New WLS Documentary with BMI over 50 featured

Hi all - I had lap band surgery in Nov of 2007 and I've been involved with a new documentary that gives the up's and down's of WLS.  The producer of the documentary has just released a quick 6 minute trailer highlighting some of the issues that will be covered in the documentary.   I wanted to let you know that the trailer is now available for viewing and hope you have a few minutes to take a peek at it.

As we all know, WLS is not necessarily a piece of cake (sorry the pun), but involves work, changes in our lives and changes in how people perceive us AFTER the surgery.  What this documentary will do is show folks that WLS is not necessarily a quick fix or is as easy as those who have not had the surgery may believe. 

The documentary follows a group of us who have been friends for years, have been fat for years and are now, one by one, having surgery to improve our health and lives.  Please take a minute to look at the 6 minute trailer and feel free to leave a comment if you feel compelled.  The project is still underway, but I'll notify you when it's done. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIihQUIr5CA 

http://allofmethemovie.com/

Thanks for the look!

Dawn
msdintx

Thanks for sharing!!!! Looks very interesting!!!

Interesting!  I'll be sure to take a look at it tonight!

Thanks, Kelly for your support!  My starting BMI was 72 and I still have a ways to go.  The documentary is really a "coming out" in many respects and we're hoping that it educates people to ALL sides of WLS -- sometimes we gloss over the bumps in the road and these never get talked about.  While this is not designed to focus on the negative, but rather bring out that EVERY day is one that we have to work at and it's not the "quick fix" some folks think it is.  I'll be sure to let y'all know when it's done and when/where it will be shown.  Best to you in 2009!

Dawn

 wow looks very interesting an compelling.. would love to see the whole documentry...
thanks for sharing

WOW!!  I can not wait to see the entire documentary!!!!

Thank you all for the kind comments and feeback on the documentary!  We are THRILLED to know we're doing right by all of us who have experienced the ups and downs of surgery.  I'll be sure to list when the entire piece is done --- I think it will be most beneficial to family, friends and folks who have no idea of what it's like walking in our shoes.  Thanks again!

Dawn

Thank you for sharing this.  I became very emotional while viewing it.  The mental piece of being SMO is sometimes so overwhelming. Seems like we hide behind our weight, literally and figuratively.  My best friend and I could be the same girls that are on here.  Unless you live it, you can't understand it. 

Thanks again

Help! I'm a super obese person with a BMI of 72 and I can't find a surgeon that will operate on me. Does anyone know of a surgeon or surgeons that operate on someone with my BMI? I live in Atlanta but I'm willing to travel to have the surgery done.

Hi there - I'm really surprised that, even with a high BMI, your surgeon won't operate on you.  There could be a couple of reasons for this, but, the reason you're seeking help is because you're fat and want to reduce that BMI number.  When I was scheduled for surgery, I was 388 and had a BMI over 70.  While I had Lap Band surgery, I think I was at the highest end of the BMI/weight scale for Lap Band -- much more and I think he would have wanted to do a by-pass on me....but that's speculation. The point is, if you're seeing a Bariatric surgeon for information about WLS, there are plenty of folks with high BMI's who have had the surgery done and haven't had any problems. 

Here's my suggestion for you -- you may have already tried this, but this would be the first step I'd take.  Try doing a search on Yahoo for WL support groups in your area.  Local folks who have had WLS are notorious for giving folks information that is needed.   We have a few WLS groups here in Austin and one of them I found on Yahoo and have gotten great info from this group.  Another resource may be a hospital bariatrics program which has contacts with several doctors.  One doctor may not want to attempt surgery with a high BMI where another wouldn't think it's any big deal.  When you have the surgery done laproscopically, the recovery time and complications associated with the surgery are minimized.  It just confuses me why a Bariatric doctor wouldn't want to do surgery on you.  Most morbidly obese folks are going to have a high BMI -- I would guess that, maybe, it's another condition that may be the problem (body shape, other medical conditions, lack of experience -- who knows).....my point is, don't give up.....I know that you've probably done some deep soul searching and, now that you've decided to have the surgery (which, to me, is the hardest part of the process), it's a shame that you aren't able to find someone who'll work with you.

Best of luck with finding someone in the Atlanta area. I'm sure someone will chime in and give you better information that I have, but I would try to see if there's some kind of support group who would have folks in it in your similar situation. 

Dawn