Re: A Couple of Things to Say

May 11, 2001

> Last November I began experiencing severe pain in my shoulder and

my

> doctor decided I probably had metastatic bone cancer (I have had

> cancer three times in my life). This sent me on a journey that

ended

> today, when I was definitively declared cancer free by my

oncologist.

> I'm kind of annoyed that I've been in pretty severe pain for seven

> months, but no one offered to relieve it until I had a firm

> diagnosis. But naturally I'm relieved that I don't have cancer.

> Instead I have a condition called avascular necrosis, which means

that

> the bone in my shoulder is dying because the blood supply has been

cut

> off. (Why? Who knows.)

>

> This may seem to have little to do with the 12 steps, but here's

the

> question I ask myself about it -- I've lost 16 pounds since this

> oddysey began, and I can ill afford it. There's been a lot of talk

> lately about OA, but is the a UA? (Undereaters Anonymous.) I have

> always stopped eating when I am stressed, and I guess that's the

> opposite of what most people do. But how would the 12 steps

apply?

> (I am not anorexic, by the way.)

>

> After I had my initial major surgery, I lost 18 pounds, and my

doctors

> were very worried. It took three years for me to gain back those

> pounds, and I only did it by eating all the stuff people tell you

not

> to touch. I love vegetables and fruits and salads, I don't much

like

> meat, and I am not fond of desserts. I don't snack. So I spent

three

> years eating blue cheese on my salads and sour cream on my baked

> potatoes. I just took the opportunity to eat any fat that I could

> combine with my normal diet. And eventually I regained my normal

> weight. And then I gained a good ten pounds over my normal

weight.

> So I started cutting out the fatty stuff and so forth, and now I've

> gone too far in the other direction. I'm almost as light as I was

> after my initial surgery.

>

> Usually when I tell people this stuff they are not too sympathetic,

> since most people in the US tend to be overweight. I wouldn't

guess

> that people in OA would be very sympathetic. But the image of an

> Undereaters Anonymous just blows apart the whole 12 step movement

for

> me, and proves how stupid it is. Someone recently posted about

what

> abstinence was for an over-eater -- what could it possibly be for

an

> under-eater?

>

> I know what I have to do to get the weight back, and I will do it,

and

> no one needs to worry about it. But I'd love to have feedback

about

> my Undereaters Anonymous idea.

Why? who cares what 12 steppers think.

You had a reasonable responce to a very stressful time.

.

May 11, 2001

> Last November I began experiencing severe pain in my shoulder and

my

> doctor decided I probably had metastatic bone cancer (I have had

> cancer three times in my life). This sent me on a journey that

ended

> today, when I was definitively declared cancer free by my

oncologist.

> I'm kind of annoyed that I've been in pretty severe pain for seven

> months, but no one offered to relieve it until I had a firm

> diagnosis. But naturally I'm relieved that I don't have cancer.

> Instead I have a condition called avascular necrosis, which means

that

> the bone in my shoulder is dying because the blood supply has been

cut

> off. (Why? Who knows.)

>

> This may seem to have little to do with the 12 steps, but here's

the

> question I ask myself about it -- I've lost 16 pounds since this

> oddysey began, and I can ill afford it. There's been a lot of talk

> lately about OA, but is the a UA? (Undereaters Anonymous.) I have

> always stopped eating when I am stressed, and I guess that's the

> opposite of what most people do. But how would the 12 steps

apply?

> (I am not anorexic, by the way.)

>

> After I had my initial major surgery, I lost 18 pounds, and my

doctors

> were very worried. It took three years for me to gain back those

> pounds, and I only did it by eating all the stuff people tell you

not

> to touch. I love vegetables and fruits and salads, I don't much

like

> meat, and I am not fond of desserts. I don't snack. So I spent

three

> years eating blue cheese on my salads and sour cream on my baked

> potatoes. I just took the opportunity to eat any fat that I could

> combine with my normal diet. And eventually I regained my normal

> weight. And then I gained a good ten pounds over my normal

weight.

