OH Suvival Guide for newer members....
Want more replies to posts?
Want support on your surgery page?
Don't know how to blog or journal in your profile?
Don't know what DH, DS, SIL, LOL, etc. means?
All these answers and more, below....(many of these tips and many others can be found at will by clicking the link that says "Site/Forum Help" in the blue box to the left of the board).
***Did you know that IF you post your surgery date on your page then ALL of us can find your date listed in the surgery dates and you are apt to get 'some' support on your surgery support page preop?
***Did you know that if you post your surgery date on your profile we won't have to keep asking you how far postop you are (or IF you're postop) when you ask a question or need support?
***Did you know that if you keep a loose record in your profile of your losses, what you eat, exercise and other info, when you hit a stall, plateau or just need general help from the longer term posties, we might actually be ABLE to help you without asking you tons of leading questions? 
***If you choose not to do a profile update we can't wish you happy anniversary, welcome you to the century club, know anything about you, etc.
***If you choose not to do a profile update we can't wish you happy anniversary, welcome you to the century club, know anything about you, etc.
Yup, it's your choice if you want to update, but please don't feel ignored if you choose that route.
***If you are confused with HOW to update your profile go here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/memtu/ It needs to be updated for the new system, but if you click the link up top right to "My Account" to access your Personal Account Center, the rest of what you see at that link is accurate.
***If you don't know how to 'announce' your surgery date on your profile you can do that by logging into your profile (My Account link - top right) and then scrolling all the way to the bottom of the middle column - where it says "I'VE GOT A DATE" click that and fill in the info. This is also where you fill in the info for what kind of surgery you've had :-) and where you list your "ANGEL" if you have one 
Not sure what an angel is or how to be/get one? http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/beanangel.phtml explains it very well.
***Scroll thru all the optional links on your profile page right after you log in. You can take surveys, tell us about your surgeon, set your email preferences, etc. Lots of goodies waiting to be discovered :o)
***Are you 50+ years of age? Did you know we have a board just for the people over 50 and thier age-specific issues? Did you know there is a board for lap-band patients? DS patients? VGB patients? Etc., etc. Click the FORUMS TAB up top and explore OH. Amazing what's hidden here. Many many boards to choose from!
Not sure what an angel is or how to be/get one? http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/beanangel.phtml explains it very well.
***Scroll thru all the optional links on your profile page right after you log in. You can take surveys, tell us about your surgeon, set your email preferences, etc. Lots of goodies waiting to be discovered :o)
***Are you 50+ years of age? Did you know we have a board just for the people over 50 and thier age-specific issues? Did you know there is a board for lap-band patients? DS patients? VGB patients? Etc., etc. Click the FORUMS TAB up top and explore OH. Amazing what's hidden here. Many many boards to choose from!Ok, want replies? This is no guarantee, but it sure will HELP your odds:
Use a subject line that MEANS something! Don't post HELP! And expect 100 answers. Most people (especially those on dial-up) only open posts that tell them something in the subject line they can relate to. So try something like "Help - incision problems!" "Stricture Question" "Soda - good or bad?" Something that at least leads them to guess at the content! Help could mean, your stressed, suicidal, in pain, bleeding, husband is cheating, wife is starving you, etc. Give them a clue in the subject line....In life location location location - on the message board it's Subject line Subject line Subject line.
Oh and if you don't get a reply in an hour (or even a day on during slow times), don't panic. Sometimes we're slow - mulling it over, formulating a response, researching your question, or just clueless. 
Sometimes we need time for the 'big' questions. Which is why you'll see 50 replies to a chat thread and only 2 or 3 to a 'question'. They take more thought and time. 
If you don't get a good response in half a day - toss it up again so the next 'shift' of folks have a shot at it.
When replying to someone click the reply button UNDER THAT PERSON'S POST - THE ONE YOU ARE REPLYING TO! Clicking the top reply button, sends the reply to the original poster only. Click the reply button on the last post in a thread and THAT PERSON gets your reply and not the original poster. Sooo...WHO are you replying to? Click thier reply button.
Sometimes we need time for the 'big' questions. Which is why you'll see 50 replies to a chat thread and only 2 or 3 to a 'question'. They take more thought and time. If you don't get a good response in half a day - toss it up again so the next 'shift' of folks have a shot at it.
When replying to someone click the reply button UNDER THAT PERSON'S POST - THE ONE YOU ARE REPLYING TO! Clicking the top reply button, sends the reply to the original poster only. Click the reply button on the last post in a thread and THAT PERSON gets your reply and not the original poster. Sooo...WHO are you replying to? Click thier reply button. Do not email a reply to someone via the email notification that someone has replied to your post. These emails all go to a 'dead-letter box' and not to the person who is replying to you in the thread. If you prefer to email your reply to someone, use either the email button on the person's post or go to their profile and use the email link from there. If this doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll clarify for you :-)
Only ask questions you don't want HONEST answers to. Seriously. If you only want loving and sugar-sweet answer, you may want to think hard about how you word your post. We postops often tend to be very frank and sometimes brutally honest. If you ask is popcorn bad for YOU - most of us will refer you to your surgeon. If you ask why soda is bad for you - you'll get a ton of OPINIONS. If you come on and tell us you ate a big mac and fries...is that bad at 3 months postop...um well DUCK 
Oh and please BE specific. If the question is about insurance, name it and the state....if you're question is about surgery, it helps if we know how far postop and what KIND of surgery you had. Things like that make it much easier to assist you without peppering you with lots of annoying questions.
