Re: Re: WLS stories

[Guest guest]

> ---Thanks for the link, but it doesn't work for me.

It just split between 2 lines. You can copy/paste each line into the browser

or use this tiny version:

http://tinyurl.com/2rtva5

> I take it mentioning the

> surgery is a no-no here.

The list rules were changed about a year ago to allow talk of it, especially

since a number of our members had it in the past and regained some to all of

their weight back and last year one of our older (in length of time

belonging to the list, not age) members had one of the surgeries done.

[Guest guest]

Some have very, very normal lives. Lots have very much enriched lives. I do know some who have had regrets, and some who have died, but I know more who are so very grateful for the lives they have now. Most of these I do know only in the support groups, but I do know a lot of them personally. One person dying is too many, but I do know not everyone regrets their decision. One of my very best friends died, another is leading the best life she's ever had, while yet another yo-yo's up and down. I'm grateful I had the choice, and I'm grateful I also have the choice to do this program now. Maybe I could interest the last one to try this program also. I think she'd like it. Lynn

p.s. If you're the one I read is pregnant, congrats to you. We're expecting a grandson in a few weeks, I can't wait to hold a little one again. Best wishes to you.

On 2/10/07, twinmom2701 <twinmom2791@...> wrote:

WOW! That was a powerful article. It's good to read an article that presents the other side of the story - the one that, at least based on the people I have known who had the surgery, is the more prevalent side. So many regrets, so many health problems, even death. That's what I've seen. People enjoying a " normal " life??? Nope. Twinmom >> For anyone even *thinking* about having weight loss surgery, read the latest article from Sandy Szwarc, RN, BSN, CCP:> http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/02/why-we-never-hear-why-

people-dont-talk.html> -- Some family trees bear an enormous crop of nuts. -Unknown

[Guest guest]

Hi there, I just wanted to tell you all that my sister had WLS and almost

died twice from complications.

from MO.

[Guest guest]

, I hope she's doing well now. I'm sorry that happened to her. Lynn

On 2/10/07, laurabutler6@... <laurabutler6@...

> wrote:

Hi there, I just wanted to tell you all that my sister had WLS and almost died twice from complications. from MO. -- Some family trees bear an enormous crop of nuts. -Unknown

[Guest guest]

Hi , how's your sister doing now? I'm months behind again - I'm glad to see you

I had a client who's sister did die from complications of the surgery. I also have a cousin, a friend and former co-worker who did the WLS and are doing fine - cousin has hernias as a result but she's happy - the other 2 did pretty well and all 3 would do it again. My doctor has offered the band surgery a few times but respects the fact that I say no way!

Live, Love, Laugh"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up."– Anne Lamott

Re: Re: WLS stories

Hi there, I just wanted to tell you all that my sister had WLS and almost died twice from complications. from MO.

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From: " Lynn " <lynn.maillard@...>

> Some have very, very normal lives. Lots have very much enriched lives. I

> do

> know some who have had regrets, and some who have died, but I know more

> who

> are so very grateful for the lives they have now.

Lynn, welcome to the group! I'm sorry to hear that you gained most of your

weight back after WLS. That is my fear. Do you have any restriction left?

Have you tried to go back to basics with protein first and not drinking with

meals? I'm sure you have. Do you use protein shakes? Why won't you

consider a revision?

After battling my weight for over 20 years I had WLS on March 31. I've lost

105 pounds and I feel fantastic. Unlike the blog implies I'm not lying or

in denial when I say that. This group is definately anti-WLS although

it's no longer forbidden to even mention the topic. I can understand the

feeling since I was anti-WLS for years and I didn't want to come to my

weight loss support list and hear about someone losing tons of weight

through surgery when I was trying to do it through controlling my eating and

exercise. I would never resort to surgery to lose weight! Well, I ended up

changing my mind obviously.

I know that I can regain the weight if I'm not damn careful for the rest of

my life. It boils down to water, portions and exercise. I can eat slider

foods or wash down too much food with liquid if I choose to. My surgeon

mutilated my stomach (as I've heard here several times) but my old habits,

taste buds and emotions are still very much intact. I'm very much aware

that surgery is merely a tool that we have to use properly to lose the

weight and keep it off.

Hmmm.... that might sound like a lecture but all I'm saying is that I can

understand how you regained your weight and there but for the grace of God

go I. It will take digging deep to do the " head work and the heart work " as

my support group calls it to keep the weight off for good. I'm on 5 e-mail

support groups for WLS and there is no BS unlike the silly blog says. I

know what I have to do to keep the weight off and I know how easily it can

come back on if I don't do my work. I had the surgery because I couldn't do

it without the tool of a tiny stomach or I guess I should say mutilated

digestive tract.

