Moving on

Hi Ann. I appreciate your sentiment. I only found the OH website a few weeks ago, right at the very end of my 4th year post op. I have been upset, enlightened, supported, frustrated by the postings and replies on a daily basis. With all of that I have also come to realize that by surfing the site I am reinforcing the things that I have learned and come to live. I continue to be concerned about the post op WLS community as a whole (from the professionals to the patients) and it is my concern that keeps me connected. I must do something to dispel the myth that WLS surgery is the answer. The more I read, the more information I get about habits, beliefs, lack of awareness (self and otherwise), and lack of support for those who do need to move on. I promise you this...there will be a day (god willing sooner than later) that WLS 2+ year post ops will have support available that is relevant and appropriate: living life as a normal person, how to dress like a normal person, dealing with the fact that you are still the same person you just look dramatically different, what to do with your new found energy/self confidence/assertiveness and keep yourself out of trouble, changing behaviors, telling yourself positive messages and how to turn off the old negative tapes...etc. In the meantime I am curious where you have found the support that you need to carry you along the next path of your journey. Please share! Karen

Best of luck to you Ann! What you say makes a lot of sense and I'm in no way criticizing you but for me... coming to this site helps keep me honest with myself. I am blessed with supportive family, friends and workmates but there are some thingsthat people who haven't been through this just can't get - no fault of theirs. I still learn a lot, feel reassured a lot and am happy that I can give some support here. Plus, the people on this board can be HILARIOUS!! It took awhile (I'm 57) to get over my old-fashioned ideas about "those poor people who use the computer for companionship". I've come to really care about the people here and I don't feel wierd about it at all. I see a lot of effort here on the grad board to explore what it's like to be over a year post-op - I feel right at home whether the day was a tough one or one I sailed through eating-wise. And being post-op is about a lot more that food - like you said! I hope you find a good fit for your support - and please do share! Best wishes and many congratulations on you success! Bette

Hi everyone, My name is Dawn and I'm in a somewhat unique position. I hope you don't mind my being here (on this message board), but I feel I have a good reason to be. I have been running a WLS support group (I was trained by ObesityHelp) for a year and a half now. However, I am currently only two weeks post-op. I was able to "identify" with all of my post-op support group members because I focused on "the addiction". The addiction is the same whether you are pre-op or post-op. The earlier post-op information is "practical" and pertains to immediate needs, but the truth is that people further out face all of the personal issues that caused them to be overweight in the first place. Many people hit plataeu's. I had my first support group meeting as a post-op this past Friday, and it really felt so strange to me. I want so badly to help these people and myself. So I am committed to finding material that addresses all of our "head issues". Material that challenges us as human beings, that focuses on the whole person. I guess that is why I came here. I wanted to hear some of the questions from grads, and the wisdom as well. I can understand why a person would want to "move on". Yet I think that what you learn at your stage would be so much help to others who are right behind you. Maybe as you come to learn new things about where you are at...you can come back and impart to us? Blessings, Dawn