> So I started cutting out the fatty stuff and so forth, and now I've

> gone too far in the other direction. I'm almost as light as I was

> after my initial surgery.

>

> Usually when I tell people this stuff they are not too sympathetic,

> since most people in the US tend to be overweight. I wouldn't

guess

> that people in OA would be very sympathetic. But the image of an

> Undereaters Anonymous just blows apart the whole 12 step movement

for

> me, and proves how stupid it is. Someone recently posted about

what

> abstinence was for an over-eater -- what could it possibly be for

an

> under-eater?

>

> I know what I have to do to get the weight back, and I will do it,

and

> no one needs to worry about it. But I'd love to have feedback

about

> my Undereaters Anonymous idea.

Why? who cares what 12 steppers think.

You had a reasonable responce to a very stressful time.

.

May 11, 2001

> Last November I began experiencing severe pain in my shoulder and

my

> doctor decided I probably had metastatic bone cancer (I have had

> cancer three times in my life). This sent me on a journey that

ended

> today, when I was definitively declared cancer free by my

oncologist.

> I'm kind of annoyed that I've been in pretty severe pain for seven

> months, but no one offered to relieve it until I had a firm

> diagnosis. But naturally I'm relieved that I don't have cancer.

> Instead I have a condition called avascular necrosis, which means

that

> the bone in my shoulder is dying because the blood supply has been

cut

> off. (Why? Who knows.)

>

> This may seem to have little to do with the 12 steps, but here's

the

> question I ask myself about it -- I've lost 16 pounds since this

> oddysey began, and I can ill afford it. There's been a lot of talk

> lately about OA, but is the a UA? (Undereaters Anonymous.) I have

> always stopped eating when I am stressed, and I guess that's the

> opposite of what most people do. But how would the 12 steps

apply?

> (I am not anorexic, by the way.)

>

> After I had my initial major surgery, I lost 18 pounds, and my

doctors

> were very worried. It took three years for me to gain back those

> pounds, and I only did it by eating all the stuff people tell you

not

> to touch. I love vegetables and fruits and salads, I don't much

like

> meat, and I am not fond of desserts. I don't snack. So I spent

three

> years eating blue cheese on my salads and sour cream on my baked

> potatoes. I just took the opportunity to eat any fat that I could

> combine with my normal diet. And eventually I regained my normal

> weight. And then I gained a good ten pounds over my normal

weight.

> So I started cutting out the fatty stuff and so forth, and now I've

> gone too far in the other direction. I'm almost as light as I was

> after my initial surgery.

>

> Usually when I tell people this stuff they are not too sympathetic,

> since most people in the US tend to be overweight. I wouldn't

guess

> that people in OA would be very sympathetic. But the image of an

> Undereaters Anonymous just blows apart the whole 12 step movement

for

> me, and proves how stupid it is. Someone recently posted about

what

> abstinence was for an over-eater -- what could it possibly be for

an

> under-eater?

>

> I know what I have to do to get the weight back, and I will do it,

and

> no one needs to worry about it. But I'd love to have feedback

about

> my Undereaters Anonymous idea.

Why? who cares what 12 steppers think.

You had a reasonable responce to a very stressful time.

.

May 11, 2001

I'm glad you don't have cancer, although the condition you have

definitely sounds serious. I hope there is good treatment for it. As

for your weight...I'm one of the overweight majority, but I also have

recognized that the reason thin people are thin, is usually what you

describe below: they deal with stress by not eating, whereas I deal

with stress by eating more.

You're rocking the boat, Kayleigh I think you're in denial about

something, better do a moral inventory. Of course I'm just kidding!!!

Sincerely, I do believe that you will control your weight in a healthy

way, and I wish you the best of luck in dealing with your avascular

necrosis.

judith

> Last November I began experiencing severe pain in my shoulder and my

> doctor decided I probably had metastatic bone cancer (I have had

> cancer three times in my life). This sent me on a journey that

ended

> today, when I was definitively declared cancer free by my

oncologist.

