WLS Facebook Groups

more2adore

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2014
Messages
696
Location
Sydney, Australia
I do NOT know how you vets handle WLS Facebook groups. I made the mistake of joining several Aussie VSG FB groups, and I am about to lose my EVER LOVING MIND. :076::angry4::mad0245:

Australia is about 5 years behind the US in a lot of ways - and WLS is one of them. Here the lapband is only now starting to fall out of popularity, but there are still reputable surgeons pushing it on their patients (even SMO ones!).

We think surgeons giving out RNY advice for DS and sleeve happens all too often in the US - it's just as bad and maybe even moreso here. I've had to give up even mentioning the DS 99% of the time unless someone is asking for a viable alternative to everything else, because literally no one here has heard of it and they all look at me like I have 3 heads when I mention it. Clearly if it's not done in Australia it must be because it isn't a good surgery!

In one of the groups the other day, the group admin posted a link to an article that says that NSAIDs are bad for ALL bariatric surgeries. In response, I posted this:

While this is a BIG problem for RNYers (gastric bypass patients), it's not nearly as big a problem for people who have had the sleeve. Our stomachs can be easily accessed if there is a problem. Many surgeons give blanket advice for all bariatric surgeries and don't differentiate between advice for the RNY and sleeve (like they probably should), and will advise sleeve patients to avoid NSAIDs for this reason. As always, listen to your doctor, but do your own research as well and talk to them about it. I know quite a few people who were advised to have the sleeve or the duodenal switch rather than the RNY specifically BECAUSE they have to take NSAIDs. I'm one of those people. I take NSAIDs daily for knee pain and acetaminophen would do nothing to help it. That said, it absolutely doesn't hurt to avoid them just to be on the safe side if you don't have a specific reason you have to take them, and I totally understand people who do this! But if the ONLY thing that will help you is an NSAID, don't completely rule out the possibility if you're a sleever. Talk to your doctor.

After I posted this, all I got was arguments from the admin and from others about how THEIR surgeons had told them to avoid NSAIDs and they had the sleeve, so CLEARLY it must be true. Also, THIS ARTICLE said ALL bariatric patients, so it has to be true. ALSO, this one GI surgeon this one poster knows told her the same thing, so it MUST be true.

No amount of links I shared from reputable places like the ASMBS made a difference. They all acted like I was crazy/insane/argumentative and not one person supported me or agreed with me.

Oh, and don't get me started on how they react when I let them know that sleevers don't experience dumping like RNYers do. They all treat me like I am completely mental, every time I post, and never, ever believe that I know what I'm talking about. It makes me feel like the redheaded stepchild, but the WORST part is that there could be people in those groups who are going to decide not to have surgery that could save their life because they have to take NSAIDs!

It is just INFURIATING! I want to scream! :ahhhhhhh: I want to just leave those groups, but if I do, there will be NO ONE ever telling people in those groups the truth! Argh!

How do you vets not go crazy?!?!
 

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