Question:
my brothers sister said to me the other day, wls, oh i talked to my
aunt who is a nurse and she calls it voluntary anorexia. i told her that was absurd. i thought and thought about it all night in bed.. is that what this is really? i never looked at it like that before. — joyce B. (posted on May 27, 2000)
May 27, 2000
HARDLY! The pouch only limits our eating that severely during the first
year or two. After that, it is the length of your bypass that will
determine your long term success. If we could lose wt on
"sensible" eating, we would. However, even that puts wt on us. It
is necessary to cut our caloric intake well below normal to achieve loss.
That's why supplementing is so critical. Supplements give us what we need
without the calories/fats/sugars etc. I'm nearly 6 yrs post-op and never
been healthier. Anorexia is a mental illness. Morbid obesity is a phsycial
illness which requires a physical fix.
— vitalady
May 27, 2000
Joyce: Your aunt is just misinformed.. First she and others must know
what obesity is.. it's not a chosen circumstance, it is well documented
and proven to be a genetic disorder which is often only controllable
through surgical intervention. Because of our genetic makeup, our body
constantly craves food and/or converts more of the food you eat into fat,
making it almost impossible for you to lose weight permanently. I agree
with Michelle that anorexia is a mental disorder and every bit as
crippling as obesity, however, no where in the same ballpark, to call
obesity surgery a controlled anorexia is ludicrous and insulting. We
are the way we are by the roll of the dice and this surgery is a gift
I cherish every day now.. It gave me the tool I needed to be in control
of my destiny. I eat three very nourishing meals a day and I am very
healthy now, trust me I'm a whole lot healthier now than I was before
surgery. I could go on and on the benefits of Gastric Bypass Surgery,
however, this must be your decision not your aunts.. Good luck in what
ever your decision is.
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Visit my profile page for more information, links and recipes
— Victoria B.
May 27, 2000
Hi Joyce, I was horrified to read what your aunt said to you. First thing
that came to my mind, is she one of those nurses who treats obese patients
as second class citizens. Believe me, in NO WAY can you use anorexia and
WLS in one sentence as having similarities. My 18 YO daughter has been
fighting anorexia for the past four years and there is absolutely NO
correlation between the two. As the others have already said, anorexia is
strictly a mental illness. Not much more to add to what the other responses
already say. You do what YOU believe is right for YOU. Just today someone,
upon hearing I am having the surgery, started with the horror stories
they've heard. Well, I have researched it up and down and I am quite aware
of possible complications and also quite aware of all the many positives of
this surgery I have chosen to have for myself.
— Denise K.
May 27, 2000
Voluntary anorexia? No.. anorexia is being thin and thinking you're fat
and refusing to eat. People who have Gastric Bypass Surgery aren't refusing
to eat, they are helping themselves not to eat as much anymore so that
they'll lose weight and LIVE.
Just because the woman's a nurse doesn't mean that she knows everything.
There are doctors out there who think that every single solitary person in
the world can lose weight if they'll just follow a simple
Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers diet.. is that true? No, because if it
were, then there would be no such thing as Gastric Bypass and we'd all be
at Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig right now.
Another example.. a friend of mine has a sister who is a registered nurse
working for an insurance company. She told my friend that anyone who
considers having Gastric Bypass Surgery is an idiot because they all end
up
having to wear diapers because NONE of them can ever control their bowel
movements again and soil themselves every day for the rest of their lives.
Well, sorry.. I don't care if this woman is a nurse, I think if every
single
person who had ever had gastric bypass surgery wore diapers and soiled
themselves on a daily basis, then there would be a lot more posted about it
on this website and talked about at support meetings, etc.
My aunt had the surgery 20 years ago... back in the days when this surgery
was still new and even SHE doesn't wear any diaper.. never has.
So, I'd take what that woman said with a grain of salt dear. She obviously
doesn't know what she's talking about.
— Jennifer K.
May 27, 2000
I am so sorry your aunt is so misinformed, and frankly I think she made a
very hurtful remark. Please don't allow her opinion to deter you from this
life saving surgery. Let her know that her opinion has been noted and move
on with what you have to do. Good luck:)
— Paula G.
May 27, 2000
People are going to say stupid stuff,about anything and especially if they
feel that they are helping you in some way. I can't count the number of
people who have tried to help me with a diet, one person even asked me if I
had ever tried dieting. ( I laughed for about 3 hours over that one!)
The most ridiculous statment I have recieved so far is "Why can't you
just PRETEND you have had the surgery and eat really tiny meals?" My
response was "How about if I just PRETEND I am skinny and wear a
string bikini?"
You have to remember this surgery is not for anyone else but YOU. I had to
tell people really close to me that my surgery (coming October 9) is not
about them or for them. This is for me and about me.
— Cara S.
May 28, 2000
Joyce. There are always people who think they know more about what is best
for you than you do.
I had my surgery 5 years ago, I do not feel I am or have ever been anorexia
in the 5 years.
I have lost 145 pounds and feel better than I have ever felt in my life.
I find people who tell me stories about things they really no nothing at
all about.
Do what you feel is best for you. You have alot of support form all of us
who have gone before you.
Ever need a friend or need a question answered please feel free.
Avis Gandy
agandy@bellatlantic
— Avis G.
May 28, 2000
Obviously, this aunt who is a nurse in not well-informed. She needs to be
educated so that she can make accurate statements about the surgery. Maybe
you can explain to her exactly how the surgery works, and why. Anorexia is
a psychiatric disorder. Morbid obesity is a medical disorder. It's sad
that she's perpetuating the false information out there about a lifesaving
procedure. Maybe you will be the one to educate her and change her mind
about this! Good luck. Jaye Carl, RN
— Jaye C.
May 29, 2000
Lord save us from the imbeciles of the world! A story ... during the most
crazy time of my weight-loss history, in 1980, I lost 65 pounds in 6 weeks
by basically eating nothing. I existed on a hard-boiled egg, a couple of
lettuce leaves, four gallons of black coffee, and about three packs of
cigarettes a day. At the weight-loss clinic I was attending, I was
practically the poster girl. Inside, I was completely crazed. If I wasn't
hanging off the ceiling by my fingernails, I was crying uncontrollably. I
would play games with myself, wondering how few calories I could eat on a
single day without fainting. I had it down to about 150. My mother called
our local mental health facility to inquire about having me committed.
Don't ask me how I kept my job. I WAS anorexic, and God willing I'll ever
be that insane again, about food or anything else. I had an open VBG six
weeks ago today, and I feel better than I have for about ten years. WLS is
NOT anorexia ... I know from personal experience. Take this opportunity to
educate your aunt on what's really happening!
— Cheryl Denomy
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