Question:
Why is this site anti-DS?
I have chosen, after alot of research, the BPD/DS with Dr. Anthone in Los Angeles. Aren't we all trying to achieve the same thing? Then, why are DS people so unwelcome on this site? I have opted for the surgery that is best suited for me and my medical situation. I will leave without your support. — Kathleen P. (posted on August 8, 2000)
August 8, 2000
Kathleen, I'm very sorry if you have felt unwelcome to this site. This site
is for WLS not just DS, RNY or any of the others. The majority of the
members may have had the RNY and that is why you hear so much about it. The
bottom line is we all need SUPPORT! If you want to talk please email me,
I'm here for you! 11 days post op, open RNY. *HUGS* Jay
— Jason B.
August 8, 2000
I am sorry to see you leave the site. This is an open forum and need all
view points and stories to be shared. We will now unfortunately lose
yours. If someone in particular has made you feel unwelcome it would help
to address that person directly. I had a Lap proximal RNY and welcome all
posts, since I have learned from all, not just folks that have had my
surgery. Please hang in there, we need your voice.
— Jilda H.
August 8, 2000
I do not believe that this site is anti-DS. Most of the people here have
had RNY's, but that doesn't make the site anti anything. I have always
welcomed and talked to DS'ers in chat, and have never seen anything written
by the site manager that was anti DS.
Although I HAVE been attacked by DS zealots who tell me that I was stupid
for choosing my surgery, and that I MUST smell because I was a distal...yet
I do not say that this SITE is anti RNY. If a person or persons have
attacked you for choosing DS, then that person or persons is anti DS.
Please explain why you feel this SITE is anti DS?
— Cindy Lou C.
August 8, 2000
There does seem to be alot of tension between the RNY'ers and the DS'ers. I
have seen some DS'ers criticize the RNY and say how sorry they feel for the
people that have had it, since their life is so restrictive, or so the
DS'ers assume.The RNY'ers then feel like they need to defend their surgery
choice, saying that a DS'er has no right to make negative comments about a
procedure they haven't had. These are just my observations from visiting
the board over the past few months.
— [Anonymous]
August 8, 2000
I too have observed a lot of unnecessary sniping. Particularly the
ridiculous level of smugness in the answers to the "what do you eat on
a daily basis" question that was posted last week. We're here to
SUPPORT, not criticize other people's life choices. If I choose RNY, get
to goal weight and maintain it and someone chooses DS and does the same
thing, so what? We've both done what we thought was best for US. End of
story. It's no one's decision but your own what you do. I choose RNY
because I didn't want to be tempted by candy and fats. Someone might
choose DS because these are things they wouldn't want to give up. It's an
individual choice and it doesn't make anyone good or bad. It really
concerns me when people are so smug and even hostile about the surgery they
picked. That is NOT supportive and not what this site is about. It's one
thing to decide that you've made the best decision for yourself. You have
no right to do that for someone else. I don't care what you pick, as long
as you're healthy. Sorry to go off the deep end, but some of the posts
regarding the different surgeries and why others shouldn't have made the
decisions they made really annoyed me! I'm done venting now.
— Maxine E.
August 8, 2000
I hope I never blundered and said anything for or against any kind of
surgery, except that I strongly believe that weight loss surgery in general
is a wonderful thing. I didn't know anything about any of the types of
surgery when I came here and learned a lot. The doctor I eventually chose
only does one kind of surgery, the open RNY, and so that is what I had done
to me. But I have also seen a lot of other opposing and strong views on a
wide variety of things ... from the types of vitamins we're supposed to
take, to whether or not you drink milk, to what kinds of foods you eat
while you're recovering, etc. I think if you have figured out what will
work best for you, then you made a good choice and you have my full
support! I don't think it should be about which way they cut us up, it
should be about the end result that binds us all together.
— Beth B.
August 8, 2000
— Kris S.
August 8, 2000
I have a friend Allison Fallick who is also a member of this site and she
had the same surgery that you are going to have. It was a complete
success. She is so thrilled. She doesn't give much info on her profile
but she had it about 5 years ago and is doing great. The only thing that
she stressed to me when I was thinking about that surgery was to be
religious about vitamins and supplements. I am still waiting for approval
for my rny surgery... hope to find out soon.
I wish you nothing but the best with you upcoming surgery, I have heard
only great things about Dr. Anthone. Please don't leave the obesity.com
site, we need people with all different surgery types to make it a
successful information site. :)
sydnie
— sydnieb
August 8, 2000
I to am a DS pre-op.Have been trying to have WLS since FEB.99. I have had
mega insurance problems.
