Question:
what use is this site

I have to say that I am frustrated with this site. I was advised to use this site as a form of support from my surgeon. At first it was, however, when ever I go into the main forum to ask a question, regarding somthing that I am experiencing I get a lot of looks, but hardly get any responses. The reason for this website I had thought was for all of us to be able to help one another. I am finding it very frustrating that when I ask a reasonable queation, there is no response. But hey, if someone want's to rant and rave on someone, then no problem everyone is all over it. I find it sad that people are more drawn to the negativity and less to the normal questions or help requests that get put out there. Has anyone else seem to have noticed this?    — teresasmiles (posted on April 7, 2009)

April 7, 2009
Hi Teresa! I think the problem is the daily e-mail which many of us subscribe to is not working for the Q&A's. But OH tech support is aware of it and working to fix it. Without this, you have to log in to the site each day to look at the questions rather then just have them show up in your inbox when you log into e-mail. I think it hasn't been working for about 2 weeks now. Otherwise I typically see lots of answers on most questions.
   — waferqueen

April 7, 2009
I'm glad you said this, Lisa. I have been getting the q & a for 2-3 years now and I miss it. I was having trouble with my email, so I thought it was just me. Hope they have it up and running soon. Teresa, I am sure that is the reason you haven't had answers. I am trying to check as often as I can. Good luck. Deb
   — Debbi S.

April 7, 2009
I have found this site to give me alot of information. I have asked many questions, and have gotten many answers. Alot of the questions asked has been questions I myself would ask. I enjoy getting on here to see what new information I can read.
   — treeeza

April 8, 2009
The main forum is a zoo! LOL A mixed bag of nuts! I started on the main forum and realized it was just a big game of who's got the superior surgery...A few years back there was a HUGE war between RNYers and DSers and it was VICIOUS! Not my cup of tea, Athough I did find it a little entertaining (I just lurked, was no way I was getting in any of THAT stuff) until you just felt disgusted from the anger personal attacks! So I moved to the RNY forum (to the surgery I had) to weed out the different nuts! LOL That was okay because at least we were all mainly on the same surgery page...Problem was they were mostly brand new people starting out and dicussing their doc appts and personal stuff, surgery fears, dates, doctors protocol etc... with their new found friends and cliques...and while that was all fine and fun for a while, I was a 3 year po having weird symptoms and had MUCH different questions that I didn't want answered by someone who didn't even have surgery yet!!! Most forums have the same pre-surgery questions over and over and page after page...All a person needs to do is just go back and read some old pages to see why people get tired of answering the same questions...You can see several questions on the same page and the first person asking the question usually gets answered...the rest go ignored because it's already there! So don't take it personally...Go back and read several days back and you'll find ALL KINDS of answers to questions you didn't even think of yet! LOL Just remember though, you mostly have the new leading the new...and the occasional year or more grad who's a little more seasoned and experienced. Or go to the slow moving grad's board where you weed out the brand newbie questions even further and get people who've been living the PO life over a year, trying to get/give long term answers or share helpful info for long term maintenance! No brand new po questions there! Or here at Q&A where transit people come and go daily and while it is still a mixed bag, most of the people that answer questions want to help if they can...Or go to your Stae forum and tak to people who might be in your community where you can all meet and share as well! I will answer questions if I think I can help...Sometimes someone says EXACTLY word for word what I would say, so I don't see a reason to answer unless I have a different spin or something further to add! I think many people do the same. I don't mind answering the same questions every single day here because I will never forget where I came from...I was a new scared pre op, post op myself...and I cannot imagine trying to get the nerve up to ask a question and have someone answer back with "Don't you people get it YET??? If I hear one more question about __(fill in the blank__, I am gonna scream". Yes I've seen that here now and then too! Some people do not realise that there are real people with real fear and real need for answers behind EVERY question whether it is asked several times a day by different people or not! Most of us care and want to help if we can! So don't take it personally and keep asking...someone with an answer will eventually read your question! There are a lot of lurkers as well that are just shy! They read, hoping that someone will ask their question so they don't have to! LOL Good luck and don't feel discouraged! Find a forum that is the best fit for you and go back and read several weeks or months to see what people have already discussed...Hope that helps!
   — .Anita R.