That's the whole point.  I wanted to make sure that new folks understand that if vets don't respond to your posts about certain early-out issues, it ISN'T personal...  we are here to support everyone but have to be selective about what we respond to...  Even though *I* won't open a post about the inevitable early stall, SOMEONE else will.  It might not be a "veteran" or it might be one of the ones who is not is burned out on the "early out questions"... but someone (likely someone who is a few months out, has "survived" the 3 week stall, and has seen the dozens of posts about others with the same experience) will respond.

Lora

Oooooh, can I add my own two cents? 

First off .... I go through phases.... sometimes I post a lot, read a lot, participate a lot, and sometimes I don't. I think I get my fill, max out, and have to take a mental brain break. I know I'm in the middle of that. Right now I'm compiling some short stories I wrote in college, and I'm less than 1/2 way done, and am almost on page 700..... I find this interesting, and time consuming, and it's working for me right now. So when I'm in the middle of a "brain break" I still check in, however, I'm much MUCH more selective on what posts I open and what ones I respond to.

I have my own Hot Button topics that I almost always open.... vitamins is one of them, as is blood work.... not because I'm a super-guru on either, but because so MUCH misinformation is out there, and while I'm not an expert, I know that I have enough information to HELP people who are laboring under the misapprehension that tums and Flintstones are good enough. Tailbone issues too, because of course I feel like I am an expert on that topic. Sometimes I respond to "I'm still hungry" posts, and stall posts, because I know that my experience with stalls sometimes comforts others. I myself had great comfort in knowing "at goal" people on here who experienced a long stall in the beginning when I was in the middle of mine....so I try to share it because I know it might help.

I also like to give perspective to the "slow loser" threads, but sometimes I wanna pull my hair out. I rarely open HAIR threads, and I don't usually do much about threads that are asking about what to eat at particular stages.... because those people SHOULD have a plan, and SHOULD follow it, and if they DO have a plan but are shopping for another more lenient plan, I don't want to give them ideas on how to "cheat" their doctor's plan.

I don't avoid posts from people in particular.... though if I have responded frequently to someone who does NOT respond to my posts or others' posts, then I'm less inclined to continue to post to them if they show no indication that they appreciate the time I've spent in helping them.

I have blocked people who seem to only come here to pimp their blog and don't ever have meaningful interaction except to pimp their blog. I find that distasteful abuse of the forum. I block them rather than call them out on their behavior.

An example of the posts that are on the RNY forum at this point in time: (This is NOT to pick on anyone except perhaps ****rogirl and Poet-Kelly.... this is just what was on the RNY forum when I started making this post.... and I might add a few more examples at the end that are made up)