> I'm kind of annoyed that I've been in pretty severe pain for seven

> months, but no one offered to relieve it until I had a firm

> diagnosis. But naturally I'm relieved that I don't have cancer.

> Instead I have a condition called avascular necrosis, which means

that

> the bone in my shoulder is dying because the blood supply has been

cut

> off. (Why? Who knows.)

>

> This may seem to have little to do with the 12 steps, but here's the

> question I ask myself about it -- I've lost 16 pounds since this

> oddysey began, and I can ill afford it. There's been a lot of talk

> lately about OA, but is the a UA? (Undereaters Anonymous.) I have

> always stopped eating when I am stressed, and I guess that's the

> opposite of what most people do. But how would the 12 steps apply?

> (I am not anorexic, by the way.)

>

> After I had my initial major surgery, I lost 18 pounds, and my

doctors

> were very worried. It took three years for me to gain back those

> pounds, and I only did it by eating all the stuff people tell you

not

> to touch. I love vegetables and fruits and salads, I don't much

like

> meat, and I am not fond of desserts. I don't snack. So I spent

three

> years eating blue cheese on my salads and sour cream on my baked

> potatoes. I just took the opportunity to eat any fat that I could

> combine with my normal diet. And eventually I regained my normal

> weight. And then I gained a good ten pounds over my normal weight.

> So I started cutting out the fatty stuff and so forth, and now I've

> gone too far in the other direction. I'm almost as light as I was

> after my initial surgery.

>

> Usually when I tell people this stuff they are not too sympathetic,

> since most people in the US tend to be overweight. I wouldn't guess

> that people in OA would be very sympathetic. But the image of an

> Undereaters Anonymous just blows apart the whole 12 step movement

for

> me, and proves how stupid it is. Someone recently posted about what

> abstinence was for an over-eater -- what could it possibly be for an

> under-eater?

>

> I know what I have to do to get the weight back, and I will do it,

and

> no one needs to worry about it. But I'd love to have feedback about

> my Undereaters Anonymous idea.

May 11, 2001

I'm glad you don't have cancer, although the condition you have

definitely sounds serious. I hope there is good treatment for it. As

for your weight...I'm one of the overweight majority, but I also have

recognized that the reason thin people are thin, is usually what you

describe below: they deal with stress by not eating, whereas I deal

with stress by eating more.

You're rocking the boat, Kayleigh I think you're in denial about

something, better do a moral inventory. Of course I'm just kidding!!!

Sincerely, I do believe that you will control your weight in a healthy

way, and I wish you the best of luck in dealing with your avascular

necrosis.

judith

> Last November I began experiencing severe pain in my shoulder and my

> doctor decided I probably had metastatic bone cancer (I have had

> cancer three times in my life). This sent me on a journey that

ended

> today, when I was definitively declared cancer free by my

oncologist.

> I'm kind of annoyed that I've been in pretty severe pain for seven

> months, but no one offered to relieve it until I had a firm

> diagnosis. But naturally I'm relieved that I don't have cancer.

> Instead I have a condition called avascular necrosis, which means

that

> the bone in my shoulder is dying because the blood supply has been

cut

> off. (Why? Who knows.)

>

> This may seem to have little to do with the 12 steps, but here's the

> question I ask myself about it -- I've lost 16 pounds since this

> oddysey began, and I can ill afford it. There's been a lot of talk

> lately about OA, but is the a UA? (Undereaters Anonymous.) I have

> always stopped eating when I am stressed, and I guess that's the

> opposite of what most people do. But how would the 12 steps apply?

> (I am not anorexic, by the way.)

>

> After I had my initial major surgery, I lost 18 pounds, and my

doctors

> were very worried. It took three years for me to gain back those

> pounds, and I only did it by eating all the stuff people tell you

not

> to touch. I love vegetables and fruits and salads, I don't much

like

> meat, and I am not fond of desserts. I don't snack. So I spent

three

> years eating blue cheese on my salads and sour cream on my baked

> potatoes. I just took the opportunity to eat any fat that I could

> combine with my normal diet. And eventually I regained my normal

> weight. And then I gained a good ten pounds over my normal weight.

