...to see this morning.
I had to read the text three times before I realized what it was explaining, but, this is Very Good Advice For A Weight Loss Surgery Post Op. If you're a pre op, get used to it. (I'm still laughing.)
I'm not sure *I personally would be able to do this special procedure on the floor of Boston International Airport, but, you could try?
Thanks, FailBlog.
"Improper removal of ticks greatly increases the risk of acquiring tick-borne infections. Squeezing the tick or putting substances on the tick to try to make it "back out" may aggravate it enough that it injects into you whatever disease organisms are inside it."
• Do not burn or use any substance on tick
• Do not grasp, squeeze, or twist body of tick
• Grasp tick close to the skin with tweezers
• Pull tick straight out
• Use antiseptic on skin
• Disinfect tweezers
• Wash hands thoroughly
• Always see a physician for possible diagnosis, testing, and treatment
• If desired, can save tick to be tested at tick testing laboratory
Wait.
Why am I giving you a PSA regarding these little critters?
It could be that I just got out of BED and had a tick stuck to my thigh nom-nom-nomming on my extra skin. She/he didn't get embedded into my flesh, but I assumed she/he was, so I calmly went to look for tweezers and alcohol and to Not Scream.
Now, this is not surprising. I live sort of in the woods. But, the fact that it was nomming on me, the least likely person in the house to acquire a tick, in my bed, makes it more obvious that we need to check for them. And, yesterday, when I spent much of the time indoors at appointments; the only time I was near the grass or wildlife was in a lawn chair on my porch sitting in the sun for a half hour.
The obvious offender/host is the Family Dog. My dog has had ticks aplenty, but she is not allowed in my room at ALL. If this little blood sucker was in my bed, it either came to bed in my pants, (thanks!) or in my four year old's hair and found me.
Getting a tick-sick would be awesome right now. No, no it wouldn't. I will assume I'm good since the damn thing did not dig into me, but here is your PSA just as well as mine, CHECK YOUR HEAD, your dog, your house.
I watch Hoarders. People who come across the show may post on Facebook --
I often find myself thinking "How can they live like this?" during the show -- but I never think "Why can't you just stop?"
Hoarding is a lot like morbid obesity.
Hoarding is a very visible manifestation of a psychological or emotional problem.
Morbid obesity is very often a very visible manifestation of a psychological or emotional problem.
About Hoarding -
Hoarding, also called compulsive hoarding and compulsive hoarding syndrome, can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). But many people who hoard don't have other OCD-related symptoms, and researchers are working to better understand hoarding as a distinct mental health problem.
Both issues are serious, and often life-altering. While watching Hoarders last night, I said to my husband, "Hoarding is like inside-out obesity."
He didn't get it. It made sense to me! (Maybe I am taking too many neurological drugs, this latest one has brought back the dreams to my sleep. Forgive me if this makes no sense to you. O-o)
With hoarding, your issues are given a tangible presence. You can see, feel, and touch your emotional problems, sort of. They are all stacked up, thrown about, discarded around the house, or bought from the Home Shopping Network.
With morbid obesity, your woes are also given an actual presence, you can see your issues, you wear them.
Now, don't assume that I am stating that every. single. MO person gets that way due to a psychological issue, but, if 4X tee fits, we should probably wear it.
(Also, many obese people claim that they are just fine the way they are, and never would feel that their obesity was a negative presence. Size acceptance is a wonderful thing, and should be encouraged at ANY SIZE. I would be one of the first to say that I was "Fine the way I was, deal with it." Please don't think I am judging the fat person. I am still 320 pounds in my head.)
But for many, it's not. Eating is a band-aid for the wound.
However, when obesity is actually the result of emotional distress, learned coping skills from prior trauma, when food is used as a comfort, it becomes obvious. It's obvious to ourselves and everyone around us, we are fat, we have issues and they show.
In hoarding, possessions (not food) are given the power over a person to comfort them. The objects are the obvious cue that something is not right.