Straws - I have no opinion on straws... no reason to open the thread.
?? about protein shakes - I have opinions on protein shakes, but few seem to share them, so I often don't post on those threads.
Reminder about Calcium - Frankly, any post by Poet-Kelly or ****roGirl I will open, as I truly respect their educated opinions, and enjoy their ability to communicate, and know that they will share information I will find valuable. Also, I tend to open vitamin posts
Nearly a Year Out - This post doesn't have any information in the title, I'm not likely to open it.
Stuff to know about B12 - Again, a vitamin post, I'll open it.
I need exercise advice - I don't exercise, don't have advice, don't like to be reminded that I don't do it, so I don't open these threads
For those who developed ulcers.... I haven't had an ulcer, but because I really like Lora, I'm likely to open it up just to see what the discussion is about.
Vitamin Special & Coupons - I don't have a printer, so coupons are useless on the internet if I have to print them. I'm also stocked up on vitamins, so I might not open this thread.... though it is one of my favorite topics, so I might open it.... but only if I have time.
Conversion to Distal RNY - This is highly interesting so of course i'd open it.
Roaring Stomach - Not really enough information, so I'm likely to not open it unless I have time.
Stuff to know about vitamin A - Cool.... I'm curious about A, and it's a vitamin post.
Need More Protein Help - I have trouble with protein posts.... I find people not getting their protein in just because it is yucky to be a sad situation. NOT a good reason to avoid it. I didn't click this particular post, so my comment here is generalized and about why I'm not likely to open this thread, even if the content mmight have actually interested me. I have a hard time not telling people to suck it up and drink their protein shakes. So I don't open most protein threads, to avoid the temptation to be short and... yeah... MEAN.
Mini Rice Cakes - I don't like rice cakes, and have no opinion, no reason to open
Tell me about vitamin D - Vitamin post, I'm likely to open this one
Please help with pureed foods - I never actually stuck ANY food in a blender and pureed it (I followed my surgeon's plan to a T), and so I have very litttle advice to give anyone on pureed foods, so I never open these threads.
Am I doing Something Wrong - Very vague.... not likely to open if I'm pressed for time.
If you could do it all over again .... sleeve or Rny This is one I'm likely to open if I have time. I admire the sleeve, but would never have had it because it was contraindicated in my particular situation, but I like to steer people that way if it seems that the RNY is not a good fit for them.
Letter to insurance - I find insurance questions to be fairly impossible to answer since even two people with teh same insurance might have utterly different plans.
Scales - vague, so I'm not likely to open it
Thoughts on choosing a goal weight ... Very specific heading, so I'm likely to open it if I have time. Particularly as I respect the person who is posting. :-)
Lactose Intolerant - I'm likely to open this one because I have insight
Fatigue - I might open this one to see if I have any vitamin advice to give the person
Tomorrow Surgery  & Tomorrow is my big day & Waffling- & June 15th is my surgery I have mixed feelings about RNY and WLS. I often don't open threads for people who are going in for surgery, because I know that anyone getting surgery is preparing to trade one set of medical issues for another. I feel mixed emotions on this issue because morbid obesity, or an altered gut.... both are not ideal, and my heart hurts for the ways our lives are afflicted by this disease, and yes, by the "cure" for this disease.
Help or Question or Not Sure or What should I do? or any of a thousand vague titles.... I don't open unless I'm really bored.

Another point I wanted to make..... Opening a thread doesn't mean I'm going to respond.... I probably open ten threads for every ONE I respond to.

If I posted the title of YOUR thread (the generic YOU) in this post, please, keep in mind that I probably haven't opened more than two or three of these threads, and I don't know what is in them, and I'm not picking on anyone, I just used the topics that were on my screen when I opened this thread.

Girl, if there was a *like* button, I'd pu****! I am by NO means a vet, but I'm one of those that researches and reads something I'm interested in, down to the bone. If I could not find lots of good answers using the search engine or by googling it, I'd ask a question. I sometimes wanted to know some of the vets personal opinions on things, sometimes. If I did, I'd make it known. I have been able to answer LOTS of questions that I've learned along the way from reading posts and reading just about everything that the vets respond to. They ARE a wealth of knowledge, that you just can't get anywhere else!

There are times that I have been told, "what do you know about this, that, or the boards, you're awfully new yourself!" BUT, I am one of those "new" people that have been on here EVERY day since I joined(except when I was Mexico getting my surgery), I have used the search engine almost abusively, and tried to absorb all the info I could. By the end of my 1st month here, I was already getting tired of reading the same questions over, and over and over again. But, I could only imagine how much the vets would be sick or bored with it. So, I have not been "speaking up" or answering and participating as much as I was, just for the simple fact that some people don't want to hear what I'm telling them because I'm not 2 yrs in to it. And that's o.k., but I'm not wasting my time and my poor typing skills to have it be for nothing. I've had people come along and THE exact thing I did, but the OP didn't take heed to the answer advise I gave until some else further out said it.

So, I'm still here EVERY day, but I'm more a lurker than I used to be. Maybe I'll get a wild hair up my ass soon and start posting away! IDK. I still love to read interesting posts and responses, but I don't even bother opening the same 'ol posts about the same 'ol questions that tend to pop up at least once a day, when all the poster has to do is read yesterday's posts. Anyway, I still love OH and have met some very interesting and wonderful people, that I will never forget for all the sage advise they've given.

