Who knows????

Who knows about your surgery??  I am talking about those of you who do 12 step meetings regularly..... have you shared about it in the meetings?  So far only my husband and my sponsor know about the revision...I just dont wanna open the door for unneccessary feedback......  I am coming up on 6 yrs  (july 21st) I sponsor 6 women, I am currently ON my 12th step  with my sponsor and I am in service and pray regularly.... I have a good program.....  Why dont i feel compelled to share this with the people in the rooms and is that okay!!  I

I am not shy about telling people about my surgery.  I only had two people give me negative feedback and I set the boundary with them early on.  It is a personal decision that you have to make and feel comfortable with.  I just know that I was thrilled to have the opportunity to get the surgery, and saw it as a gift from God, so I just am open about it.

I am a member of AA, and we read at the beginning of our metings that we are to keep our discussion to our problems with alcohol. That said, anything that may lead me to that next drink is worthy of me bringing it up-if I choose to do so. If I have concerns or issues that I'm not comfortable sharing with the group as a whole, then these are what I talk with my sponser about, and I will decide how much to share and with whom by her sharing her experience, strength and hope with me. I have shared the fact that I've had RNY within meetings from time to time, but as part of the whole of the addictive behaviors. I am still a "newbie" at this time, having only 15 months sobriety, and this is the way I understand the program at this time. Hugs!  Vera

I discuss mine quite openly and frequently.  It is part of my ES&H.  It wasn't until post-GBS that I crossed that imaginary line into stage 3 alcoholism.  My new plumbing played a significant role, and I feel it's important to share openly about it in case somebody has experienced similar issues.  I do this because when I really started spiraling out of control, I blamed the surgery and my new way of metabolizing alcohol for quite some time before looking inward and admitting I'd abused alcohol my entire adult life.  It kept me in that denial for a bit longer.  I feel sharing about it might help another fence-sitting alcoholic who has had GBS to have someone to whom he/she can relate.

Love and light,

Michelle

Thanks for your post.... I too feel like the meeings are for us to address our problems with our mood changing substance, what ever it is..... I do talk about "making decisions that are good for me" "having faith" " being open" you know.. applying the literature and the steps to my weight loss journey....I have told my sponsor, as she knows me best and they say, atleast one person needs to know EVERYTHING about you.. and she does......  THANKS for your experience, strength and hope.... One of the reasons I did NOT want to discuss it in meetings because I did not want it to divert us from our primary purpose and the whole meeting become a debate or  a discussion about WLS etc......

I understand your reluctance to share your surgery openly in the rooms.  I did share it contextually when I first had the surgery, due to my vulnerability to the narcotic meds post-op, and understanding the difference with which the body metabolizes alcohol after gastric bypass surgery.  I only mentioned it once or twice, around the time I was feeling vulnerable to the drugs. 

I do share in private conversations with people before and after the meetings, if it seems contextual. 

I hope this makes sense.

Hugs,

Trish