WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU....

hey girlfriend!!! so, did your friend have any signs of the obstruction? on the main board, a lot of people said if i had an obstruction that i would be in A LOT of pain and have a fever. i do get pains sometime, but nothing to write home about. so i kinda disregarded the idea of an obstruction. i never feel like i get "all unclogged". i guess that's my problem. my butt always feels like i have to go! hmmm, wonder if the liquor store is open??? ya know, my son's basketball banquet is tonight, i just might give it a shot! i'm not much of a drinker myself, but i can try it i guess. on a serious note, i googled "signs of bowel obstruction" and i don't think it would hurt to have the dr check this out. sounds like they could rule that out with just a simple xray. i will call on my pcp on monday and try to insist on it. thanks for posting! love ya!!! hugssssss

Hi girl! My friend has a bit of pain, but no fever. She just felt really uncomvfortable all the time and never felt like she had gone enough either. Turned out it was the obstruction. They removed it and now they have her take a stool softner daily. She feels better, but she still has a hard time she said.

Mary Jo, Thanks for being so upfront and sharing. I don't feel like I have any bright words of wisdom, but wanted you to know that my thoughts and prayers are with you. We all have issues. I think I had posted this before, but I joined an eating disorder group for women at my church. It has helped since, though the outcomes and disorders are different, almost all of us have similar core issues. Hang in there! Some outside help can be very useful. Hugs, Kerri

thank you kerri. i guess i needed to hear exactly what you said - "almost all of us have similar core issues". it is nice to know we are all in this together. first things first. i just replied to kelli that i am going to call pcp on monday and see if they will send me for an abdominal xray. at least that way i can find out if there is a medical issue going on here. if they can rule that out with the xray, then i know i have to take other steps. you guys are the bestest!!! hugssssssss

Hi Mary Jo, I haven't taken any laxatives, but have made myself throwup on many occasions - due to overeating or eating something sweet/greasy. (Probably atleast 10 times since surgery.) Instead of suffering it out and taking the consequences for my poor choices, I made myself throwup. I even had a little blood in it last week which really scared me. I stayed home from school last Monday because I was so depressed and disappointed in myself. I called my church and set up some couseling for next week. I had to pay for the surgery myself so I don't have money for therapy. You aught to see if your church offers free counseling aswell. I'm going to give it a shot. Anyway, I think many of us can probably relate to you and please know that you are not alone. By the way, you really do look fantastic, but I liked you just as much in your original picture. You are beautiful on the inside and that shows in all your posts. Dawn

(((((dawn)))))) you are such a sweetheart! i may take your advice. i didn't call the dr on friday. main reason being, if they want to see me or refer me to someone, i do not have to money to go. i hate being broke and with the stress of possibly losing my job, i just can't afford anything! not even a measly $15 co-pay. so i will check with my church, thanks for the suggestion. i hope you scared yourself enough to be careful. looks like you guys already took steps to help yourselves...i am so proud of everyone on this board! i have thought about the whole throwing up thing, but i could never do it. i even thought about buying that syrup (not sure how to spell it!) that makes you throw up. sick, sick mind i have! everyone on this board is beautiful to me. you are all so supportive and willing to listen. i love you all! hugsssssss

Mary Jo, you are so brave to share this with all of us. And look at all the powerful, positive responses. What a wonderful community we have here, huh. I can't really add anything more than what has been said, in terms of getting help, except that I would like to say that Wendy Daly hit it on the head. None of us were emotionally healthy people BEFORE the surgery, how can we possibly expect to gain emotional balance and function just because we lost all the weight. In fact, losing the weight is really the beginning of our problems in a way. Eating was our coping mechanism. That's been taken away. Now that most of us are getting to the short strokes in terms of weight loss, we are all going to be faced with finding new ways to cope. And it will hit each of us at different times. When stress starts overwhelming us, we're going to be in that old familiar place, except without the old familiar friend. As for myself, I was a functioning alcoholic for 3 years prior to this surgery. If was I drinking, I wasn't eating. In my mind this was a way to control my weight. Of course it doesn't, because the alcohol puts and keeps weight on! I will not risk my pouch by drinking again, and weirdly, I have no desire for alcohol since the surgery, but I have developed a new nervous habit of pulling out my cuticles and the skin around my fingernails as a way to cope with stress. I find myself doing this mindlessly while driving or watching TV. My fingers look like I've been digging trenches with my bare hands! (I have total hip replacement surgery coming up next week and have been stressed out by all the arrangements). I wish you and ALL of us the best of luck with this new phase of our weight loss, because we're going to need it. As you can see by the responses, many of us are starting to act out in different ways that aren't very healthy. The thing I worry about with you tho is that the laxative habit could do serious damage to your insides. I send my prayers as well and hope you keep us posted on how you're doing. Take good care, Mary Jo. With love, Sharon

i am amazed at the love on this board and how many people who are willing to share private issues in their lives. the support here is wonderful! i am so grateful for all you junebugs. as i said in the orig post, i had posted this on the main board first. although i did get a lot of support, no one replied telling me they are also having trouble and no one shared problems that they have with coping. although no one may be having the laxative issue, so many of you have shared with me about your "issues" and made me feel like i am not alone. thank you so much! hugssssssss

You know Mary Jo, I think you just hit on something. You sharing your laxative issue gave all of US the courage to speak out about our malcoping behaviors too! This was a GOOD thing you did. I don't think I would have come out with the skin-picking thing or the fact that I had been an alcoholic if you hadn't had the courage to share your situation. It kind of made me feel safe and not like such a freak. I can't speak for any of the others, but as for me, a big THANK YOU to you. Maybe this will bring us all even closer, who knows??? Again, much love and good wishes, Sharon

Mary Jo, I don't know what to say. You know I share in your pain with the BMs. The only difference between you and me right now is I'm scared to death of laxatives that I probably don't take them when I should - and you are brave enough to take them, but have a history with them. You know I am still searching for the answer. I've been trying so hard to eat more fiber and that makes me lack in protein. I DO think you need to see the doc and find out if you have a partial obstruction or twisted bowel or adhesions. (I guess I'm speaking to myself too - but I don't want anything to interfere with my upcoming PS - so I'm holding out). It would be better to get it straightened out while you had insurance. You could always go in with your checkbook and when it's time to write the check say "Oh, shoot! I forgot I wrote out my last check!" (and play like you didn't put a new book of checks in there) They'll just bill you. I just hope it all gets straight soon and you are back to 100%. (((hug))) Pam