Re: One year Update! Revision???

August 16, 2001

Dinah,

I'm so sorry you are disappointed in your weight loss. But being off the

meds is WONDERFUL. I bet you feel a lot better!

Hugs,

in Ark

August 16, 2001

Dinah,

When did you stop losing weight? How slow was your weight loss.

I agree, it sux to still weigh 231.

Manda

> Today is my anniversary. One year. I have lost 60 pounds! Yeah! I

am

> off the BP meds so that is great! I feel better...that is great! I

> can exercise without pain...that is great! But it really sucks to

> still weigh 231 lbs after having weight loss surgery!

>

> I would like to talk to anyone who has had a revision are talked to

> Dr R about a revision. I'm not sure I could do it again, but I

would

> like to know the facts.

>

> Dr R if you are reading, I would like to have a private e-mail from

> you about my options. How does the revision work? What is the cost?

> Could you perform it? etc.

>

> Dinah in AL

> mgb 081600

> 291/231

August 17, 2001

Congratulations, Dinah, on a better state of health. That much is great! I

understand how you feel about still weighing more than you'd like. I'm sure

we all sympathize. But your attitude is wonderful and I'm hoping only the

best comes your way. Let us know what you ultimately decide. PhillyJude

August 17, 2001

Hi Manda, I was a slow loser fromthe beginning. Here is a copy of my

weight loss schedule. Thanks for the sympathy! *smile*

Dinah

Clinic

Aug 15, 2000 291 lbs

Surgery

Aug 16, 2000 291 lbs

Sept 19, 2000 275 lbs down 16 lbs Total 16#

1 month

Oct 18, 2000 266 lbs down 9 more lbs total 25# 2

months

Nov 16, 2000 259 lbs down 7 more lbs total 32# 3

months

Jan 18, 2001 249 lbs down 10 more lbs total 42# 5

months

Feb 19, 2001 246 lbs down 3 more lbs total 45#

6 months

Mar 14, 2001 242 lbs down 4 more lbs total 49#

7 months

Apr 16, 2001 242 lbs down 0 more lbs total 49#

8 months

May 2, 2001 242 lbs down 0 more lbs total 49#

8.5 months

June 14,2001 237 lbs down 5 more lbs total 54# 10

months

July 16, 2001 232 down 5 more lbs total 59#

11 months

July 16, 2001 231 down 1 more lb total 60#

> > Today is my anniversary. One year. I have lost 60 pounds! Yeah! I

> am

> > off the BP meds so that is great! I feel better...that is great!

I

> > can exercise without pain...that is great! But it really sucks to

> > still weigh 231 lbs after having weight loss surgery!

> >

> > I would like to talk to anyone who has had a revision are talked

to

> > Dr R about a revision. I'm not sure I could do it again, but I

> would

> > like to know the facts.

> >

> > Dr R if you are reading, I would like to have a private e-mail

from

> > you about my options. How does the revision work? What is the

cost?

> > Could you perform it? etc.

> >

> > Dinah in AL

> > mgb 081600

> > 291/231

August 17, 2001

-- In @y..., " Dinah Boatwright " <dinah@a...> wrote:

> Today is my anniversary. One year. I have lost 60 pounds!

> Dinah in AL

> mgb 081600

> 291/231

Dinah, I remember when we met in clinic. We thought that at one year post op

we would be skinny minis! I hate that this did not happen for us!

I know people look at my 115 pounds lost and say...But Beth! you lost over

100 pounds! Why are you complaining?

I am complaining because I had surgery one year to the day from Carnie

, weighing 70 pounds more than her, and I truly had thought the MGB

would give me the same if not more weight loss at a year as the RNY did for

her. She had lost 140 - 150 at one year.

And not just her success but, three of the women who had MGB surgery the week

we did Dinah, they have lost 150 pounds! Why not us?

I REFUSE to accept blame for this!

I REFUSE to say that if I had only taken my protein better or if I had never

missed one single dose of citrucel or if I had never ever ever let a bit of

chocolate cross my lips.......then I would have lost like them. That is NOT

True!

Some of the great losers NEVER drank a protein shake! Some have rarely

remembered their citrucel. Some have not seen the inside of a gym in their

lives!!!

I have been working out since one month post op! I have been taking my

citrucel daily. I have been eating better and watching fat and sugar intake!

I do not for one second feel it is the result of noncompliance!

I am a strong believer that the number of feet bypassed claims most of the

glory or blame.

My littermate Michele had 8 - 81/2 ft bypassed. I know because I was with

her mother when Dr. R came out and gave the report. My husband was told that

I had 6ft bypassed.

