolize alcohol and get me safely "home" -- so I DO NOT GET DRUNK.  I can't!  This isn't to suggest you shouldn't - but COME ON!  SHOULD YOU?

 

 Is this the sort of message we should be sending?  

Should I be on the look out for something to sip in excess to tell you about?  I understand that we are adults and we can make choices, but we must be careful, and I am VERY concerned about post ops and alcohol abuse.  

(HAVE YOU READ WEIGHTY SECRETS?)

Beyond that, the mere fact that BEING here, surrounded by things to eat, smoke, drink, buy, do, when you cannot fulfill that most basic need (eating food) WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO with that urge?  I know some of my peers would be completely overwhelmed here, and sucked in to excess and perhaps trouble. 

Transfer Addiction - Katie Jay's blog post

You know I am a fan of some excess, but... there are big buts, grandiose meals, spending insane amounts of money (Do you REALLY have the money to be dumping on the Blackjack table?) or your ass being splatted on the sidewalk plastered because you had too many drinks in a row?   Is it worth it?

I will not lie, I felt a little tweak of want when I got here.  I WANT TO BUY SPARKLY THINGS.  But, the cure?  I can't.  I came with cash, and I have to get back home.  I cannot spend all of my money, and I have ZERO access to a credit card.  I suppose if I were loaded LOL... I would be freer, but I cannot do that.  I am very frugal.  But, you see the problem lies in when you aren't -- and you come without money anyway -- and spend anyway!  Your ship is sinking -- and you're throwing dollar bills into it!

Common sense is more than necessary in Las Vegas. They should have a testing station at the airport, at least multiple choice.

PS.  And, considering I am rooming with a Bariatric BAD GIRL in VEGAS, and the two of us want nothing more than to go see art and flower exhibits and to eat Calcet?  It's a little eye opening.

PETA tells Britney's parents that ice cream is making her The Crazy.

PETA sent a letter to Mr. + Mrs Spears following Britney's hospitalization a few weeks ago.  If what they are selling was true for many or most of us (who knows, maybe it is - the future will tell), we could so get to curing The Fat and The Crazy, and considering the The Fat and The Crazy are *almost always hand-in-hand?  Most of us do not get morbidly obese or super morbidly obese "just because we like to taste food."

"We also have heard that Britney asked for ice cream while she was in the hospital. There could, in fact, be a connection between her diet and her mental health problems.

Numerous reports indicate that in bipolar patients who have hidden dairy sensitivities (a fairly common condition), the disorder can worsen if the patient consumes dairy products. And a significant body of research— including evidence cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—has linked parasites that are often found in undercooked meat (Toxoplasma gondii) to the development of schizophrenia.  In addition, the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the U.K. studied the relationship between mental disorders and the consumption of meat, dairy, and other animal products and concluded that "a higher national dietary intake of … dairy products predicted a worse two-year outcome of schizophrenia."

They also concluded that a higher consumption of meat was linked to a worsening of
schizophrenia, while consumption of beans—a vegetarian protein source—was linked to improvements. In addition, the Mental Health Sanctuary in Washington advises people with bipolar disorder to avoid dairy products.

While the medical link between mental illness and meat and dairy consumption is still evolving, there is no doubt that eating animal products is a major factor in causing other diseases, including the top killers in the U.S. According to the American Dietetic association, vegetarians are less prone to heart disease, specific types of cancer, diabetes, and obesity than meat-eaters. While switching to a vegan diet might very well benefit Britney's mental health, it would undoubtedly benefit her physical health."

As for me, a somewhat less obese *crazy person, I'm off the ice cream, most meats, and much dairy, but, what's it gonna take to get me off the carbohydrates?

*I have to disclaimerize that I mean no offense with this.  It's just the way things are.

In the toilet.

That's where the pills went.

I had my weekly visit with the psychologist, and I told her of my concern with the itchies and creepy crawlies on just TWO pills of the Lam*ctal. She sent in an MD who told me "None of those for you." So, no mo Lam*ctal. I will call the psychopharmacologist tomorrow and see what's next - and what I'm to expect with it.

L-drug.

During my visit with the psychopharmacologist yesterday, she also suggested Lam*ctal. Apparently it's the first line of defense for my type of issue. I didn't want it - but I asked her several times if the side-effect profile was at all that common - and would I notice anything, if anything right away regarding the side effects. She basically said that it's relatively harmless, and most people don't have any reaction.

I left with a five week trial pack, and a return visit to her in 2-3 weeks. So, two tiny 25 mg. pills later, I'm hoping to not have any side-effects, because the listed effects are all things I Don't Want To Deal With. Blurred vision, clumsiness, rash, among others. The rash is apparently the biggest side effect.

Let me tell you something, possibly totally coincidentally (because I am frequently moody) - but - three times last night, Bob asked "WTF is wrong with you? Are those pills already messing with you?" I was a rotten bitch, very very sleepy, and fell asleep sitting up in a chair waiting to read his research paper at 8pm. It must have been more intense than usual, because he doesn't normally say anything.

I was NOT able to sleep soundly, (not normal for me unless my sugar drops in the middle of the night), and I had the sensation I wanted to "crawl out of my own skin." I normally pass out and sleep, hard, until pain or sugar wakes me. (Again, could be totally coincidental.)

Coincidentally, also, I'm ****ing itchy.

The rash is most common between 2-8 weeks of treatment, how the hell can I be itching at this baby-dose?

I was ignoring it - but - now I've scratched my elbows, chest, knuckle and scalp. I never "itch." If I get any type of visible hive-y spots, I'll note it. I haven't looked yet, save for one raised bump on my elbow which is itchy, red and I can feel it.

Does it not figure that I would be hyper-sensitive to this poop?