> So I started cutting out the fatty stuff and so forth, and now I've

> gone too far in the other direction. I'm almost as light as I was

> after my initial surgery.

>

> Usually when I tell people this stuff they are not too sympathetic,

> since most people in the US tend to be overweight. I wouldn't guess

> that people in OA would be very sympathetic. But the image of an

> Undereaters Anonymous just blows apart the whole 12 step movement

for

> me, and proves how stupid it is. Someone recently posted about what

> abstinence was for an over-eater -- what could it possibly be for an

> under-eater?

>

> I know what I have to do to get the weight back, and I will do it,

and

> no one needs to worry about it. But I'd love to have feedback about

> my Undereaters Anonymous idea.

May 11, 2001

I'm glad you don't have cancer, although the condition you have

definitely sounds serious. I hope there is good treatment for it. As

for your weight...I'm one of the overweight majority, but I also have

recognized that the reason thin people are thin, is usually what you

describe below: they deal with stress by not eating, whereas I deal

with stress by eating more.

You're rocking the boat, Kayleigh I think you're in denial about

something, better do a moral inventory. Of course I'm just kidding!!!

Sincerely, I do believe that you will control your weight in a healthy

way, and I wish you the best of luck in dealing with your avascular

necrosis.

judith

> Last November I began experiencing severe pain in my shoulder and my

> doctor decided I probably had metastatic bone cancer (I have had

> cancer three times in my life). This sent me on a journey that

ended

> today, when I was definitively declared cancer free by my

oncologist.

> I'm kind of annoyed that I've been in pretty severe pain for seven

> months, but no one offered to relieve it until I had a firm

> diagnosis. But naturally I'm relieved that I don't have cancer.

> Instead I have a condition called avascular necrosis, which means

that

> the bone in my shoulder is dying because the blood supply has been

cut

> off. (Why? Who knows.)

>

> This may seem to have little to do with the 12 steps, but here's the

> question I ask myself about it -- I've lost 16 pounds since this

> oddysey began, and I can ill afford it. There's been a lot of talk

> lately about OA, but is the a UA? (Undereaters Anonymous.) I have

> always stopped eating when I am stressed, and I guess that's the

> opposite of what most people do. But how would the 12 steps apply?

> (I am not anorexic, by the way.)

>

> After I had my initial major surgery, I lost 18 pounds, and my

doctors

> were very worried. It took three years for me to gain back those

> pounds, and I only did it by eating all the stuff people tell you

not

> to touch. I love vegetables and fruits and salads, I don't much

like

> meat, and I am not fond of desserts. I don't snack. So I spent

three

> years eating blue cheese on my salads and sour cream on my baked

> potatoes. I just took the opportunity to eat any fat that I could

> combine with my normal diet. And eventually I regained my normal

> weight. And then I gained a good ten pounds over my normal weight.

> So I started cutting out the fatty stuff and so forth, and now I've

> gone too far in the other direction. I'm almost as light as I was

> after my initial surgery.

>

> Usually when I tell people this stuff they are not too sympathetic,

> since most people in the US tend to be overweight. I wouldn't guess

> that people in OA would be very sympathetic. But the image of an

> Undereaters Anonymous just blows apart the whole 12 step movement

for

> me, and proves how stupid it is. Someone recently posted about what

> abstinence was for an over-eater -- what could it possibly be for an

> under-eater?

>

> I know what I have to do to get the weight back, and I will do it,

and

> no one needs to worry about it. But I'd love to have feedback about

> my Undereaters Anonymous idea.

May 11, 2001

I note that a couple people have answered you in a tongue in cheek manner.