So why the heck do I stay here since I'm happily post-op? Good question. I

just can't tear myself away from Sue's doom and gloom posts. I care

about the people here and I feel like we're still in the same boat with the

challenges to lead a healthy life. I still would rather eat Cheetoes than

tomatoes and I'd rather watch TV than exercise. I agree with the fat

acceptance movement to a point and I definately understand trying to lose

weight without resorting to surgery since I felt the same way for years.

I feel like a normal person now. This week I really had to watch what I put

in my mouth and I went to the gym 3 times and I lost 2 pounds. The WLS

honeymoon is over and now it's just down to the day to day hard work.

Hopefully you still have some benefit from your surgery to help you on your

road to health.

Good luck! Stay here for lots of support and you can get back down to a

healthy weight.

By the way, you have a beautiful name. My 10 year old's name is Lynn.

Ann

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From: " lynnm777 " <lynn.maillard@...>

> and I'm thinking of hibernating in my scrapbook room till he leaves. LOL.

I have 6 and 10 year old girls. Luckily they aren't generally bounce off

the wall kids although they drive me crazy when they pick at each other.

Today they've been warned that if they start they will immediately be

banished to their rooms.

> I really thought you were rebuking me for saying I could never again get

> in a pool,

and for the sugar in my tea. LOL.

Not at all. With the sugar you need to count up the calories and decide if

it's worth it. Some calories are worth the price and some aren't. I

was asking how you feel about artificial sweeteners because some people here

think they are sent straight from hell to kill us slowly. I use them

all the time. I like iced tea with lots of lemon juice, Equal AND Sweet

n Low. Many people use Splenda even though they are anti-other

sweeteners but I don't find it sweet enough. Try the Equal/Sweet n Low

combo and see if you can find a mix that makes the tea taste palatable. I

use just a little Sweet n Low and lots of Equal. Too darn bad that you

don't dump on all that sugar. I don't really dump but too much sugar makes

my eyes water and makes me yawn uncontrollably and makes me very sleepy.

Apparently I have some reactive hypoglycemia. I'm glad I have a bad

reaction to sugar since it makes me tend to avoid it.

As far as water aerobics, it's my understanding that shallow water classes

and deep water classes are different. You could do deep water classes with

the flotation belt because you wouldn't stress your ankle. My sister has

literally had about 8 foot surgeries so if she can do water aerobics then

anyone can. She's short so she can edge out to deeper water and float even

if others are bouncing off the bottom of the pool.

I'm sorry my quick responses upset you. I should have made them sound

friendlier but it just didn't cross my mind that they would sound mean. I

was just throwing out ideas.

> I hope it's just the overwhelming stress I " m feeling that's made me so

> sensitive since joining.

Why are you feeling overwhelming stress? Are you getting help for the post

traumatic stress or is that pretty much in the past?

> I feel the love here, and desparately need the support at this time in my

> life. Oh,

darn, there go the tears.

Well, sometimes tears are cleansing. Here's a hanky. Now get a grip and

get to work getting healthy.

My sister's name is .

Ann

[Guest guest]

LOL. So sorry, I was trying to hurry with that reply to hopefully get it posted before you got offline, and totally forgot to say congrats on your weight loss and that you feel fantastic. I sent you the link to my website, it has my journal with my private thoughts and fears. It also chronicles ( is that a word?) my WLS journey. I had lost 155 on my 1st anniversary, Jan. 25, 2003. I kept losing, of course by then at a slower rate, for the next 8 months till Hurricane Isabelle. I'm a toll collector and I went to work that afternoon trusting that if there was trouble that they would take care of us. Wrong! We're talking about the state here. The governor was on the radio/TV asking people to please be off the road by 8, and to not be out if not necessary. Yet there are always fools running around thinking it's fun. Trees fell around the ramp where I was working, the corner of the cover of one of the big columns holding up the canopy over the booths was flapping loose in the wind, and we were not allowed to come on in till 7:30. I found out later that the head honcho was out of town and calling back to find out the conditions, and had said at 4:00 that as of 6:00 if they felt we needed to come in they could, and evidently someone decided from 6:00 till 7:30 that it was okay for us to be out there. I should have not been afraid of losing my job and just told them I was coming in whether they liked it or not, but I didn't and I feel stupid for that. And the only thing, in my opinion worse than feeling fat is feeling stupid. I gained back any I had lost between Jan. and Sept. and then 14 more when I weighed in the next January. Then 85 the next year. By May of 2004, I realized I could not come out of the house if there was a storm predicted. I went back into counseling and missed the next 3 months of work. They agreed to let me come back slowly by allowing me to work at a different toll road for 6 weeks. One that didn't have trees close to it. As it happened, LOL, the very first day I went back, Hurricane Gaston hit. LOL. They were pulling people in an apartment building (between where I was working and my home) through the roof of the building and pulling people in buses on flooded streets through those windows. LOL. It took me 2 hours to get home, and I only live 5 minutes from that place, and it took me 2 weeks before I could try that again. It's only February, and already I feel it coming. They've already announced that this hurricane season will be as active or more active than last year. Oh, my gosh, I have been just spilling my gut all over the place. LOL. Oh well, I guess I won't have to explain that situation to anybody again. LOL. It's all out there. Okay, LOL, even though I just wrote a book, I really want to address your post specifically. Lynn

On 2/11/07, Ann and <maryannanderic@...> wrote:

----- Original Message ----- From: " Lynn " <lynn.maillard@...