Try and reply to others occasionally. Really...I know some people are really busy and don't have time to post much or reply via the boards, but even a quick thank you via email (using the email link on the post or in their profile) will win you lots of 'points' later on when you NEED support. Feelings do get hurt when you ask a lot of questions and never bother to thank the people who jump up to help you. Not picking on ANYONE with this - it's just a point of fact. We LIKE to help, but we don't like talking to a wall that never talks back. :-) Ya know?
Do you really LOVE 
your surgeon? Did you know it helps them a lot to have reviews from patients put on their profiles and amazing how many (doctors and other patients) read the reviews! You can review your doctor, hospital, and other items in your profile management area. Log into your profile; In the third column of links there is one titles "Your Surgeon" - click that and you can fill in your thoughts on your surgeon. You can also do this with your insurer (which helps many preops with the same insurance), your hospital, products you've tried, etc. AND you can read your doctor's reviews by clicking the link up top for Local Resources and choose Bariatric Surgeon Search - or one of the other searches.
Oh and please BE specific. If the question is about insurance, name it and the state....if you're question is about surgery, it helps if we know how far postop and what KIND of surgery you had. Things like that make it much easier to assist you without peppering you with lots of annoying questions.
Try and reply to others occasionally. Really...I know some people are really busy and don't have time to post much or reply via the boards, but even a quick thank you via email (using the email link on the post or in their profile) will win you lots of 'points' later on when you NEED support. Feelings do get hurt when you ask a lot of questions and never bother to thank the people who jump up to help you. Not picking on ANYONE with this - it's just a point of fact. We LIKE to help, but we don't like talking to a wall that never talks back. :-) Ya know?
Do you really LOVE your surgeon? Did you know it helps them a lot to have reviews from patients put on their profiles and amazing how many (doctors and other patients) read the reviews! You can review your doctor, hospital, and other items in your profile management area. Log into your profile; In the third column of links there is one titles "Your Surgeon" - click that and you can fill in your thoughts on your surgeon. You can also do this with your insurer (which helps many preops with the same insurance), your hospital, products you've tried, etc. AND you can read your doctor's reviews by clicking the link up top for Local Resources and choose Bariatric Surgeon Search - or one of the other searches.Back-up your profiles! Yup, keep a copy of it on your computer, so if the system dumps your info (and that does unfortunately happen sometimes) you HAVE a back-up copy. I am always so saddened when someone loses all the work and info they've put in their profile. OH doesn't have a back-up copy for you if you lose your stuff. 
You have two options:
1. You can have a copy emailed to you. I don't use this option because one time I updated, checked the box to have it emailed to me and when I returned to my profile ALL of my update PLUS about 1/2 my profile info was GONE - AND I didn't get the email update.
2. Copy and paste your profile info into a word doc, notepad, etc and save it, BEFORE you hit that update button. 
Remember this is a free service 
and if you have your profile available for public viewing, then the whole world 
can read it, google it, etc. If you want privacy you have two options:
1. Use an alias (fake name). That's MY preferred option. (If you want to change your name, log in, choose General Info and then just change your first/last name to whatever). Now keep in mind that when the system changes in the future, usernames are what will be visable on the messageboards, so keep that in mind.
2. Check the box on your profile's General Info page to make it private. But then nobody but you can see your profile. Up to you. :-)
Ok these are JUST TIPS...not directives or orders or demands - just suggestions to make the message boards a bit easier for you, me and everyone. 
You have two options:
1. You can have a copy emailed to you. I don't use this option because one time I updated, checked the box to have it emailed to me and when I returned to my profile ALL of my update PLUS about 1/2 my profile info was GONE - AND I didn't get the email update.
2. Copy and paste your profile info into a word doc, notepad, etc and save it, BEFORE you hit that update button.
Remember this is a free service and if you have your profile available for public viewing, then the whole world can read it, google it, etc. If you want privacy you have two options:
1. Use an alias (fake name). That's MY preferred option. (If you want to change your name, log in, choose General Info and then just change your first/last name to whatever). Now keep in mind that when the system changes in the future, usernames are what will be visable on the messageboards, so keep that in mind.
2. Check the box on your profile's General Info page to make it private. But then nobody but you can see your profile. Up to you. :-)
Ok these are JUST TIPS...not directives or orders or demands - just suggestions to make the message boards a bit easier for you, me and everyone.
HTH and (((HUGS)))), Toots!
Curious what HTH or LOL or OT, DH, etc mean? Click here for a list of common message board abbreviations (about 1/2 way down the page):
http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=M10 78274999
Hi Tooter - Thanks so much for taking the time to put together this info!! Also, thanks for your recent help - I finally did get my picture to display itself. 
Thanks for being such a great support on this site - you make a difference, for sure!!
Thanks for being such a great support on this site - you make a difference, for sure!! starting/goal/current
270/168/158 ~ down 112 pounds and below goal
Little by little, Big Things Get Done!
Laurie
Lap RNY on 6/27/06
I added a link to this post to the sticky at the top.
I've lost over 400 pounds!
I love helping others, if you have a question just ask!
Click on a link to read more about my journey:
My website My reconstructive photos
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