I just encourage newbies to "read up" on topics like, when can I have this, is my surgery broken, am I doing something wrong, should I weigh myself every day,when you were *x* months out how much weight had you lost, protein shakes are yucky, my vitamins are yucky, my incisions smell like rotting flesh is that normal, I'm really tired all the time and I'm a week out...why, I'm not having any problems eating or drinking is there something wrong with me, etc, etc etc. Knowledge is power!!!

 I have to agree that it does get old reading the same titles over and over. While I understand that people sometimes just want someone to talk to them in a post. They should try to search first. 

I read everything the vets in this post write as they are a wealth of knowledge. So much so that when I do wonder about something to my hubby he says go ask..Kelly Lora or LL...

My biggest peeve is the ones where hey I am X days/weeks out and I ate candy, chips, what not and I am fine go me! I just don't get why they do that and I cant open them as I have to hold myself back.


I thank all the vets for helping me along the way and hope that someday I can help pre/post-ops like they have.

I have noticed I am selective about what I open and read and then respond to. I am almost three years out. Although I don't want to give up this board entirely I don't know what more to add to some of the posts I did read because the responders have already said it all. I will respond if I have something new to add or sometimes just because I feel something about what was said or asked. I am barely able to recognize the fact that I am not really a newbie anymore. A lot of times I don't respond because I feel inadequate to answer. Another reason I don't always respond is because I am one of the lucky ones who has yet to experience anything too abnormal. Part of that is because when I was early out and even before I was obsessively on here and learned alot about what I should be careful about and what to watch for. For this I am grateful and will at least try to check in from time to time.

 Altho Ive lurked for years, im relatilvely new to posting and only had my surgery in april this yr. I too only open certain posts...if it catches my eye I read it, if not I dont. NO ONE can reply to EVERY post on here unless as you said, they have no life...and even then who would want to stay on the pc ALL THE TIME...we are LOSING WEIGHT so we can LIVE a BETTER LIFE...so get out and LIFE IT. Dont stay online all the time geesh. 

Lora...and other Vets....I am new here and have posted various questions here and there and by no means have ever taken offense if someone in particular did not reply.  Do people really keep track of who does/does not respond to them??  If anything, your post has made me more aware of how/what I post.   Speaking for myself, I will be more careful to check the search engine before posting new topics as well.   I appreciate each and every one of you and agree fully with what you have stated here and sorry that someone has singled you out like that.  

Though I think for some new people, as was in my case, I was so absorbed in reading current posts and as a question comes to mind I would post it while it is fresh on the mind.  I am still feeling my way around this site and only recently even realised I could type a topic into the search and pull up previous posts pertaining to that subject.  (Yeah...don't ask...I must have really been in la la land ha ha)  Most of the time I don't have/take time to search around or "play" on the site and just pull the site up long enough to see current posts.  But your post (and the others that followed) have at least helped me to see there are other options.  I know that the main point of your post was just to state that you cannot answer them all, but just wanted to thank you as I got more than that from your posts.  And thank you all again when you do reply to others as it is a great help and at least THIS newbie will never single you out for not responding!

There's nothing wrong with posting something that's been posted before if you only posted new topics, there wouldn't be any new posts. Sometimes it's frustrating to log in and see three, four, or sometimes even five messages in a row alll with nearly identical topics and content.

I never keep track of *****sponds and who doesn't
 

Well the Mariner's are doing well this year so there may be less time for posting.
I have never responded nor made a poop post.
I don't care if your hair falls out.
I do like coming here everyday and I do still have a life!
I will open your posts.
Deb T.

i think the post that bothers me the most , are the ones who say i screwed up and ate stuff i shouldnt . ppl know they cant do it, they had surgery to stop doing it ,, yet they eat stuff they know can cause them to fail at all the efforts they have made to go through r.n.y ..
i just personally think, if you are going to go through the process of having such an evasive surgery . just to realize that this stuff can make you un-healthy again..thats just scary.