I decided to have this surgery because of the amount of weight I have to
loose,my eating habits,and afording me the ability to keep it off once I
loose it.
I started out at Amos.When I decided on the DS I kept asking questions
and never getting any answers. Finally someone ask me to go to the DS
site.Which I did.I have not regretted the move at all. They have been very
helpful to me.As well as more support than I ever dreamed.
But,credit where credit is due in my early days of research Amos was
invalabule to me.It saddens me to see the conflict between the two groups.
I have read the previous post and I tend to agree with most of them,There
has been verbal abuse from both camps.I don't know if I would go so far as
to believe people have been threatened and or called on the job,I would
hope not.I would hope we had graduated from kindergarten.
The one thread I noticed in each post was that each mentioned the desire
to support each other. This tells me there is hope. So with that being said
I have a motion to make, Why don't we start from this post forward really
supporting each other. At this point in our life it doesn't matter whose
mama or daddy is the biggest. We are the mamaw's and daddy's setting
examples for our children. So lets put away the venomous keyboard and bring
out the supportive one.Do I hear a second?
Much success to all in what ever your choice.Lets just allow each other
the freedom to express our choices.
Besides all that don't you guys realize we are cutting our own throats by
not supporting each other. We make a much louder voice together than
yelling at each other.
Just think of the needed legislation we could get passed if we unified
and worked together. We are really a hard group to ignore.
Best Wishes to All;
— KAY J.
August 8, 2000
Not everyone is anti DS. I had open RNY and the support group
I attend is run by a surgeon who does Bileo Pancreatic Diversion.
I belong to his on line group also, of course most everyone
there is pro BPD. If I hear negative comments about my type
of surgery I take it with a grain of salt and use the
positive support.
Kandy
— kaydeeb16
August 9, 2000
Gosh, I was really surprised by this one. I am relatively new here, so I
haven't seen any negativity until now. What difference does it make what
type of surgery you have? To each his/her own. I haven't seen my surgeon
yet, but I am going to discuss with him what he thinks is best for ME. No
one else has to live my life and I don't answer to anyone else. Of the
types of surgery I have researched, I am most interested in the Lap RNY -
that's my personal preference. But I would never try and tell someone else
what is best for them. This site has been a lifesaver for me. I never
knew other people who felt the same way I did. Please don't let a few bad
apples spoil the whole bunch. It seems to me that most of the people here
are caring and positive. You do what's right for YOU! I am behind you
100%.
— Keri A.
August 9, 2000
I've been on this site since October, 1999 and haven't seen it to be
"anti-DS" but I have seen some passionate discussions about which
surgery people believe is best. We're mostly all non-professionals on this
site and when our opinions are asked for, we give them. They are just
opinions. I believe everyone is welcome on this site. If this site is not
allowing DSers to choose that surgery as an option on their profiles, then
something needs to be done to accomodate them. That's all I can say.
— Cindy H.
August 9, 2000
I am now 4 weeks post op, having had DS. When I first started my research
on WLS I was leaning to RNY for a couple of reasons. First was because my
boyfriend had open RNY 2 years ago & he did pretty well. He would still
like to lose 25lbs or so, but he is no longer diabetic or hypertensive (no
meds either). He was lucky in that he never suffered from dumping either
& overall had a painless recovery. Second reason was I was spending a
lot of time at this site & just about everyone I spoke with said
"don't have that DS procedure it's so SEVERE!". So when I finally
had my consult with DR.Gagner in March & he suggested DS (due to my
body weight & the fact that I take pills on a daily basis) I was
totally against it. However, he sat down & explained everything to me
very carefully. In the end I agreed with him. I had my procedure lap on
July 13th & though I'm at the "Wow, I feel like crap" stage,
I know I made the right choice for myself.
I suppose my point is that as morbidly obese people, we have all suffered
the awful things it brings with it. Our main & common goal is to lose
weight & be healthy. Whatever choices we make for ourselves are just
those, choices we made for ourselves. They should not be criticized or
questioned by others. The rest of the world is less than thrilled with fat
people, shouldn't we at least be a support system for each other?
— Aimee L.
August 9, 2000
Maxine expressed annoyance "ridiculously smug DS responses to what we
ate that day." She probably meant me. I am happy and thrilled with
the results of my DS surgery and if that translates as smug, I don't intend
it to offend or annoy, but to educate and inspire. I share on this site
and others so that they too can be informed about the truth of ALL the
available WLS choices, before they are sentenced to a life that must
"avoid the temptation of sugar and fat". To those of you who
were not lucky enough to have all the information at the time of your
surgery, don't stand in the way of others to have a less punative, less
diet mentality eating style for the rest of their lives. The DS does not
require a special diet or vanity publication of a specialized cookbook to
succeed. Let the word get out that the next generation of WLS may actually
be kinder and gentler than the pouches and bands of the past.