Some people don't get it that there are folks who suffer just as much from

being underweight as I and others do from struggling with overweight. I'm

glad to hear that the cancer is now gone, but I'm sorry to hear that you are

having different health problems.

I don't see why a 12-step program couldn't be tailored to apply to

undereaters as well as overeaters.

Being " sober " and " abstinent " have to do with *not* doing something, *not*

indulging in a particular behavior. If I wanted to design a 12-step program

for undereaters, success would mean doing something. Like including a

certain amount of calorie-dense items at each meal. Participants in the

program would be remembering to do this one day at a time. Instead of being

powerless over food, people would be powerless over the behavior, or

motivation to that behavior, of not eating enough.

I think it could be done. Heaven knows they have 12-step programs for all

sorts of other things now. <grin>

Cheers,

nz

May 11, 2001

I note that a couple people have answered you in a tongue in cheek manner.

Some people don't get it that there are folks who suffer just as much from

being underweight as I and others do from struggling with overweight. I'm

glad to hear that the cancer is now gone, but I'm sorry to hear that you are

having different health problems.

I don't see why a 12-step program couldn't be tailored to apply to

undereaters as well as overeaters.

Being " sober " and " abstinent " have to do with *not* doing something, *not*

indulging in a particular behavior. If I wanted to design a 12-step program

for undereaters, success would mean doing something. Like including a

certain amount of calorie-dense items at each meal. Participants in the

program would be remembering to do this one day at a time. Instead of being

powerless over food, people would be powerless over the behavior, or

motivation to that behavior, of not eating enough.

I think it could be done. Heaven knows they have 12-step programs for all

sorts of other things now. <grin>

Cheers,

nz

May 11, 2001

Hello Kayleigh

I am glad you do not have cancer but I am very sorry to hear you do

nevertheless have a serious illness. I wish the very best for you.

Regarding your question about undereating, OA isnt the least bit

embarassed about the fact that ppl undereat, and anorexics regularly

attend it. I understand that they are often viewed askance in parts

of the US,and there has been a movement to get rid of them, on the

pretext that anorexia is a *medical problem* that compromises OA! Hah!

As if morbid obesity and alcoholism arent medical problems!

Abstinence is jusr defined as not undereating for these folks, but for

those who have gone through the particular rehab I was in there is an

extra twist. The guy who ran it, who was my first sponsor, has a

rationale for getting round your objection. He claims that anorexics

are all really overeaters, who have developed anorexia solely as a

defense against overeating. This is of course, what many anorexics

actually believe, and imo is often completely untrue - it is possible

for ppl to become anorexic with no history of overeating at all - ot

does hoever, make disease notions about eating disorders more

credible if it were true. Hence, he makes his anorexic patients

abstain from refined carbos, especially sugar, just like the

overeaters, (thereby additionally removing a calorie source). To add

to the ignominy some overeaters who have attempted control are

encouraged to call themselves " failed anorexics " !!! I remember in

rehab almost saying to one girl that calling herself this didnt help

her and that anorexia isnt something one succeeds at, only to find out

later that she will have been specifically encouraged to think of

herself in this fashion!

Again, very best of luck with your health,

P.

> Last November I began experiencing severe pain in my shoulder and my

> doctor decided I probably had metastatic bone cancer (I have had

> cancer three times in my life). This sent me on a journey that

ended

> today, when I was definitively declared cancer free by my

oncologist.

> I'm kind of annoyed that I've been in pretty severe pain for seven

> months, but no one offered to relieve it until I had a firm

> diagnosis. But naturally I'm relieved that I don't have cancer.

> Instead I have a condition called avascular necrosis, which means

that

> the bone in my shoulder is dying because the blood supply has been

cut

> off. (Why? Who knows.)

>

> This may seem to have little to do with the 12 steps, but here's the

> question I ask myself about it -- I've lost 16 pounds since this

> oddysey began, and I can ill afford it. There's been a lot of talk

> lately about OA, but is the a UA? (Undereaters Anonymous.) I have

> always stopped eating when I am stressed, and I guess that's the

> opposite of what most people do. But how would the 12 steps apply?