She has lost 150 pounds......I have lost 115.

She weighs 216; I weigh 255.

She was fully insured.....I was self pay!

I paid $15,000 and got less bypassed and some days I am really really pissed

about it.....especially since I will NEVER be able to afford to self pay

again!

I am 5'2 and weigh 255 pounds one year after having my digestive system

restricted.

I have written Dr. R about a revision because I still have 120 - 140 to lose.

He seemed concerned in his first letter to me and asked my stats. Then he

sent back a letter that said.... " So you have lost 100 pounds? "

That really sounded to me like.....What are you complaining about Ms. Brown?

Then I sent him my stats that show I had stopped losing to barely a trickle

at around 7 months.

He then asked about my supplement intake.

To me that was saying ....Ohhh but Ms. Brown you were noncompliant weren't

you?

I sent him my supplement intake AND my opinion of their worth!

He has not written back.

Dinah, Sweetie, I completely feel your pain and frustration. Furthermore, I

feel there is a hidden population of MGBers that are also very upset with

their weight loss stats. They are just not comfortable posting. I can

understand that.....because it really really galls me to know that my post

may be used by the antiMGB militia in their crusade. But damn them! They

will NOT keep me from posting my truths!

Nor will the shame from not being the best loser ...that will not keep me

from posting my truths.

Nor with the fear that someone will say that I am at fault for not being the

perfect post op will stop me from posting my aggravation and frustration with

not having enough intestines bypassed.

As a matter of fact, I think the silent post ops should be ashamed for

keeping silent! Not the ones of us who tell our truths and hope that others

will get a better bypass because of it!

But, Girlie, that does not help us now, does it? And I really dont know what

to do about this. I am considering other doctors and other options if Dr. R

is unwilling to help us figure this out. I trust his skill and had hoped

that he would have a vested interest in our success, therefore try and help

us get there! I hope I was not wrong about him!

I have begun writing other Doctors and WLS experts to ask their opinion. I

will keep you updated on anything I find out.

Hold your head high and be proud of your courage and your hard work! As my

bestest buddy and crippled cheerleader would say: We are going to find

a way! We are far to determined to give up now!!!!

Love and respect,

Bethie

August 17, 2001

I fully understand the frustration of believing we haven't lost enough weight

or lost it fast enough. I, too, am on the low end of the weight loss scale

and my weight loss has slowed to barely even a trickle.

However, each of us has different bodies, with different chemical makeups,

different metabolisms, etc., etc., etc. Who knows why one person loses a lot

very, very fast and another person loses much much less and loses it very

slowly. Isn't it a mystery why one person can eat a high fat diet and stay

slim while another eats a low fat diet and balloons up. It can be very, very

frustrating to undergo major surgery and not lose as much weight as fast as

we hoped.

I hope you find the answers to your questions. My heart goes out to you.

But until then congratulations on the 100+ lbs. you have lost. I hope that

one day I'll be able to join the 100 lb. club.

Janice

August 17, 2001

I couldn't have said this better myself....my heart just breaks for *anyone*

who has lost less than they need to.

Tricia in IL

In a message dated 8/17/01 11:34:00 AM, igs4me2001@... writes:

<< Oh, Bethie and Dinah!

My heart just breaks for you. No matter how much better you feel I can

understand your frustration. We all went into this hoping for the brass

ring. You expect drastic results from drastic measures and drastic money.

I agree with Beth - I don't think it matters much what we do or don't do. It

is pretty much out of our hands. We all tend to want something to blame.

After all, haven't we all been blamed our whole lives?? Haven't we all been

made to feel like utter failures? I will never forget what Dr. R told us at

clinic about blaming ourselves for being fat: " Sure, you haven't made good

food choices and you haven't exercised. But I can show you thousands of thin

people who haven't made good food choices and haven't exercised. Stop

blaming yourselves and get on with it. "

Unfortunately it seems that there are going to be a small percentage of

people that do not have the " normal/average " weight loss from this surgery.

It's a crap-shoot. And I hope Dr. R addresses this problem. Plan B??

Although we were all told up front that there are no guarantees, it doesn't

lessen the pain and disappointment when you happen to be the one it happens

to.

I sure hope this is making sense. What I want to say is- do not accept

blame. It's not your fault. I am so sorry for what you are going through

and I know that " there, but for the grace of God, go I " . I have pretty

much stopped losing since 6 months. Luckily that 6 months put me close to

goal. But what if it wouldn't have? In any event, it doesn't help anybody

to pretend it doesn't happen or to blame the victims. And if we can't be

honest with each other - our MGB family - what's the point?

