OMG Dissing surgery e-mail

First thing this morning I check my e-mail and find (unsolicited by me) that I have one that is all about the negatives and complications of gastric bypass surgery that some doctor in Chicago wrote . Where the hell did this come from. I am going for pre-op 2/17 with surgery scheduled for 3/16, I am already scared s---less and now this. Anyone else get this email? Betty

Betty, Take a deep breath, and don't let it get to you. I am sure you didn't reach the decision for WLS lightly and you have thought long and hard about it. Remember, everyone's experiences are different and you will hear both good and bad. If your doctor has a support group and you haven't attended any meetings, please go. I went to my first support group meeting last week. There were two post ops there in the group who had complications that required them to stay in the hospital yet neither one regrets their choice to have the surgery. I just go forward knowing this is my choice and that it is for my future, because without it I will certainly have no future. Keep your chin up. Hugs, Mo

Spam is annoying at best, but it is this type of unsolicited misinformation that does serious damage to the unsuspecting public! Betty, my advice is to try to separate the hype from the pieces of reality, and ask questions on 2/17 about whatever concerns are still remaining. There was a big news spread here in the last week or two about people who developed neuropathy (numbness) in feet and hands several years after WLS. This truly does happen, but it is TOTALLY PREVENTABLE. It is due to malnourishment (particularly B-12 shortage). If you take your supplements and go back for yearly nutrient blood testing, you can avoid such things. SO DO IT. Joy (3/1)

Betty, There's someone on one of our local boards that keeps ranting against the surgeon that I have and stating that her's is sooooooo much better. I can't figure out why she (the ranter) has such a bee up her butt about my surgeon, but I'm getting tired of it. My surgeon has a really good track record and I feel really comfortable with her. I don't know why someone would want to undermine your confidence in your surgeon before surgery, but the ranter does. Now here's the funny part. I attended a support group meeting for the first time last week and lo and behold, the ranter was there. I turns out that she had all kinds of complications from her surgery (done by another surgeon, not mine), ended up in ICU for quite a while and in the end, blamed her surgeon for her addiction to pain killers since he didn't see her once she was released from the hospital, but would phone in a prescription for her every time she called. I'm betting that this doctor is like Dr. Phil with his own brand of weight loss Hoodoo Voodo and is trying to drum up business. I'd bet you've been spammed. Pay no attention because you're a smart woman, you've made a careful, well-informed decision and be confident in your choice of weight management. You've fought too long and hard to be swayed by nay sayers. I'm rooting for you. Connie

Betty... First and foremost, don't get jazzed about this. Since I've logged onto this website, not only do I get the normal "Do YoU wAnT a BiGgEr PeNi$?" spam (that for the life of me I haven't a CLUE why they come to me), but I now get all kinds of spam for weight loss. Ya know what I do? I delete 'em. If I know they're from someone who I don't recognize, I hit that "Del" button and blow 'em into cyberspace. It's just like switching the station on your TV. Just change the channel! You may get emails from this website from people who've posted, but the format is always the same in the address or subject line, so once you've gotten a couple, you'll recognize them. Keep/read them. They're for you! You're going to hear horror stories from here on in. It's a given. Some people just get a cheap (and mean) thrill out of getting WLS people all jacked out of shape. Hateful people want to make us question ourselves. Who in their RIGHT mind would be so cruel? They're BULLIES who've never grown out of it. I'll bet they were bullies in elementary school. We've put UP with 'cruel' all our obese lives, it's time to put a stop to it. And the one who can do that is YOU. You've made your decision, and I'm going to assume here that you've made it based on information and criteria. Your insurance company has said "Yup, it's appropriate and necessary, so we'll foot the bill". Your doctors have said "Yup. You need this. Let's get you a new life." So why do you want to let some TWISTED JERK pull your chain and freak you out? Just hit that "Del" button and let it fly. Everyone questions their decisions, some more than others. As our dates draw nigh, you'll probably see more and more questioning themselves. It's a given -- this is a very serious decision we've all made, and the insecurities in us will get at us and try to pull us in. THAT's when you change your thoughts and MAKE yourself think about post-op: how you'll feel without lugging all those extra pounds around, what it's gonna be like to buy clothes from a "regular" clothes store... Also make yourself think about 'academic' things: things you'll need to buy for surgery, who'll take care of your pets (if you have any) when you're in the hospital, etc, etc. Take your thoughts OFF of the negative and put them ON the positive. That's my sermon for the day. No charge! We're all here...we're all gonna help each other through this. That includes you! Kimmer Queen of the Niners, Instigator to all Marchers, High Priestess of Giggles Zero-minus-21 and counting!