Re: Subject: suicide? -- Sheryl

[Guest guest]

Sheryl:

> I specifically asked the psychiatrist what

> the purpose of seeing her before my WLS was,

> and she told me that when people are depressed

> they have a much harder time dealing with the

> aftereffects of the surgery.

Hmm... I hope that's not the ONLY reason the shrink gave you?

I asked my mom about the psych eval beforehand. (Mom received her

PhD in both personality & clinical psychology from UC Berkeley, did

her residency at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco, and practiced

for about 15 years before retiring due to ill health.) Mom said they

are probably trying to weed out:

[1] people who cannot or will not follow the doctors' aftercare

and/or long-term followup programs; and,

[2] people who are seeking WLS thinking that it will cure deeper

underlying psychological difficulties; and,

[3] people who might commit suicide due to post-op depression and/or

the failure of the surgery to accomplish #2.

Then, when I had my consult with the shrink at USC, the first thing

he asked me was, " Why do you think we have you (the patients) go

through a psychological evaluation? " To which I replied, " To weed

out the psychotics, potential suicides, and non-compliant patients? "

He smiled, nodded his head, and added, " And to make sure you

understand what you are agreeing to. "

> I have never heard suicide mentioned

> by any of the health care professionals.

Well, now you have!

> Saying that suicide is a " ...quirky

> possible side effect... " is not accurate.

That's true. Nan has this really annoying habit of trying to be

light-hearted about things all the time. (BAD GIRL NAN! BAD! Go

sit in your " timeout " chair for ten minutes!)

What Nan should have said was, " Occasionally, after a major surgery,

a patient, (especially one who is prone to deep depression and/or

deeply depressed prior to surgery and/or who has unrealistic

expectations as to what changes WLS will/can make to his/her

personality), may develop a strong urge to slit his/her wrists, hang

him/herself, take a bath with an electrical appliance, sit in a

garage with the motor running until asphyxia sets in, disembowel

him/herself, take a long nap in a gas oven with the pilot light off,

blow his/her brains out with a firearm, eat a large quantity of rat

poison or other toxic substance, jump off a tall building, drive at

high speed into a freeway abuttment, take a very long walk on a short

pier, and/or the like. "

There! I hope that clears up this subject!

Tom

[Guest guest]

> I specifically asked the psychiatrist what

> > the purpose of seeing her before my WLS was,

> > and she told me that when people are depressed

> > they have a much harder time dealing with the

> > aftereffects of the surgery. >>>>>>

I wonder.....do they have these as requirements for those undergoing heart

bypass surgery??

Judie

>