Many of the behaviors between the two -- hoarding and overeating to morbid obesity -- overlap. Food or objects as comfort. Quelling bad feelings WITH something.
Sometimes after a person has weight loss surgery, behaviors creep up after the comfort of food is taken away.
One behavior in particular that seems to come up in common with hoarding and a post weight loss surgery patient? The accumulation of THINGS, POSSESSIONS, CLOTHES... people feel compelled to go and get THINGS to fulfill a void where the food used to go.
"I simply NEED this _______ because <insert validation here.>" Even if they don't have the means to pay for it.
While I don't know if any of my WLS peers have become compulsive hoarders -- that may be a very extreme example -- I do know many have become compulsive shoppers, returners, spenders, gamblers, and so on. Hoarding appears to be triggered from a traumatic event, the post weight loss surgery patient wants to fill something... a need, a want, a loss... over and over.
A HIGH percentage of morbidly obese persons who have weight loss surgery have dealt with severe trauma as well.
"The psychology is relatively straightforward: being abused or otherwise traumatized is painful, and food can be a numbing or comforting escape. Hence, abused children may turn to overeating, which causes obesity. Indeed, Adverse Childhood Experiences are also strongly linked with other types of unhealthy "self-medication": for instance, cigarette smoking (which accounts for the increased rate of emphysema among high ACE scorers) and drug abuse (having four or more ACEs increases the risk of injectable-drug use by a factor of 10). As Felitti puts it, "Being fat [or having other unhealthy behaviors] is not the problem. It's the solution."
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1951240-2,00.html#ixzz19Yg38hru
It's only natural to assume that there's something to be fixed, somewhere.
I can't begin to understand the hoarding disorder, because I don't live with it, but I realize that there's no such thing as, "Why can't you just stop?"
It's not that simple. Could you just STOP eating? Did you?
I have to talk about it. I have been approached SIX DIFFERENT TIMES this week about "Shakeology."
On my Facebook page, on Obesity Help, in replies to comments and personal message, and on my blog. What is up with this surge? I have not seen this product on TV or advertised online? (Then again, I don't watch much TV, but I am an avid consumer of all things health-related online.)
It started with an email:
"Hey check this out, what do you think about the nutrition of this drink?"
Um, okay? That was my reaction. I really did think, well, okay? Updated - the woman who sent me the link, told me later that she thought I might consider selling the product.
My first impression: It looked like a lower-protein drink with too many carbs for a WLS post op, and a BOAT load of ingredients that you don't normally see in a "meal replacement shake."
Some of them, intrigued me, I could use a ACAI berry right upside my head right about now. Perfectly honest reaction - I thought nothing of it! I did not look further, at the price, or where it came from, mostly because the carbs were higher than I'd particularly choose for this blog --
Then, "OMG! THIS CHANGED MY LIIIIIIIIIIIFE!"
And, "Look at my results!"
Also, the Jaime Lee Curtis reaction is entirely too prevalent online -
"I am pooping for the first time in my life."
I tried to research Shakeology, or at least made a valiant effort!
Do you know how hard it is to find information about this product?
There are very few reviews from folks are not actively promoting the product and selling it. Beachbody coaches make $29.75 on each bag of Shakeology sold to the customer. Super, but I am looking for consumer reviews -- I can't find any from ANYONE who IS NOT CURRENTLY SELLING THE PRODUCT or LOOKING TO GET PERSONS IN THEIR DOWNLINE.
What is Shakeology? It's a Very Expensive Meal Replacement Shake.
I don't have anything to say about the product in a review capacity because I haven't tried it.
One shake a day, for thirty days = $119.00. =:o
I suppose if I were using the product and magically losing weight and feeling amazing I would share with you "HOW IT CHANGED MY LIIIIIIIIFE!!!" too, but... I am not sure you'd ever believe me if I joined a MLM. (I have. Hi Shaklee Lady! I lasted, a month. I also made zero money. Not motivating.)
Anyone out there TRY Shakeology and not selling it? Please let me know!
UPDATE - I got samples, and signed up to sell it. *down goes the first shake!*
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.
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