Being a DSer and Being able to research

Great post!

It really would be a benefit to the newbie, the vet and the board as a whole if people would just do their research. (and not just on OH)

Lately it seems we have board police popping up everywhere!  I have notice that most of these "police" are less than a year out, which makes me scratch my head. LOL  I gues I just don't get the idea that newbies should be allowed to ask anything, anytime and we are all 'supposed' to blow rainbows and fluffy bunnies up their ass!  WTF?

Anyway, rambling, sorry.

Michele

Such an important point about the research skills. It seems like some people are unfortunately mistaking your post as saying "don't ever ask questions", instead of "practice doing your own research, because with the DS, you're going to need it". 

I have certainly asked plenty of questions in my time here, and they've always been answered very generously. 

I jumped right into posting, but over the course of several weeks, I also went back through 125 pages of this forum. I learned the answers to questions I hadn't even thought to ask. This place is one of the absolute best sources of DS knowledge that exists. Even for newbies who don't think they have any questions, I'd encourage as much backreading as you can possibly squeeze in.

EXACTLY!!! There are questions newbies might not even think to ask...well thank OH for leaving up our old posts, because they can go back to see YEARS worth of messages, questions, etc. I think it would be really hard to find a question that has not been asked here before in some way shape or form. Again, this is not to say don't ask questions....ask!!!!

I ask questions all the time, but there are some very basic questions that really can be answered by just reading a bit. One of the issues (in my opinion) is that people are SO excited about getting WLS that they actually want the direct interaction that a message board does not provide. They want communications directed toward them, and that is very comfortable, but that is why there are real life support groups. Granted many of them are geared towards the RNY, but once you get past the surgery type, they are usually filled with very supportive, helpful individuals.

Scott

I love this post.

Another way I've found to save my own time, as well as everyone elses, is to bookmark informative posts that have a lot of information, even if it's not relevant to me at that minute.


I spent so many months reading about surgery before I actually got my DS, that I had tons of info I could easily go back to about vitamin D deficiency, anal fissures, how much/which vitamins many DSers took, best ways to deal with the hair loss, etc.

Anything that I thought I would be dealing with, or even MIGHT be dealing with at some point in the future, went into that bookmarked folder for later access if necessary.

I do that too, plus there is another forum that people can go to :

www.duodenalswitch.com which has a great search function and people can research everything from insurance appeals, to how to talk to your PCP, etc. A lot of the vets here were there for a long time.

Scott