> (I am not anorexic, by the way.)

>

> After I had my initial major surgery, I lost 18 pounds, and my

doctors

> were very worried. It took three years for me to gain back those

> pounds, and I only did it by eating all the stuff people tell you

not

> to touch. I love vegetables and fruits and salads, I don't much

like

> meat, and I am not fond of desserts. I don't snack. So I spent

three

> years eating blue cheese on my salads and sour cream on my baked

> potatoes. I just took the opportunity to eat any fat that I could

> combine with my normal diet. And eventually I regained my normal

> weight. And then I gained a good ten pounds over my normal weight.

> So I started cutting out the fatty stuff and so forth, and now I've

> gone too far in the other direction. I'm almost as light as I was

> after my initial surgery.

>

> Usually when I tell people this stuff they are not too sympathetic,

> since most people in the US tend to be overweight. I wouldn't guess

> that people in OA would be very sympathetic. But the image of an

> Undereaters Anonymous just blows apart the whole 12 step movement

for

> me, and proves how stupid it is. Someone recently posted about what

> abstinence was for an over-eater -- what could it possibly be for an

> under-eater?

>

> I know what I have to do to get the weight back, and I will do it,

and

> no one needs to worry about it. But I'd love to have feedback about

> my Undereaters Anonymous idea.

May 12, 2001

With too much and too little, what about the disease of " sameness " or

" normies disease " ? Symptoms: feeling " left out " of America's new-age

victimhood; not feeling like you have enough problems. I had heard of

something called " Humans Anonymous " (seriously) but I don't know if it ever

got off the ground. And what was that whole HESHE Anonymous thing? But how

would you hit bottom with " normalcy " ? They'd figure out a way, I'm sure.

May 12, 2001

With too much and too little, what about the disease of " sameness " or

" normies disease " ? Symptoms: feeling " left out " of America's new-age

victimhood; not feeling like you have enough problems. I had heard of

something called " Humans Anonymous " (seriously) but I don't know if it ever

got off the ground. And what was that whole HESHE Anonymous thing? But how

would you hit bottom with " normalcy " ? They'd figure out a way, I'm sure.

May 12, 2001

With too much and too little, what about the disease of " sameness " or

" normies disease " ? Symptoms: feeling " left out " of America's new-age

victimhood; not feeling like you have enough problems. I had heard of

something called " Humans Anonymous " (seriously) but I don't know if it ever

got off the ground. And what was that whole HESHE Anonymous thing? But how

would you hit bottom with " normalcy " ? They'd figure out a way, I'm sure.

May 12, 2001

As an underweight bulimic in OA, I enjoyed the status of being

simultaneously " addicted " to eating and to not eating. How ridiculous

is that? Oh, and the purging part- I guess that was an addiction to

Un-eating.

I think one of the reasons OA doesn't have the sort of stranglehold

on the weight management industry like AA does over alcohol treatment

is because the silliness of the whole idea is so easily spotted.

Along the lines of your UA idea, I was thinking of a program for

people who don't exercise enough. Afterall, if too much can be an

addiction, why not too little? CPA (Couch Potatoes Anonymous),anyone?

Joan

> Last November I began experiencing severe pain in my shoulder and

my

> doctor decided I probably had metastatic bone cancer (I have had

> cancer three times in my life). This sent me on a journey that

ended

> today, when I was definitively declared cancer free by my

oncologist.

> I'm kind of annoyed that I've been in pretty severe pain for seven

> months, but no one offered to relieve it until I had a firm

> diagnosis. But naturally I'm relieved that I don't have cancer.

> Instead I have a condition called avascular necrosis, which means

that

> the bone in my shoulder is dying because the blood supply has been

cut

> off. (Why? Who knows.)