>>

August 17, 2001

You're right, Beth. We DO need to stand up and be heard! I was at clinic with

both these ladies, Beth and Dinah. They were there for their pre-op clinic and

I was there for my post-op clinic to get my staples out (the ones I didn't pull

in the bathroom at work with my office staple remover, that is--when it itches,

it's gotta come OUT!!!).

I have had extremely disappointing weight loss, too. At my last PCP visit

before my surgery on 08/04/00, I weighed 303. At my last visit, 08/10/01 (one

year and six days post-op), my weight was 219. That's 84 pounds. EIGHTY FOUR

DAMNED POUNDS! For that, I endured major surgery. For that, I went against

what my husband preferred. For that, I risked my life. For that, I made two

trips to the emergency room at about 2 weeks post-op, one of them 12 hours long,

an ambulance ride from said er back to Durham Regional, tests out the

wazzo--including the noxious crap you have to manage to keep down long enough

for the tests before you throw it back up--and 3 days in the hospital taking IV

antibiotics. Another 3 weeks taking oral antibiotics.

Do I want any of those pounds back? NO. If I never lost another pound, would I

be satisfied? NO.

I've done it all too. Dieting. Exercising. Went all weekend one time without

anything solid. Protein shakes were all I consumed. Lost 5 pounds. Ate

breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Monday. Gained all 5 pounds back.

Since Christmas (EIGHT months ago), I've lost ONE size--not really even an

entire size--I was in a loose 20, now I'm in a good-fitting 18.

We haven't done anything wrong. We got gyped.

Kathi Brandes

August 17, 2001

Bethie, If you can't express your true feelings here, then where? You have

every right to be frustrated, I am just not totally ready to blame Dr. R. I

think it is a judgment call as to how much to bypass in an individual

patient and he errs, thank GOD, on the safe side. I am sure your height was

probably his concern. He told me once, it was an imperfect surgery

performed by an imperfect surgeon. I didn't expect perfection, but I sure

share your disappointment.

I am not so sure we should really go through with your revision on my

kitchen table however, I am just a little worried about you biting on that

bullet for so long, and I am not sure I REALLY trust Amy and Trish with a

stapler, no matter what they say!

I am not ready to " take the blame " either. I remember Dr R talking about a

twin study where identical twins were reared apart....the only difference in

the two was their lifestyles. The twin that had a very active lifestyle

weighed less than the twin who didn't....4 pounds... So..I think exercise is

great and we should all be doing it to be healthier and have stronger

bones( as I am now your favorite cripple) and muscles BUT...I don't think it

is the reason our losses stopped. I suspect our losses stopped because

enough was not bypassed, PERIOD. I don't blame Dr. R, however, he is

playing with nature and trying to do something that will work well enough

without causing any harm...you got to admit, that is pretty hard to do...It

is just a BITCH when you self-paid...BUT we WILL find a way....Hang in there

sweetie, I love you!

Re: One year Update! Revision???

-- In @y..., " Dinah Boatwright " <dinah@a...> wrote:

> Today is my anniversary. One year. I have lost 60 pounds!

> Dinah in AL

> mgb 081600

> 291/231

Dinah, I remember when we met in clinic. We thought that at one year post

op

we would be skinny minis! I hate that this did not happen for us!

I know people look at my 115 pounds lost and say...But Beth! you lost over

100 pounds! Why are you complaining?

I am complaining because I had surgery one year to the day from Carnie

, weighing 70 pounds more than her, and I truly had thought the MGB

would give me the same if not more weight loss at a year as the RNY did for

her. She had lost 140 - 150 at one year.

And not just her success but, three of the women who had MGB surgery the

week

we did Dinah, they have lost 150 pounds! Why not us?

I REFUSE to accept blame for this!

I REFUSE to say that if I had only taken my protein better or if I had never

missed one single dose of citrucel or if I had never ever ever let a bit of

chocolate cross my lips.......then I would have lost like them. That is NOT

True!

Some of the great losers NEVER drank a protein shake! Some have rarely

remembered their citrucel. Some have not seen the inside of a gym in their

lives!!!

I have been working out since one month post op! I have been taking my

citrucel daily. I have been eating better and watching fat and sugar

intake!

I do not for one second feel it is the result of noncompliance!

I am a strong believer that the number of feet bypassed claims most of the

glory or blame.

My littermate Michele had 8 - 81/2 ft bypassed. I know because I was with

her mother when Dr. R came out and gave the report. My husband was told

that

I had 6ft bypassed.

She has lost 150 pounds......I have lost 115.

She weighs 216; I weigh 255.

She was fully insured.....I was self pay!

