Rant

I was just reading a thing on the bariatric eating website and Susan Maria was talking about people not following the doctor's orders and she said that anyone who couldn't lose 10% of their body weight before surgery did not deserve to have the surgery. Excuse me? She has no clue all the crap I have gone to to try to lose weight. Hell, if I could lose 10% of my body weight, I would just do that 10 times. In my opinion, if you can lose 10% of your body weight, you can lose weight. I am seeking this surgery because I cannot lose weight. If I could lose weight, I could just lose weight. I don't know. It just irritated me. We have so many people who have no clue about morbid obesity who make assumptions about us, but when ONE OF US makes a comment like that, it upsets me terribly. It reminds me of a time when someone was talking about Jeremy Norman on the BB. The poor thing was having so much trouble and his family were so worried about him and some idiot on the BB posted that someone needed to talk to his caregivers because someone had to be feeding him massive amounts of food for him to weigh that much. We all know that when you eat like a normal person or less, and you end up weighing over 600 lbs. (I can't remember how much Jeremy weighed at the time,) there is a medical problem. His caregivers were NOT feeding him massive amounts of food. _I_ do not eat massive amounts of food (unless I'm in a Mexican restaurant, which is not a daily or even weekly thing,) so it infuriates me when people make comments that I should lower my calorie intake. My PCP put me on a 1400 calorie a day diet for the 6 months supervised diet and I GAINED 10 lbs. And I can't think of anyone who would say that 1400 calories is a "massive amount of food." I did, on occasion, eat more than 1400 calories. When my nephew got married in January, I ate more than that at the reception, I think...although I don't generally eat that much around my family since they have made so many comments about my weight and I went out to eat 2-3 times during the 6 months, but 3-4 days out of 6 months is still not massive amounts of food. I did not choose this surgery as a "quick fix." Maybe if I was younger and didn't have so much to lose, maybe it would have been a quick fix. I don't know. I just know that, at this point in my life, I cannot lose weight. There is something wrong with me, a medical problem. And not one doctor seems to be concerned about the cyst on my pituitary gland. Oh well, I have enough stress in my life. I don't need to keep stressing over this. It's just that people need to be EDUCATED about this DISEASE and when one of our own makes a comment stating that we can lose weight, It really upsets me. Ok, got that off my chest. I am always stressed on Sunday. There was a lot of little innuendos today at my parents' house about weight. My dad has lost weight and is down to 130 lbs. My sister's mother-in-law has leukemia and she won't eat either. My dad is 90 years old and my sister's mother-in-law is in her 80's. Elderly people don't eat that much. And their NOT EATING is causing them problems. So making digs at ME because I am morbidly obese is not going to put any weight on my dad or my sister's MIL. And MY being obese is not the cause of my sister's MIL's leukemia. Last I heard, her plans for dinner one night was two vienna sausages and 1/2 an apple. And that's not two cans of vienna sausage. That was two Vienna Sausage. Apparently, she'd been working on that can of Vienna Sausages for a few days. Ok, enough of me. I'm off like a prom dress.... Love ya'll, Joni

That person is NOT one that I reguard as very knowledgeable, I haven't read her book and never will. It seems more like she is just out promoting her book, and products to make $$$$ off of us who are going through this process. I have never bought anything from her and never will. I emailed her several times, months ago and have yet to hear anything from her. I am sure she is a busy person, running her corporation but I do feel if she REALLY cared, she would have taken a minute or 2 and responded to me. I have lost a substantial amount of weight YEARS ago, on my own. It could NOT be done this time. I have 3 years worth of recent diet history, where I have spent who knows how much money TRYING to find out WHY I wasn't loseing weight, no matter what I did. I thought if it came off once before, it SHOULD come off NOW, but that wasn't the case. I DID NOT want to have surgery. I have almost 2 years of documentation by my pcp, where he has repeatedly suggested to me that I needed surgery and I REFUSED. I was HARDHEADED about it and kept trying to loose on my own. It was only when my blood pressure skyrocketed, and BP meds would not control it, and I started having massive headaches and migraines regularly because of it, the daily pain increased to the point I could not hardly walk, and I started leaning towards the surgery. I have to work, there is no way around it and if I can't walk. I can't work, so I decided I needed to do something now. This is the only reason I agreed to the consult and going through the procedure. I suppose my documented 3 year diet history did help and I did not have to go through the required 6 month diet, the insurance companies require now. I jus****ched the Lifetime program "I lost it" where people discuss how they have lost weight. One woman had WLS and her ex husband was on, saying she took the easy way out he had the nerve to admit he divorced her because of her weight, "she wasnt the thin girl he married" What a JERK! I wish I had his email! We are all unique and different and have different reasons why we chose this path, and who is she to declare such a thing. Does she have a medical degree or has she done a study over a period of time to back up these claims? I dont think so. Its just her OPINON and we all know about individual opinions Everyone has one. Sandy

She gets on my nerves at times too... however, in MY case -- I would have agreed with her... I also am one of the weird ones that thinks WLS is the easy way out (because it was for me). It's all a matter of perspective! Don't let it get under your skin -- only you know what works (or doesn't in this case) for you! Chin up - Love ya!

Hey Joni, I am ranting right along with you. Don't worry about what one person says. Every person is an individual and has a right to their own opinion whatever that may be. In the US we have a right to our own and to disagree ( which I do, with her). I love ya girl and things are going to work out. You just hang tight. I'm just waiting on the day for you to post that you have a date and i will be jumping for joy with you. I was thinking maybe I could drive you home from the hospital when you get out. I know you said something about someone driving you to the hospital...I would be more than happy to bring you home and help you get settled in, maybe even stay with you a day if it is during the week and I could gets things straight here at home. I would love to. That's what friends are for. I promise I am going to get that surprise in the mail this week. It has been so hot I didn't go to the post office ...I didn't want to leave the a/c unless necesaary.... I love ya girlie.... Beth

That would be wonderful! However, I don't have anyone to drive me TO the hospital. My psychologist and his wife were going to drive me home. One of them would drive their car and the other would drive my car to get me back. It's not chiseled in stone though. They are just going to "try" if they can. It all depends on the date too. My psychologist does these seminars sometimes and they are out of town and last several days so if he's gotta do one of those, he won't be available. But it will have to be a 2-person thing since I am planning on going down there the day before, getting a hotel room and doing the whole magnesium citrate thing there in B'ham. Don't wanna take magnesium citrate and drive 3 hours. I will need all the help I can get during those days though. Anyone who can come to my apartment and help me is going to be VERY welcome. I don't blame you for not wanting to leave the a/c. It is so freaking hot. I am burning up right now and I have the a/c on about 65 degrees and it's nighttime. My parents' a/c went out yesterday a few times, so I'm hoping theirs doesn't go out during this horrendous heat. It's a relatively new a/c, so it shouldn't be going out already. My a/c has never been anything to write home about. The vents need cleaning out, for one thing. Damned apartment. Well, I am going back to sleep. I am so tired. I love you! Joni