>

> This may seem to have little to do with the 12 steps, but here's

the

> question I ask myself about it -- I've lost 16 pounds since this

> oddysey began, and I can ill afford it. There's been a lot of talk

> lately about OA, but is the a UA? (Undereaters Anonymous.) I have

> always stopped eating when I am stressed, and I guess that's the

> opposite of what most people do. But how would the 12 steps

apply?

> (I am not anorexic, by the way.)

>

> After I had my initial major surgery, I lost 18 pounds, and my

doctors

> were very worried. It took three years for me to gain back those

> pounds, and I only did it by eating all the stuff people tell you

not

> to touch. I love vegetables and fruits and salads, I don't much

like

> meat, and I am not fond of desserts. I don't snack. So I spent

three

> years eating blue cheese on my salads and sour cream on my baked

> potatoes. I just took the opportunity to eat any fat that I could

> combine with my normal diet. And eventually I regained my normal

> weight. And then I gained a good ten pounds over my normal

weight.

> So I started cutting out the fatty stuff and so forth, and now I've

> gone too far in the other direction. I'm almost as light as I was

> after my initial surgery.

>

> Usually when I tell people this stuff they are not too sympathetic,

> since most people in the US tend to be overweight. I wouldn't

guess

> that people in OA would be very sympathetic. But the image of an

> Undereaters Anonymous just blows apart the whole 12 step movement

for

> me, and proves how stupid it is. Someone recently posted about

what

> abstinence was for an over-eater -- what could it possibly be for

an

> under-eater?

>

> I know what I have to do to get the weight back, and I will do it,

and

> no one needs to worry about it. But I'd love to have feedback

about

> my Undereaters Anonymous idea.

May 12, 2001

As an underweight bulimic in OA, I enjoyed the status of being

simultaneously " addicted " to eating and to not eating. How ridiculous

is that? Oh, and the purging part- I guess that was an addiction to

Un-eating.

I think one of the reasons OA doesn't have the sort of stranglehold

on the weight management industry like AA does over alcohol treatment

is because the silliness of the whole idea is so easily spotted.

Along the lines of your UA idea, I was thinking of a program for

people who don't exercise enough. Afterall, if too much can be an

addiction, why not too little? CPA (Couch Potatoes Anonymous),anyone?

Joan

> Last November I began experiencing severe pain in my shoulder and

my

> doctor decided I probably had metastatic bone cancer (I have had

> cancer three times in my life). This sent me on a journey that

ended

> today, when I was definitively declared cancer free by my

oncologist.

> I'm kind of annoyed that I've been in pretty severe pain for seven

> months, but no one offered to relieve it until I had a firm

> diagnosis. But naturally I'm relieved that I don't have cancer.

> Instead I have a condition called avascular necrosis, which means

that

> the bone in my shoulder is dying because the blood supply has been

cut

> off. (Why? Who knows.)

>

> This may seem to have little to do with the 12 steps, but here's

the

> question I ask myself about it -- I've lost 16 pounds since this

> oddysey began, and I can ill afford it. There's been a lot of talk

> lately about OA, but is the a UA? (Undereaters Anonymous.) I have

> always stopped eating when I am stressed, and I guess that's the

> opposite of what most people do. But how would the 12 steps

apply?

> (I am not anorexic, by the way.)

>

> After I had my initial major surgery, I lost 18 pounds, and my

doctors

> were very worried. It took three years for me to gain back those

> pounds, and I only did it by eating all the stuff people tell you

not

> to touch. I love vegetables and fruits and salads, I don't much

like

> meat, and I am not fond of desserts. I don't snack. So I spent

three

> years eating blue cheese on my salads and sour cream on my baked

> potatoes. I just took the opportunity to eat any fat that I could

> combine with my normal diet. And eventually I regained my normal

> weight. And then I gained a good ten pounds over my normal

weight.

> So I started cutting out the fatty stuff and so forth, and now I've

> gone too far in the other direction. I'm almost as light as I was

> after my initial surgery.