I paid $15,000 and got less bypassed and some days I am really really pissed

about it.....especially since I will NEVER be able to afford to self pay

again!

I am 5'2 and weigh 255 pounds one year after having my digestive system

restricted.

I have written Dr. R about a revision because I still have 120 - 140 to

lose.

He seemed concerned in his first letter to me and asked my stats. Then he

sent back a letter that said.... " So you have lost 100 pounds? "

That really sounded to me like.....What are you complaining about Ms. Brown?

Then I sent him my stats that show I had stopped losing to barely a trickle

at around 7 months.

He then asked about my supplement intake.

To me that was saying ....Ohhh but Ms. Brown you were noncompliant weren't

you?

I sent him my supplement intake AND my opinion of their worth!

He has not written back.

Dinah, Sweetie, I completely feel your pain and frustration. Furthermore, I

feel there is a hidden population of MGBers that are also very upset with

their weight loss stats. They are just not comfortable posting. I can

understand that.....because it really really galls me to know that my post

may be used by the antiMGB militia in their crusade. But damn them! They

will NOT keep me from posting my truths!

Nor will the shame from not being the best loser ...that will not keep me

from posting my truths.

Nor with the fear that someone will say that I am at fault for not being the

perfect post op will stop me from posting my aggravation and frustration

with

not having enough intestines bypassed.

As a matter of fact, I think the silent post ops should be ashamed for

keeping silent! Not the ones of us who tell our truths and hope that others

will get a better bypass because of it!

But, Girlie, that does not help us now, does it? And I really dont know

what

to do about this. I am considering other doctors and other options if Dr. R

is unwilling to help us figure this out. I trust his skill and had hoped

that he would have a vested interest in our success, therefore try and help

us get there! I hope I was not wrong about him!

I have begun writing other Doctors and WLS experts to ask their opinion. I

will keep you updated on anything I find out.

Hold your head high and be proud of your courage and your hard work! As my

bestest buddy and crippled cheerleader would say: We are going to

find

a way! We are far to determined to give up now!!!!

Love and respect,

Bethie

August 17, 2001

Bethie

I'm sure you are frustrated. Have you totally stopped losing? It has been

said we will continue to lose for 18 months. Personally I think a great deal

of weather or not we are a fast or slow loser depends on our genes. I think

I am fortunate to be a fast loser and would be satisfied to stop now. Isn't

it weird how different this is for each of us. I wish you luck and hope you

still continue to lose.

mgb 12/13/00 239/147

Re: One year Update! Revision???

-- In @y..., " Dinah Boatwright " <dinah@a...> wrote:

> Today is my anniversary. One year. I have lost 60 pounds!

> Dinah in AL

> mgb 081600

> 291/231

Dinah, I remember when we met in clinic. We thought that at one year post

op

we would be skinny minis! I hate that this did not happen for us!

I know people look at my 115 pounds lost and say...But Beth! you lost over

100 pounds! Why are you complaining?

I am complaining because I had surgery one year to the day from Carnie

, weighing 70 pounds more than her, and I truly had thought the MGB

would give me the same if not more weight loss at a year as the RNY did for

her. She had lost 140 - 150 at one year.

And not just her success but, three of the women who had MGB surgery the

week

we did Dinah, they have lost 150 pounds! Why not us?

I REFUSE to accept blame for this!

I REFUSE to say that if I had only taken my protein better or if I had never

missed one single dose of citrucel or if I had never ever ever let a bit of

chocolate cross my lips.......then I would have lost like them. That is NOT

True!

Some of the great losers NEVER drank a protein shake! Some have rarely

remembered their citrucel. Some have not seen the inside of a gym in their

lives!!!

I have been working out since one month post op! I have been taking my

citrucel daily. I have been eating better and watching fat and sugar

intake!

I do not for one second feel it is the result of noncompliance!

I am a strong believer that the number of feet bypassed claims most of the

glory or blame.

My littermate Michele had 8 - 81/2 ft bypassed. I know because I was with

her mother when Dr. R came out and gave the report. My husband was told

that

I had 6ft bypassed.

She has lost 150 pounds......I have lost 115.

She weighs 216; I weigh 255.

She was fully insured.....I was self pay!

I paid $15,000 and got less bypassed and some days I am really really pissed

about it.....especially since I will NEVER be able to afford to self pay

again!

I am 5'2 and weigh 255 pounds one year after having my digestive system

restricted.

I have written Dr. R about a revision because I still have 120 - 140 to

lose.

He seemed concerned in his first letter to me and asked my stats. Then he

sent back a letter that said.... " So you have lost 100 pounds? "

That really sounded to me like.....What are you complaining about Ms. Brown?

