Big Medicine - I know I am going to open a can of worms...but.....

Yeppers!! Ditto to what you and Dana both said. I'd say it again, but why be redundant?  :)

I have to agree with you..  I had addictions before I ever had WLS and I still have them today.. I have "manned" up and not blamed them on my WLS.. I am the one that chose to start them or continue them..

I have been here and helped people and I will tell them straight up about the issues after surgery.. You can read my profile and I am an open book.. I believe that people should be honest about everything.. Good and Bad..

Have to agree that these, not so wonderful updates could possibly have been dealt with as a whole different show - as in - one show with successes, followed by a show on - this can happen to you kind of thing.

Yes, as we all know, addictions are very much a part of our lives, or we would not have been #340 or higher or whatever weight we were at the time of surgery.  And, if we SEEM to get a handle on the food addiction via this surgery, then those other addictions are going to pop up and stare us in the face because we can't hide behind the food any longer.  I certainly have many of the same issues being a scale HO, and feeling that anything the scale shows will not be good because it could always be better.  HOWEVER, I have admitted it for the duration.  Course those addictions that we admit to are so very obvious to those people in our lives. Not easy to admit, but when we do, it certainly is easier to work on it.

That being said, I have learned that we cannot judge others and spout compliance and perfection, when ultimately that action is because of our cross addiction. 

So I will say, before I realized what a numbers person I was, I was judging other peeps for NON COMPLIANCE.  Well, 11 months ago, I realized that we are HUMAN, and my intolerance of NON COMPLIANCE was only feeding my cross addiction.  It is a struggle but I will admit it freely now.

So to anyone I was judgemental of in my first 18 months post op, I will again apologize. No excuses for my thoughts.  There are others that have felt the same and made no bones about verbalizing it.

Amazing how much better I FEEL apologizing .....

No bashing here Baby! I wish more people would tell it like it is! I think Newbies NEED to hear the good, the bad and the ugly side of it all!! Like Jodie said, it ain't all rainbows and puppy kisses!! I wish I had heard more before I started my journey. It wouldn't have changed my mind about surgery, but I would have done more research or got more behavioral type help!

I didn't have an addiction to alcohol before WLS, but like Ramon said, I choose to stay addicted, deal with it in my own way, etc., it's not something I can blame my surgery on.

Kudos for having the guts to tell it like it is!!!!

Hugz,
Gina L

No bashing here!  I too wish that there had a least been a balance....cross addictions are important but like others have said not completly to do with weight loss surgery.  To me having the updates they did woudl give a NEGATIVE side to wls not the positives.  If I had seen that show prior to wls would I have decided not to do the surgery?

I have been struggling with some things myself lately and am not here on OH much but not becuase of the drama, not because I do not need the support, but because as Dana references I was spending WAY too much time online.  Prior to wls I was on WAY too much as well but now I feel I need to spend that time spending it with my family and EXPERIENCING life. 

I recently had a discussion with our nutritionist here at our program that I am really having issues with the fear of weight gain and "all eyes on me" here at the hospital that I can't fail.  I was thinking to myself that since my BMI is not where I (and only me) want it to be that I had failed, so how can I go on as an inspiration.  She pointed out something to me I had lost sight of.....prior to surgery in a consultation with her I was asked what are my objectives to achieve with this wls.  My answers were to be able to go to the park and play with my kids and to breathe.  Both of those I have accomplished but had totally lost sight of. 

So I need my friends here at OH but I also need to step back and make a new goal for myself.  I once thought that if I did not continue to pay it forward and help others I would forget and gain back.  But it is actually that pressure that is having the opposite affect on me - and I did start gaining back.

So though I see the point of the show to have the aspect that there could be "issues" I think showing more before and afters of the majority would have been a better portrayal of the norm. (if that makes since) And referencing Alan and then saying he was not available left the assumption at least for me that he might not have been as successful as they would have hoped.  That however is just my opinion but I disappointed in the show.

(though Tanya since I know you may be lurking it was nice to at least "see" you there since our schedules do not allow for much else - just saying :)  )

Donna

I'm very glad they did a followup show, with the regular show we're always left hanging, wondering how these folks are doing. I'm hate to attempt to second guess why they chose the people they did, I can see reasons for them all. The girl with the crack addiction said that addiction started after WLS to replace the food addiction. I hope she keeps it under control and that her baby arrives healthy.

