Guest guest Posted September 6, 2002 Report Share Posted September 6, 2002 This isn't in response to any particular post, but just something that's been bothering me. Many people in the " weight loss surgery community " believe that certain practices can reduce our chances of getting wound complications or heart disease or diabetes or many other illnesses. Sometimes in our eagerness to advocate for those practices, we come very close to blaming people who are sick. Sometimes, for example, a person who believes in protein supplementation will want to say that it reduces the chances of getting a wound complication. Phrases like " reduce your chances " get lost in the shuffle, and the statements come out like " take your supplements and you won't get a wound complication. " As someone who's had wound complications, and learned from experts in the field, I can guarantee that the only way to avoid all wound complications is to never get wounded. Certainly, there are risk factors. (Those factors include smoking, obesity, poor circulatory health, inactivity, substance abuse, diabetes, advanced age, and poor nutrition.) Still, someone who doesn't have any risk factors can end up with a big giant wound complication. Sometimes when people with wound complications tell me about their wounds, they even mention that it must be their fault because they didn't do what someone on one of these lists espoused. I once was trying to make my plastic surgeon tell me I got a wound complication because I was fat. He didn't use these specific words, but he basically said that he'd taken care of people who were fatter than me, who didn't do anything he told them to do, who didn't even try to eat a nutritious diet and who had lots of other medical problems and they didn't get wound complications. You got a wound complication because you were unlucky. After having a wound complication, I've become more sensitive to talking to people about other risk factors. My godson is at high risk for diabetes, and I try to use gentler language when I encourage him to be active and eat a healthy diet. I say things like " you might be less likely to get diabetes when you're young if you try to walk as much as you can. Of course, some people walk and still get diabetes. " Anyway, I hope I haven't offended anyone. When people passionately believe that something is healthy, I want to know about it. Still, we all need to ask ourselves if what we're saying is helpful and kind. Do our words in any way imply that people who are ill somehow brought it on themselves? By the way, if you run across someone who has a wound complication or another medical problem, you might want to be aware that they may be depressed and blaming themselves about it. in St. Louis Open RNY 4/99, removal of gall bladder and extensive adhesions batwingectomy panniculectomy major wound complication and 2 revisions breasts and midrift thighs and major wound complication facelift 500/250/still working on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.