Then I sent him my stats that show I had stopped losing to barely a trickle

at around 7 months.

He then asked about my supplement intake.

To me that was saying ....Ohhh but Ms. Brown you were noncompliant weren't

you?

I sent him my supplement intake AND my opinion of their worth!

He has not written back.

Dinah, Sweetie, I completely feel your pain and frustration. Furthermore, I

feel there is a hidden population of MGBers that are also very upset with

their weight loss stats. They are just not comfortable posting. I can

understand that.....because it really really galls me to know that my post

may be used by the antiMGB militia in their crusade. But damn them! They

will NOT keep me from posting my truths!

Nor will the shame from not being the best loser ...that will not keep me

from posting my truths.

Nor with the fear that someone will say that I am at fault for not being the

perfect post op will stop me from posting my aggravation and frustration

with

not having enough intestines bypassed.

As a matter of fact, I think the silent post ops should be ashamed for

keeping silent! Not the ones of us who tell our truths and hope that others

will get a better bypass because of it!

But, Girlie, that does not help us now, does it? And I really dont know

what

to do about this. I am considering other doctors and other options if Dr. R

is unwilling to help us figure this out. I trust his skill and had hoped

that he would have a vested interest in our success, therefore try and help

us get there! I hope I was not wrong about him!

I have begun writing other Doctors and WLS experts to ask their opinion. I

will keep you updated on anything I find out.

Hold your head high and be proud of your courage and your hard work! As my

bestest buddy and crippled cheerleader would say: We are going to

find

a way! We are far to determined to give up now!!!!

Love and respect,

Bethie

August 17, 2001

Manda,

Me too.....I fear I will stop losing and be stuck. I didn't lose anything

last week and am afraid to weigh again. I am racking my brain trying to

think what I did wrong. Did I do something wrong? Did I not exercise

enough? Do I need more exercise, protein, whatever? I am afraid, too. I

guess maybe we all are?

I feel so sorry for those who have lost even less than I have. I know if it

stopped now, I'd be so much better off than I was, but I would also be

disappointed and fear that I screwed up somehow. I can so relate to their

saying BUT I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG! because I believe them and know that

if my weight loss stops I will drive myself nuts wondering WHY ME? I am so

fortunate right now, and fearful that maybe I've done all I'm gonna do

already. I can't imagine months of the mental torture. If I needed a

revision, I sure wouldn't want to be asked to do another packet....that's

nuts. AND I would want a discount too. I really would. I guess since I'm

only 5 months out, I've been lucky...now I dread the rest of the year....I

fear it, failure, even later on weight gain.

So far I am very lucky....but fate is fickle, isn't it? And hearing these

stories scares me. I am GLAD they are sharing, but honestly, it does make a

person realize that it could end tomorrow and then what?

Sad for others, scared for us,

in Ark

August 17, 2001

Oh, Bethie and Dinah!

My heart just breaks for you. No matter how much better you feel I can

understand your frustration. We all went into this hoping for the brass ring.

You expect drastic results from drastic measures and drastic money.

I agree with Beth - I don't think it matters much what we do or don't do. It is

pretty much out of our hands. We all tend to want something to blame. After

all, haven't we all been blamed our whole lives?? Haven't we all been made to

feel like utter failures? I will never forget what Dr. R told us at clinic

about blaming ourselves for being fat: " Sure, you haven't made good food

choices and you haven't exercised. But I can show you thousands of thin people

who haven't made good food choices and haven't exercised. Stop blaming

yourselves and get on with it. "

Unfortunately it seems that there are going to be a small percentage of people

that do not have the " normal/average " weight loss from this surgery. It's a

crap-shoot. And I hope Dr. R addresses this problem. Plan B?? Although we

were all told up front that there are no guarantees, it doesn't lessen the pain

and disappointment when you happen to be the one it happens to.

I sure hope this is making sense. What I want to say is- do not accept blame.

It's not your fault. I am so sorry for what you are going through and I know

that " there, but for the grace of God, go I " . I have pretty much stopped

losing since 6 months. Luckily that 6 months put me close to goal. But what if

it wouldn't have? In any event, it doesn't help anybody to pretend it doesn't

happen or to blame the victims. And if we can't be honest with each other - our

MGB family - what's the point?

Margaret in St. Louis

MGBethie@... wrote: -- In @y..., " Dinah Boatwright " <dinah@a...>

wrote:

> Today is my anniversary. One year. I have lost 60 pounds!

> Dinah in AL

> mgb 081600

> 291/231

Dinah, I remember when we met in clinic. We thought that at one year post op

we would be skinny minis! I hate that this did not happen for us!