I was nice to see Tanya, especially after 'knowing' her from OH. I think it took alot of guts for her to lay it all out like she did, it can't be easy to do in front of TV land! Her disorder is probably a lot more common than we all want to believe. I'm only 9 weeks out and can already see where the phobia can start. That's one I will be watching closely.

It would have been nice if Alan had participated, I don't know why they would chose him unless he backed out at the last minute and they didn't have time to film someone else. I want to believe he just wanted to avoid the attention rather than he's been a failure. Some of the rainbow effect, I guess! I do hope he's successful to some degree.

The star of the show for me was Marc(?). I wish him luck in his upcoming marriage and future life.

That said, I do wish they had chosen folks with lower starting weights. It's also my problem with the show in general. I don't know if choosing people weighing 400+ lbs is mainly for the shock factor or not.And I know we do have some folks here on OH that started out at those weights but I think that's the exception instead of the rule. I'd like to see more folks in the 250-350lb range. Those I can identify with. And to me would be more educational as far as getting people interested in the surgery. I've seen shows in the past with these 500+lb people on them and just had the feeling their problems didn't apply to me because I wasn't that big. Now if I'd seen shows with someone more my size at 300-350lb, it might have struck a cord and made me face my problems sooner. I'm not explaining it very well...I just know I want to see less people big enough to be bed bound on the show.

I, too, already miss some of the people I followed when I first joined OH. I learned a lot from them. But I can certainly understand moving on and living life. For myself, even this early out, I'm no longer satisfied to sit all day in this chair and live on the internet. My body wants to move! I enjoy getting out and look for any excuse to go to the post office, walk around Mal Wart, etc. And now that the weather is nice I want to be out enjoying it. So I'm not on OH as much anymore and I can certainly see that dropping even more in the future. I won't be visiting as many forums. I'll pick my one or two favorites and spend my time there. At the same time I'm feeling y Independence, I also know I NEED the support, wisdom and knowledge that can only be found here among my peers. I am just now beginning to feel enough validation that I can pass on knowledge I've learned and not just the Woo Hoo's for doing good! So it will be interesting to find the balance that let's me live both in OH and the real world at the same time!

Lastly....Debra.....you've paid enough dues you don't have to ever apologize for any opinions you want to share!

Ok..saw the show..was SO looking forward to it...felt a bit let down..but I know it was all about "the ratings", and not meant to entertain ME, so I tried to keep it all in perspective...

I thought MARC looked great and I wish him continued success in his life...

JENNIFER's story worried me a little, but I don't have her personal isues, so I can't really relate. I would NEVER judge her, though, because I have walked her in her shoes...

Knowing TANYA personally, I cannot be as objective about her. Yes, we all know how she is, and has always been, an AW, but she doesn't mean any harm by it...lol...I know she has pissed alot of peeps off along her journey..but well...that's her, and this is me...We all have different paths in our journeys...

DEBRA-not at all sure why anyone would flame you for your post- or why you feel they would-I don't see where you have said you've said anything offensive-maybe there is something "between the lines" I'm too ignorant o pick up on. I only see you speaking the TRUTH...

I've been an OH member about as long, if not longer, than anyone on the TMB, and have seen a million peeps come and go..some I miss..some I don't...some I worry about...some I don't...You can't save the world..it took me a LONG time to figure THAT one out...

I totally believe in letting people know WLS is NOT all fairy farts and rainbows..but..I also know I would not listen to anyone when I was pre-op. I was going to be the PERFECT WLSer...I certainly blew THAT title along the way...

Okay...ramble over...

fairy farts and rainbows

I love this -- will have to remember it!  I needed that little chuckle this afternoon.  Thanks

Hugs, Mari

FAIRY FARTS! I've been racking my brain all afternoon when I read Jodie's post about puppy kisses!

Damn, I hate it when you "speak" in code. "AW" has been driving me crazy all afternoon. I just finished watching the episode and Michael asked me why Tanya would have participated when I finally figured out what you meant.

One of those days where the booksmarts didn't do me much good, eh?