Weight loss gains and losses….

This past spring and summer has been awful for me. I gained 33 pounds during the later part of the spring and, after switching doctors and being able to get a decent fill (after a year and a half of being frustrated with the fill process), I’m now almost at the point where I can say the 33 is gone and I’m back on the losing track.

During the year and a half that I remained stagnant, I saw my surgeon on a regular basis for follow-ups and fills. What occurred were underfills/overfills/complete unfills and lots of waiting time in between one “fill” status change to another. At one point, I threw in the towel completely feeling that, with 100 more pounds to go, I had had it with “the process”. When this happened, I started to eat. The sad part was that the amount of time I was “unfilled” was long enough to have me return to old behaviors (including the “Screw it, I hate myself and I’ll just eat to feel better” attitude) and eat myself into a hefty gain.

After my last unsuccessful attempt at “hitting a sweet spot” (or any spot for that matter), I decided to switch practices and see if a new approach would help me. I also really needed to see if what was going on was 100% my failing or if there could be shared reason as to why I was failing so miserably at my weight loss when I had put so much energy into the process — and it was netting me zero results. Once I switched to a new doctor, it appears that, in fact, the whole fill/unfill “issue” was, in fact, NOT in my head and there was some merit to it being out of my control.

I won’t bore you with all of the details of what occurred, but the fact is that if you’re having issues with your weight loss and if you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing and nothing’s happening….it’s time to see if there are others who may be accountable for the problems you may be having. For me, it was a feeling that my doctor wasn’t listening to me, that I was being rushed in and out of my appointments and my concerns were glazed over (and never given the attention or consideration that I felt was necessary to get me losing again). The point is…..if you’re having difficulty with your surgeon and you’re not getting the results you are seeking, perhaps it’s time to move on and find someone who will attend to your concerns and needs and give you the care you are seeking.

Since I switched doctors, the 33 pounds are almost all off and I feel like a new person. The new practice is more supportive, more informative and less likely to blow off my concerns regarding my level of fill or problems I may be having. The point is, if your doctor is not providing the level of service you need or is not giving you a warm and fuzzy feeling — maybe it’s time to talk to others (within your WL community) about their experiences with their doctor and move on to find someone who WILL care for you — at whatever level you’re seeking.

I’m four months into seeing this new doctor and feel that, at least, I have a shot at getting this last 100 pounds off. Had you asked me in April whether or not this would have been possible, I would have said “no” — it was a crummy place to be and I wish this feeling on any one. If you’re not satisfied with your progress, get to the root of why you’re not progressing the way you’d like to be. Ultimately, you are responsible for your success or failure and part of being successful is making sure you have the right people helping you to do what you need to do. If you’re not in sync with your current doctor and you feel your needs aren’t being met (over a period of time) — I say move on — Doctors are just like anyone else — they don’t walk on water and can make mistakes…..a good doctor will admit when this has happened. If you happen to find yourself being treated by someone who doesn’t listen to you, won’t work with you or won’t admit that they could possibly be part of the problem….I say move on and find someone who will take you seriously.

WLS is a second chance at life. If you screw it up and don’t try to find out how to make it better, then, in my opinion, there’s a chance you’d headed back to square one and possible weight gain of amounts even more than from where you started. If you’re stuck and you feel your doctor is not helping you — get help from some other source. Unfortunately, when we choose a surgeon, we don’t always know much about his after care. Mine was a terrific surgeon and knew what he was doing……unfortunately, I don’t think he had the same level of after care. Some Bariatric doctors just “get it” while others are taking on bariatric patients without understanding the entire picture of bariatric weight loss. Please, please do your homework before surgery and, if it’s after surgery and things aren’t going the way you’d like them to, access the situation and, if you feel the doctor may be part of the problem– first talk to him/her and, if they don’t respond to your concerns….move on. Your relationship with your doctor is a critical piece of your success. Doing your homework and being assertive to your needs is key in your moving ahead with your progress.

Dawn