I know people look at my 115 pounds lost and say...But Beth! you lost over

100 pounds! Why are you complaining?

I am complaining because I had surgery one year to the day from Carnie

, weighing 70 pounds more than her, and I truly had thought the MGB

would give me the same if not more weight loss at a year as the RNY did for

her. She had lost 140 - 150 at one year.

And not just her success but, three of the women who had MGB surgery the week

we did Dinah, they have lost 150 pounds! Why not us?

I REFUSE to accept blame for this!

I REFUSE to say that if I had only taken my protein better or if I had never

missed one single dose of citrucel or if I had never ever ever let a bit of

chocolate cross my lips.......then I would have lost like them. That is NOT

True!

Some of the great losers NEVER drank a protein shake! Some have rarely

remembered their citrucel. Some have not seen the inside of a gym in their

lives!!!

I have been working out since one month post op! I have been taking my

citrucel daily. I have been eating better and watching fat and sugar intake!

I do not for one second feel it is the result of noncompliance!

I am a strong believer that the number of feet bypassed claims most of the

glory or blame.

My littermate Michele had 8 - 81/2 ft bypassed. I know because I was with

her mother when Dr. R came out and gave the report. My husband was told that

I had 6ft bypassed.

She has lost 150 pounds......I have lost 115.

She weighs 216; I weigh 255.

She was fully insured.....I was self pay!

I paid $15,000 and got less bypassed and some days I am really really pissed

about it.....especially since I will NEVER be able to afford to self pay

again!

I am 5'2 and weigh 255 pounds one year after having my digestive system

restricted.

I have written Dr. R about a revision because I still have 120 - 140 to lose.

He seemed concerned in his first letter to me and asked my stats. Then he

sent back a letter that said.... " So you have lost 100 pounds? "

That really sounded to me like.....What are you complaining about Ms. Brown?

Then I sent him my stats that show I had stopped losing to barely a trickle

at around 7 months.

He then asked about my supplement intake.

To me that was saying ....Ohhh but Ms. Brown you were noncompliant weren't

you?

I sent him my supplement intake AND my opinion of their worth!

He has not written back.

Dinah, Sweetie, I completely feel your pain and frustration. Furthermore, I

feel there is a hidden population of MGBers that are also very upset with

their weight loss stats. They are just not comfortable posting. I can

understand that.....because it really really galls me to know that my post

may be used by the antiMGB militia in their crusade. But damn them! They

will NOT keep me from posting my truths!

Nor will the shame from not being the best loser ...that will not keep me

from posting my truths.

Nor with the fear that someone will say that I am at fault for not being the

perfect post op will stop me from posting my aggravation and frustration with

not having enough intestines bypassed.

As a matter of fact, I think the silent post ops should be ashamed for

keeping silent! Not the ones of us who tell our truths and hope that others

will get a better bypass because of it!

But, Girlie, that does not help us now, does it? And I really dont know what

to do about this. I am considering other doctors and other options if Dr. R

is unwilling to help us figure this out. I trust his skill and had hoped

that he would have a vested interest in our success, therefore try and help

us get there! I hope I was not wrong about him!

I have begun writing other Doctors and WLS experts to ask their opinion. I

will keep you updated on anything I find out.

Hold your head high and be proud of your courage and your hard work! As my

bestest buddy and crippled cheerleader would say: We are going to find

a way! We are far to determined to give up now!!!!

Love and respect,

Bethie

August 17, 2001

what a kind and thoughtful letter, thanks, I needed that!

Re: Re: One year Update! Revision???

Oh, Bethie and Dinah!

My heart just breaks for you. No matter how much better you feel I can

understand your frustration. We all went into this hoping for the brass

ring. You expect drastic results from drastic measures and drastic money.

I agree with Beth - I don't think it matters much what we do or don't do.

It is pretty much out of our hands. We all tend to want something to blame.

After all, haven't we all been blamed our whole lives?? Haven't we all been

made to feel like utter failures? I will never forget what Dr. R told us

at clinic about blaming ourselves for being fat: " Sure, you haven't made

good food choices and you haven't exercised. But I can show you thousands

of thin people who haven't made good food choices and haven't exercised.

Stop blaming yourselves and get on with it. "

Unfortunately it seems that there are going to be a small percentage of

people that do not have the " normal/average " weight loss from this surgery.

It's a crap-shoot. And I hope Dr. R addresses this problem. Plan B??

Although we were all told up front that there are no guarantees, it doesn't

lessen the pain and disappointment when you happen to be the one it happens

to.

