Ever heard that saying about...

I complained I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet???? Or something like that... Well it certainly comes to mind after reading some posts on here today.. This board has definitely changed lately.. Did you consider how lucky you were to be approved and actually get your surgery?? LOTS of people never get that far... When you had to walk down a "short windowless corridor" that you should be happy you could WALK?? Lots of people can't... When you did the right thing and helped the sick lady in the next bed and felt aggravated and disgusted and it was so hard on you.. did you think for one moment how it felt to be her?? Forced to rely on the KINDNESS of a stranger?? Maybe God put you in there because He knew you'd look out for her... no matter how hard it was on you. Has anyone complaining thought about our own Marchers who passed away this month? Have you thought of the ones battling their way back?? Such as Bethany and Carrie and Virginia?? You think your stay was a nightmare.. Go read Darlene Harris' profile.. she was in the hospital basically from July until she passed in February... She didn't complain about the halls and nurses that's for sure. When you were in the hospital and complaining of being on a Peds Ward did it occur to you that on that very same floor someone's child was dying or having surgery etc?? I would have been happy it wasn't me... If you wanted to be put on a specialty ward then you should request the Burn Unit... this is where they are best prepared to fight off germs and everything is cleaner by necessity.. If they don't have a gown in your size you can simply put one on frontwards and the other on backwards.. Not a pretty look but it keeps your "bizness" covered up.. This is LIFESAVING SURGERY not a day at the spa. If you cry everytime you remember the hospital stay then perhaps you should pray about it.. Or even forget about it.. It was a few days out of your life to ultimately give you a better life in the end... If this is the most traumatic thing you've ever been through then you have led a charmed life... Yes it's fine to let your surgeon and even the Hospital Administration know what happened and why you were unhappy.. Being from NY I can only imagine what kind of response letters to the papers would get... You chose this as your path to your Happily Ever After... Life is Hard and it's Not Fair and you came out on top and you don't sound as if you even care about that part.... Carrie is going thru hell right now and she still said "I'd do it again in a minute" Funny she never mentioned the "view" from her halls or any of that other stuff.... I am one of the happiest most upbeat people on this board and I am sure a lot of people won't like my opinion on this but for the love of God ladies... BE GRATEFUL & COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Kathy wonderful post!!! ~Nicole Open RNY 3-9-04 -33 pounds

Kathy, Your post is the most honest, best post I have read on here. And I say AMEN to everything you said. We have so much to be thankful for, and I know everyday in my 'new' life, I will Thank God for this gift, and when I say that I will pray for someone you better believe I honestly do, and then when I hear they are in recovery or home, I go back to The Lord and Thank Him in that person's name. I hear you Kathy, I admire you, and I respect you and your opinion. Love ya girl, Betty

Kathy, You make some good points to give us some perspective. We do indeed have much to be thankful for. However, to give some balance, there are some really rough spots along the road on this journey. It often helps to vent and to also find out if you are alone in your struggles. I would not want anyone to feel like they cannot do this on this board. Yes, the mood on this board has changed over the last month, but we are the same people--just at a different point in the journey. We are going through a lot. I love laughing together. I also am willing to cry with each of you, because sometimes I need you to cry with me. Hopefully we can continue to help each other along the way. Like Kathy, I look forward to more laughter, and I am sure it will come. Whether we are laughing, crying, or just dazed in a stupor, we are still MARCHERS! Joy

Well said, Angel Mine. You never cease to amaze me. Since I was a very young child, Queen Mum had a decorative-type dish/plaque with very profound words on our family room wall. It must've cost my Dad a small fortune when he bought it for her decades ago. As Romans 8:28 has always been "my verse", this was inscribed with Queen Mum's verse..."In everything give thanks" (I Thess. 5:18). I was raised in a home where we were thankful, and to this day, I give my parents the credit for instilling an attitude of gratitude in me. Thanx for reminding us all how blessed we really are - aches, pains, nasty meds, temporary food intolerances and all. There are those out there who'd do ANYTHING to endure some of our 'bad' experiences in order to gain the benefit that we'll all have. And Angel Mine, YOUR day is coming, my friend. I'm going to see to it. Love you!!! Kimmer Queen of the Niners, Instigator to All Marchers, High Priestess of Giggles

Please don't judge me. Thank you, Eve

No judging allowed here! (except maybe by da Judge) Love you, Joy

'Scuse me Miss Naive.... I didn't judge you and in fact have never spoken to you. Since you have an obvious alias and no profile on record, I have never felt a need to post to you or about you.... Sinseerlee, Kathy Offishal Marchers Cheerleader Captain Flatulence Monitor Angel to the Queen "It's time to throw down the pom poms and get into the game!"

Kathy, You need to calm down. There's obviously something bothering you that is personal because your anger about this is so out of line with what actually happened. Your anger is over-the-top and, in my opinion, misplaced. I like my screen name and I have an absolute right to be here, and I think it's very unfair of you to be behaving in this manner. This board is very helpful BECAUSE it represents different stories and different perspectives and experiences. A lot of things that are posted here are done so as cautionary tales, as warnings so that other people won't have to go through what some already have. If I were going to be as unfair to you as you have been to Sally, I might say you don't belong here because you've admitted you're not even having surgery. See how little sense that makes? Please don't attack posters just for telling their personal stories. There are still a lot of people in crisis who need our attention and some Marchers who still have not gone through their surgeries. We don't need this upheaval. -Eve

Kathy, Your perspective is a healthy one, and a good reminder to be thankful and that things could always be worse. At the same time, this is a support board and some whining and complaining is to be expected. I think Joy made a good point in her response. It's great that you're upbeat and happy. I like to think I am most of the time too. But when I'm not, I don't think of myself as not being grateful or not counting my blessings. We all have the right and ability to look at a post out here and choose to reply or not to reply. I kind of look at it like "take what you need and leave the rest". We all have something in common, that's why we're here. However, individually we are here for a multitude of reasons and needs. My opinion is that if people want to use this site for complaining, that's their perogative. If I don't relate to the post, I don't respond. I see a lot of stuff out here that I think is kind of weird. However, I can't really know what that person is all about because of few posts. You're a positive person and that is great. I love your posts (especailly the one where I asked about what everyone does for a living)! Just as I believe the perspective you allude to is a healthy one, I also think it's important not to pass judgement. I also think we should try to live and let live as much as possible. There's always going to be posts we don't like. There's even going to be posts that people put out that they're sorry about later. Remember though, NONE of us are perfect. This post of yours is a very good reminder to count our blessings. Thanks Kathy Caboose