Beth-promazinedeprazolemaratetripperidol

I have my crack appointment tomorrow afternoon. I've been skimming lists of medications and side effects, and I realized, this whole drug-you-up stuff is complicated. There's no one medication that can bring world peace to your brain. This apparently requires two, three, different medications for separate functions.

I just have to remember to tell the doctor, "Hello, I don't want to get fat fatter & I can't be a zombie." Then, additionally, "I can't be dizzy, faint, or other random side-effects." Also, "It wouldn't be a good idea to make me fall asleep at the wheel, nor in the presence of four smallish humans that need supervision." In closing, "I'd rather like to stay more like myself than to become a sedated plastic version of myself but more like someone else."

Can this be arranged?

From Junkfood Science: Why we never hear, why people don’t talk and why people don’t want to know...

From Junk Food Science, in response to the post from Medpundit. 

This is intense.  Really read this through. 

Visit Junk Food Science for the entire piece, and a lot more. 

"Denial is intense among the post-op patients, many still in their honeymoon period of the first (one to) five years, who mostly talk glowingly of their weight loss. True problems and negative information are almost never discussed or permitted.

Patients who are having problems and come forward for help or to share their experiences are often sadly attacked, derided and accused of being at fault. Naysayers are quickly shut out, banned or driven away. The group reacts angrily and disbelievingly to the truth — those are natural,understandable denial reactions to protect themselves from the frightening reality of these surgeries. Not surprisingly, very little balanced information is available to prospective patients, either."

Please go read it (I can't post it here,  I did, and had to pull it, she's got it very very copyrighted, oops.) And, come back to chat about it.

FWIW - Sandy (the author) We all have issues from these surgeries, and I'm sure you're going to find a growing number of us willing to talk about it. 

Most of us are nuts, it turns out.

Psychiatric Disorders Among Bariatric Surgery Candidates

OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to document psychiatric disorders among candidates for weight loss surgery and to examine the relationship of psychopathology to degree of obesity and functional health status.

CONCLUSIONS: Current and past DSM-IV psychiatric disorders are prevalent among bariatric surgery candidates and are associated with greater obesity and lower functional health status, highlighting the need to understand potential implications for surgery preparation and outcome. Future work also will focus on the course of psychiatric disorder during the post-surgery period and its relationship to weight loss and maintenance.

                Am J Psychiatry 164:328-334, February 2007
                doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.164.2.328
                © 2007 American Psychiatric association

 

We so cwayzee.

From this week's Post Secret: Lap-Band.

When I first saw this, I got really pissed off at this person, for like, half a second.  How COULD you?  Liar!  (But, then, I realized, you know, How Much Easier Would It Be Not To Tell, and five hundred other reasons.)  What do you think?

And you? Who are you?

A few questions about yourself after weight loss, borrowed from: Tales of the Morbidly Obese  via Marybeth at  Attraversiamo who borrowed them from Ezpy at A Smaller Target.  Please take a moment to answer these if you'd like to, and let me know if you if you've blogged them.  (I'm working on my answers while I get more coffee in my system this morning.)

1.)  Do you feel that you (the person, soul, who you are) has changed since you have lost weight?

This is hard.  I left these questions alone - and I still can't answer them. (Here goes attempt #3)

Yes, I've changed, but, not a lot.  I am the same girl I was, but I'm different.  I've always been the way I am - it's just that now I'm more comfortable being ME.  Does that makes sense?!  I've always been a funny girl - and I know some people consider that a way to hide behind the fat girl, but for me, I'm funnier when I'm thinner. 

I don't know why - maybe it's the confidence level.  I'm slightly more confident - still not nearly assertive enough in certain situations.  With people I know, it's on, I'm game, let's go.  With people that wrong me, it's harder.  I have to work up the "balls" to make things right, and that's always been the case. 

I have a tendency to let things happen to me or around me - that shouldn't be allowed, and to be a doormat.  No more, I say, no more.  This is something I've had to work on - and it's better now than before - but it's still hard.  I want to be the girl who you don't f*ck with, the mom who protects, you know, at the same time being a generally nice and outgoing person and approachable?  Is that a bit too much?

2.)  Have others said you have?

It's been a few years now, that I've been in a "normal" weight range, and people are used to me at this size.  Initially, I probably came across different, but you know it doesn't really show until I'm in a highly social adult situation.  I'm much more social and open to conversation with adults at this size, much more likely to allow myself to be the focus if necessary.  With kids/family, I"m always the same I think.  Some people have mentioned to me that I was less approachable as a thinner person. 

Go figure, I thought the "fat me" would have been less approachable.   I've had people (many who didn't know me "fat" at all) say that the first time they saw me or met me, they were intimidated.  Intimidated?  Me?  I never thought of myself as someone who could have that power over someone else, but I can live with it.

3.)  How do you feel about that?

I'd hope that people weren't intimidated by me - at least not to new friendly people.  I could use some friends, damn it.  Unfortunately, the only thing that the thinner me has gained from this smaller body-size and the same attitude, is the unwelcome attention from dirty old men.  I'd prefer welcomed attention from other nice mom-types to play with, you know, but they don't talk to me?

4.)  If you don't feel that the person you are has changed, why do you think others are saying that you have?

Other people are influenced by the way I look - without making a conscious choice to be swayed one way or another, and it effects the way they think about me and react to me.  300 lb. Beth would normally be ignored, or eye-rolled at.  100-something lb. Beth gets noticed, but, people are unlikely to put themselves out for her, beyond holding doors and a polite smile.   I have a problem not running up to every 250-350 lb. woman I see in public and not talking to her about weight issues, like somehow I could help?!  People ignore/laugh at people our size.  I know it's out of my control to control OTHER peoples' perception of me.

I have an example of this that I can't really explain here - without adding detail.  Crap.  Remind me later to tell you about it, like, in six months.