I sure hope this is making sense. What I want to say is- do not accept

blame. It's not your fault. I am so sorry for what you are going through

and I know that " there, but for the grace of God, go I " . I have pretty

much stopped losing since 6 months. Luckily that 6 months put me close to

goal. But what if it wouldn't have? In any event, it doesn't help

anybody to pretend it doesn't happen or to blame the victims. And if we

can't be honest with each other - our MGB family - what's the point?

Margaret in St. Louis

MGBethie@... wrote: -- In @y..., " Dinah Boatwright "

<dinah@a...> wrote:

> Today is my anniversary. One year. I have lost 60 pounds!

> Dinah in AL

> mgb 081600

> 291/231

Dinah, I remember when we met in clinic. We thought that at one year post

op

we would be skinny minis! I hate that this did not happen for us!

I know people look at my 115 pounds lost and say...But Beth! you lost over

100 pounds! Why are you complaining?

I am complaining because I had surgery one year to the day from Carnie

, weighing 70 pounds more than her, and I truly had thought the MGB

would give me the same if not more weight loss at a year as the RNY did for

her. She had lost 140 - 150 at one year.

And not just her success but, three of the women who had MGB surgery the

week

we did Dinah, they have lost 150 pounds! Why not us?

I REFUSE to accept blame for this!

I REFUSE to say that if I had only taken my protein better or if I had never

missed one single dose of citrucel or if I had never ever ever let a bit of

chocolate cross my lips.......then I would have lost like them. That is NOT

True!

Some of the great losers NEVER drank a protein shake! Some have rarely

remembered their citrucel. Some have not seen the inside of a gym in their

lives!!!

I have been working out since one month post op! I have been taking my

citrucel daily. I have been eating better and watching fat and sugar

intake!

I do not for one second feel it is the result of noncompliance!

I am a strong believer that the number of feet bypassed claims most of the

glory or blame.

My littermate Michele had 8 - 81/2 ft bypassed. I know because I was with

her mother when Dr. R came out and gave the report. My husband was told

that

I had 6ft bypassed.

She has lost 150 pounds......I have lost 115.

She weighs 216; I weigh 255.

She was fully insured.....I was self pay!

I paid $15,000 and got less bypassed and some days I am really really pissed

about it.....especially since I will NEVER be able to afford to self pay

again!

I am 5'2 and weigh 255 pounds one year after having my digestive system

restricted.

I have written Dr. R about a revision because I still have 120 - 140 to

lose.

He seemed concerned in his first letter to me and asked my stats. Then he

sent back a letter that said.... " So you have lost 100 pounds? "

That really sounded to me like.....What are you complaining about Ms. Brown?

Then I sent him my stats that show I had stopped losing to barely a trickle

at around 7 months.

He then asked about my supplement intake.

To me that was saying ....Ohhh but Ms. Brown you were noncompliant weren't

you?

I sent him my supplement intake AND my opinion of their worth!

He has not written back.

Dinah, Sweetie, I completely feel your pain and frustration. Furthermore, I

feel there is a hidden population of MGBers that are also very upset with

their weight loss stats. They are just not comfortable posting. I can

understand that.....because it really really galls me to know that my post

may be used by the antiMGB militia in their crusade. But damn them! They

will NOT keep me from posting my truths!

Nor will the shame from not being the best loser ...that will not keep me

from posting my truths.

Nor with the fear that someone will say that I am at fault for not being the

perfect post op will stop me from posting my aggravation and frustration

with

not having enough intestines bypassed.

As a matter of fact, I think the silent post ops should be ashamed for

keeping silent! Not the ones of us who tell our truths and hope that others

will get a better bypass because of it!

But, Girlie, that does not help us now, does it? And I really dont know

what

to do about this. I am considering other doctors and other options if Dr. R

is unwilling to help us figure this out. I trust his skill and had hoped

that he would have a vested interest in our success, therefore try and help

us get there! I hope I was not wrong about him!

I have begun writing other Doctors and WLS experts to ask their opinion. I

will keep you updated on anything I find out.

Hold your head high and be proud of your courage and your hard work! As my

bestest buddy and crippled cheerleader would say: We are going to

find

a way! We are far to determined to give up now!!!!

Love and respect,

Bethie

August 17, 2001

Ack Kathi,

You were one of my contacts. And why we are grumbling here, I

think it should be said that at least half of the contacts should be

true post ops. All of mine were just a few months out. I talked to

Kathi in January, and at that time, she was extremely satisfied. I

haven't met anyone who wasn't satisfied at 4 months. I think the

displeasure starts at about 6 months.

