Some of you newbies and DS wannabes **** me off. LONG rant about life and death here.

Excellent post Nicolle!  So sorry to hear about your friend it is truly sad.

 Nicolle,

I'm very sorry about Norm.  I ran across your posts about him a while back when I was looking at old threads researching something.  I'm sure the topic was "death".  This is serious business.  And death is what I fear either having the ds or not having the ds.  Thanks for verbalizing the frustrations of many, as evidenced by the many replies to your thread.  

Anna

I am so very sorry for your loss.

Nicholle,
I feel like standing up and cheering. If you were here, I'd kiss you! 

This was a great tribute to Norm and a wonderful message for the newbies!

Dianne from FL

 Norm touched many lives this week thanks to your wise words.  It is interesting to note that not one of the usual offenders have posted on this thread.  Self awareness and the ability to learn from our mistakes is so important in this very real and life changing surgery.  We are so lucky to have the option.  Not taking it seriously after living to tell the story is beyond foolish.  Thank you for your way with words.  Hopefully some of the people who needed to see this are taking time to reflect and will share their reflections in a way that shows growth.  lulu

Nicolle,

I'm so sorry about your friend Norm. He sounds like a brave and wonderful man. Thank you for sharing his memory with those of us who were not lucky enough to know him.

As for the rest of it, I've been pretty shocked at some of the posts lately. Personally, I think that descending upon a board and constantly demanding information, ignoring responses, and not following simple board netiquette is WAY more rude than a couple of harsh words. I am a relative newbie, and I get excited when other newbies turn up, but I cringe at the n00bs. If their posts were just irritating, that would be one thing, but they have the potential to be truly destructive.

I appreciate the time and patience that you and the other vets put in. This is an invaluable resource and place for support. 

Jenna

I think people should have to justify why they get this procedure. My surgeon made me explain to him why I should get the DS over the RNY. Keep in mind that I was also his 3rd DS. My mother was his 5th (first done lap) and that was about 2 years later.

Well....I'm taking a risk posting I suppose, as I may be one of the buttholes everyone is talking about, though I hope not, regardless though, I thought your tribute to Norm was wonderful, you can see in his eyes what a lovely man he was, and I am sorry you are missing your friend so much Nicolle. I promise when I start feeling frustrated and having buyer remorse, I will think of Norm, and how much he would appreciate being in my spot. Lots of love through your grief.

Nicole that says it all chick, thank you!  There are a couple of folks on here at the moment that I would like to stuff into a jam tin because of the very things you've stated.  Good for you.  I as a Newbie can appreciate your point...**** no one here has to lift a finger to help my cantankerous arse but they do out of kindness, out of understanding and because they are paying it forwards.  No one owes me anything which makes what they are doing all the more amazing.  

I'm so aware of how massive this surgery is.  Bowel surgery isn't a small bit of work and having stomach and bowel surgery is pretty scary so I hope you've managed to slam this point home to the folks on the forum.  I luckily have assisted in big abdo surgery and recovered patients that have died post op.  Take nothing for granted!  You can be here one minute and gone the next.  This is like having heart surgery...you're on the table and open for up to 12hrs depending on the state of your insides.  Your body ventilation and output are being regulated by someone else.  You'd better hope they know what they are doing!  No not a quick fix at all...far far from it!

Thanks chick!
xx