>> Some have very, very normal lives. Lots have very much enriched lives. I > do> know some who have had regrets, and some who have died, but I know more > who> are so very grateful for the lives they have now.

Lynn, welcome to the group! I'm sorry to hear that you gained most of your weight back after WLS. That is my fear. Do you have any restriction left? Have you tried to go back to basics with protein first and not drinking with meals? I'm sure you have. Do you use protein shakes? Why won't you consider a revision?After battling my weight for over 20 years I had WLS on March 31. I've lost 105 pounds and I feel fantastic. Unlike the blog implies I'm not lying or in denial when I say that. This group is definately anti-WLS although it's no longer forbidden to even mention the topic. I can understand the feeling since I was anti-WLS for years and I didn't want to come to my weight loss support list and hear about someone losing tons of weight through surgery when I was trying to do it through controlling my eating and exercise. I would never resort to surgery to lose weight! Well, I ended up changing my mind obviously. :)I know that I can regain the weight if I'm not damn careful for the rest of my life. It boils down to water, portions and exercise. I can eat slider foods or wash down too much food with liquid if I choose to. My surgeon mutilated my stomach (as I've heard here several times) but my old habits, taste buds and emotions are still very much intact. I'm very much aware that surgery is merely a tool that we have to use properly to lose the weight and keep it off.Hmmm.... that might sound like a lecture but all I'm saying is that I can understand how you regained your weight and there but for the grace of God go I. It will take digging deep to do the " head work and the heart work " as my support group calls it to keep the weight off for good. I'm on 5 e-mail support groups for WLS and there is no BS unlike the silly blog says. I know what I have to do to keep the weight off and I know how easily it can come back on if I don't do my work. I had the surgery because I couldn't do it without the tool of a tiny stomach or I guess I should say mutilated digestive tract. :)So why the heck do I stay here since I'm happily post-op? Good question. I just can't tear myself away from Sue's doom and gloom posts. I care about the people here and I feel like we're still in the same boat with the challenges to lead a healthy life. I still would rather eat Cheetoes than tomatoes and I'd rather watch TV than exercise. I agree with the fat acceptance movement to a point and I definately understand trying to lose weight without resorting to surgery since I felt the same way for years.

I feel like a normal person now. This week I really had to watch what I put in my mouth and I went to the gym 3 times and I lost 2 pounds. The WLS honeymoon is over and now it's just down to the day to day hard work. Hopefully you still have some benefit from your surgery to help you on your road to health.Good luck! Stay here for lots of support and you can get back down to a healthy weight.By the way, you have a beautiful name. My 10 year old's name is Lynn.

Ann -- Some family trees bear an enormous crop of nuts. -Unknown

[Guest guest]

>I've lost

> 105 pounds and I feel fantastic. Unlike the blog implies I'm not lying or

> in denial when I say that.

You're one of the lucky ones who never had *any* problems, either

immediately post op or now, a year later. You never even mentioned having

any nausea or difficulty swallowing or even post op pain! It seems you went

from the few ounces of food allowed immediately post op to a 1400 calorie

food plan within weeks. Your post op course is remarkable compared to anyone

else I know who had either version of WLS.

>but my old habits,

> taste buds and emotions are still very much intact. I'm very much aware

> that surgery is merely a tool that we have to use properly to lose the

> weight and keep it off.

One thing that really helped you was that soon after you recovered from your

surgery you had a *complete* change of lifestyle by returning to a full time

job for the first time in 10 years. If you were still a SAHM you may not

have been so sucessful in avoiding your old habits.

> I

> know what I have to do to keep the weight off and I know how easily it can

> come back on if I don't do my work.

Another big change you made since you had surgery was a regular exercise

routine. Prior to your surgery you had all the tools (The treadmill, the gym

memberships, the bike and roller blades) but never used them regularly for

any length of time. Now you're even going to the gym during your lunch hour,

something you would never dream of doing pre-op.

> I care

> about the people here and I feel like we're still in the same boat with

the

> challenges to lead a healthy life.

What if you made all the changes that you're doing *now*, like following the

same low calorie food plan and daily workouts, instead of having the

surgery? Do you think you would have lost weight if only you were *that*

devoted to weight loss back then?

Sue in NJ

Ms. Doom and Gloom herself LOL