>

> Usually when I tell people this stuff they are not too sympathetic,

> since most people in the US tend to be overweight. I wouldn't

guess

> that people in OA would be very sympathetic. But the image of an

> Undereaters Anonymous just blows apart the whole 12 step movement

for

> me, and proves how stupid it is. Someone recently posted about

what

> abstinence was for an over-eater -- what could it possibly be for

an

> under-eater?

>

> I know what I have to do to get the weight back, and I will do it,

and

> no one needs to worry about it. But I'd love to have feedback

about

> my Undereaters Anonymous idea.

May 12, 2001

As an underweight bulimic in OA, I enjoyed the status of being

simultaneously " addicted " to eating and to not eating. How ridiculous

is that? Oh, and the purging part- I guess that was an addiction to

Un-eating.

I think one of the reasons OA doesn't have the sort of stranglehold

on the weight management industry like AA does over alcohol treatment

is because the silliness of the whole idea is so easily spotted.

Along the lines of your UA idea, I was thinking of a program for

people who don't exercise enough. Afterall, if too much can be an

addiction, why not too little? CPA (Couch Potatoes Anonymous),anyone?

Joan

> Last November I began experiencing severe pain in my shoulder and

my

> doctor decided I probably had metastatic bone cancer (I have had

> cancer three times in my life). This sent me on a journey that

ended

> today, when I was definitively declared cancer free by my

oncologist.

> I'm kind of annoyed that I've been in pretty severe pain for seven

> months, but no one offered to relieve it until I had a firm

> diagnosis. But naturally I'm relieved that I don't have cancer.

> Instead I have a condition called avascular necrosis, which means

that

> the bone in my shoulder is dying because the blood supply has been

cut

> off. (Why? Who knows.)

>

> This may seem to have little to do with the 12 steps, but here's

the

> question I ask myself about it -- I've lost 16 pounds since this

> oddysey began, and I can ill afford it. There's been a lot of talk

> lately about OA, but is the a UA? (Undereaters Anonymous.) I have

> always stopped eating when I am stressed, and I guess that's the

> opposite of what most people do. But how would the 12 steps

apply?

> (I am not anorexic, by the way.)

>

> After I had my initial major surgery, I lost 18 pounds, and my

doctors

> were very worried. It took three years for me to gain back those

> pounds, and I only did it by eating all the stuff people tell you

not

> to touch. I love vegetables and fruits and salads, I don't much

like

> meat, and I am not fond of desserts. I don't snack. So I spent

three

> years eating blue cheese on my salads and sour cream on my baked

> potatoes. I just took the opportunity to eat any fat that I could

> combine with my normal diet. And eventually I regained my normal

> weight. And then I gained a good ten pounds over my normal

weight.

> So I started cutting out the fatty stuff and so forth, and now I've

> gone too far in the other direction. I'm almost as light as I was

> after my initial surgery.

>

> Usually when I tell people this stuff they are not too sympathetic,

> since most people in the US tend to be overweight. I wouldn't

guess

> that people in OA would be very sympathetic. But the image of an

> Undereaters Anonymous just blows apart the whole 12 step movement

for

> me, and proves how stupid it is. Someone recently posted about

what

> abstinence was for an over-eater -- what could it possibly be for

an

> under-eater?

>

> I know what I have to do to get the weight back, and I will do it,

and

> no one needs to worry about it. But I'd love to have feedback

about

> my Undereaters Anonymous idea.

May 12, 2001

At 05:05 PM 5/12/01 -0400, you wrote:

>With too much and too little, what about the disease of " sameness " or

> " normies disease " ? Symptoms: feeling " left out " of America's new-age

>victimhood; not feeling like you have enough problems. I had heard of

>something called " Humans Anonymous " (seriously) but I don't know if it ever

>got off the ground. And what was that whole HESHE Anonymous thing? But how

>would you hit bottom with " normalcy " ? They'd figure out a way, I'm sure.

There was an Emotions Anonymous at one point. Even my pet mouse

has emotions, so the door's pretty much wide open as far as I can

tell.

(I'm back, btw)

May 12, 2001