I am 5 months out, and my weight loss is one big plateu. I go 3

weeks without losing, and then majically lose 5 lbs. What if my week

goes away? I'm exactly halfway to where I want to be. I know my

next 70 will be hard, and I hope they come, oh GOD do I hope they

come.

But I think the days of people bashing people on the list for

reporting negativity is over. I truly do, in fact, I really haven't

seen any of it since I've had my surgery. I specifically looked for

people who had not lost the amount of weight that they had hoped to

lost at 1 year. I remember Dr R saying at clinic that it wouldn't be

your fault, that your body stabilizes to your new plumbing at one

time. Now I know there is no exact science of how much to bypass,

etc, but it seems to me, from what I've read of other surgeons that

they know exactly how much they bypass.

I do have to insert here that the story of not enough weight lost

is not specific to the MGB, I have a friend that had an RNY and she

has lost 80 at 5 months, and she started out over 400. This is very

low considering her height/size. Her weight loss has slowed

considerably after 3 months. She lost 25 lbs in the hospital.

However, when I had my MGB 5 months ago, I couldn't find one person

who wasn't pleased with the amount of weight that they had lost. I

think the people who are not happy with their weight loss should

express these feelings, not only to us, but to the pre-ops who can

make a more informed decision based on a more realisitc apprisal of

the situation. I still would have chosen the MGB, but I think that

we walk into this surgery thinking it is perfect, and it is

represented on the pre-op list as perfect.

I also remember Dr R saying at clinic that if you didn't lose the

weight you needed to lose to come back. I can't imagine why he would

make PATIENTS jump through the hoops. I've also heard that Dr R

considers a 50 lb weight loss a success. Now, as to the truth of

this statement, I don't know, I don't even remember who told me. 50

lbs is nothing for most of us. It is just a drop in the bucket when

your 174 lbs overweight, like me. I've read that 100+ lbs, kept off

for 5+ years is a success in the obesity surgery world. No what this

means to someone 200 lbs overweight, nothing, because you are still

morbidly obese. I think it would be more prudent to measure success

as related to each patient.

I am happy with my weight loss so far, but I live in fear, and

always have, that I'm going to be a member of the " needing revision "

group. I'm even more unhappy because this group seems to be growing

by leaps and bounds.

manda

> You're right, Beth. We DO need to stand up and be heard! I was at

clinic with both these ladies, Beth and Dinah. They were there for

their pre-op clinic and I was there for my post-op clinic to get my

staples out (the ones I didn't pull in the bathroom at work with my

office staple remover, that is--when it itches, it's gotta come

OUT!!!).

>

> I have had extremely disappointing weight loss, too. At my last

PCP visit before my surgery on 08/04/00, I weighed 303. At my last

visit, 08/10/01 (one year and six days post-op), my weight was 219.

That's 84 pounds. EIGHTY FOUR DAMNED POUNDS! For that, I endured

major surgery. For that, I went against what my husband preferred.

For that, I risked my life. For that, I made two trips to the

emergency room at about 2 weeks post-op, one of them 12 hours long,

an ambulance ride from said er back to Durham Regional, tests out the

wazzo--including the noxious crap you have to manage to keep down

long enough for the tests before you throw it back up--and 3 days in

the hospital taking IV antibiotics. Another 3 weeks taking oral

antibiotics.

>

> Do I want any of those pounds back? NO. If I never lost another

pound, would I be satisfied? NO.

>

> I've done it all too. Dieting. Exercising. Went all weekend one

time without anything solid. Protein shakes were all I consumed.

Lost 5 pounds. Ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Monday. Gained

all 5 pounds back.

>

> Since Christmas (EIGHT months ago), I've lost ONE size--not really

even an entire size--I was in a loose 20, now I'm in a good-fitting

18.

>

> We haven't done anything wrong. We got gyped.

>

> Kathi Brandes

August 17, 2001

Exactly, ! It doesn't take any time on a plateau for me to feel like a

total failure. I'm sure this comes from our YEARS of failing at every program

we have tried. Let's face it - if we were successful dieters we wouldn't be

MGB'rs, would we? I also think that the present state of affairs in MGB Land

does nothing to promote self confidence. It would help to know what is going

on. I am very happy with my outcome but when people ask me what kind of

surgery, etc, and act interested for themselves I don't know what to say. It

is so hard to explain without sounding like a kook. I hope Dr. R can

communicate something to all of us soon. I also think that LT had everybody so

crazed that anyone who said anything negative was jumped on right away thinking

it was coming from her camp. I'm glad we've gotten past that.

Margaret in St. Louis

Viligidiot@... wrote: Manda,