I wish ALL WLS patients the very best with whichever surgery they choose,
but I am here not just to pat myself on the back, but to spread the word so
that I see MORE success in the future. At my last doctor's support group
(he offers all 3 kinds of surgery) it was obvious that the DSs are starting
to outnumber the RNYs although he has only been doing the DS for a year.
Half of the VBGs are being revised to DS (wouldn't you like this info if
you were about to have a VBG) and when we all went out to dinner after the
meeting, we all (8 DSs enjoyed our meals but the one RNY got very sick from
1/2 cup lobster bisque). If I were a preop, these are the things I would
want to know. I'm smug, but I'm willing to share that smugness with any MO
person who wants to choose a better life.
— Jill L.
August 9, 2000
I never really heard about the DS procedure through this site until after
my own RNY
surgery. I would have probably still chosen RNY as that
is the surgery my Dr. does endorse, but I still think I
should have had the correct information available in order
to make a truly informed decision. Don't get me wrong!!
For me, RNY was the way to go. I don't feel restricted in
what I can eat- sugar and fat included. I don't choose to
eat much sugar and fat because I don't like how sluggish my
body feels when I do, but I am able to- I don't dump anymore.
The initial dumping got me off of sugar and that made me realize
how addicted to sugar I was (once I was free of it!). I am not
tempted to go back to that addiction at all, but had I had
a surgery type that allowed me to keep eating sugar- I may never
have found that out about myself.
Also, there is the compulsive eater in me that loves to use
food to medicate real life. A DS would never have given me
the ability to change my eating enough to clarify my own
life the way a RNY did. But that is ME and not anybody
else, and that is NOT a criticism of the DS- just the facts the
way I see them for my own situation! People shouldn't be criticized
because they are happy with their surgery- nor should they be made to
feel defensive! We should ALL rejoice WITH our friends here
when they experience a life changing surgery and the joy of weight loss.
DS'ers- stick around and give out your information to the newbies!
RNY'ers, you do too! And lets let people make up their own
minds and celebrate with them!!!!
— M B.
August 9, 2000
The key to wls is RESEARCH. Every patient is as different as every
surgeon, and each surgical procedure varies from surgeon to surgeon. What
I feel is the obligation of each AMOS member is to provide an accurate
account of their personal experience, educate others that surgeons aren't
GOD and have the right to be questioned about their techniques, procedures,
and follow-up care. Lastly, each member should be mature when
participating in discussions of the different surgeries. If someone has a
beef with someone else or their surgery choice, take it off line. It
shouldn't take up valuable space which could otherwise be filled with
medical research statisitics and reports. I hope you'll reconsider
leaving. Best wishes!
— [Deactivated Member]
August 14, 2000
I would just like ton say that I appreciate the input I have read on this
site from all of my fellow brothers and sisters in arms. Yes this is a
battle, a battle against a deadly disease. A disease that does not
discriminate based on age weight sex or WILL POWER (ugh), but can and does
strike people of many backgrounds. Except for perhaps our close family and
friends, we cannot rely on the rest of society ot understand and support
us. That is why we must support each other wholeheartedly and without
prejudice! It was very disheartening to read the information about wls I
found at websites like NAAFA. To dismiss treatments that have helped so
many people so out-of-hand is really sad. Now I come here and hope that
things will never be that way here. I have resolved to keep an open mind
while making my own health care decisions and I know everyone else wishes
to do the same, even if we may come off a bit snippy and high-minded
sometimes, we're only human.
— DanielleP
July 30, 2003
I don't understand it myself, but I'm glad that postop DSers continue to
brave the sniping here. When I was preop, and mentioned my surgery choice,
I was told over and over what a mistake I was making. When I tried to
counter the outrageous statements made in chat, I was told "stop
picking fights," and "All you DS people are so know it all."
In other words, don't confuse me with the truth. I thought it was sad- I
had to put up with constant tacky comments about how postop DS patients
"smelled bad," "have disgusting gas," "always have
vitamin problems, " etc, but when all I wanted to do was respond to
the incorrect info, I was picking fights, getting "know it all,"
etc- AS IF! While this SITE may not be "anti- DS," it sure isn't
too tolerant of folks who choose to research ALL surgical options and
choose for themselves. Not to mention that I can find info here on the BPD-
which is a vastly inferior surgery to the DS- but NOT A SINGLE OFFICIAL BIT
OF INFO ON THE DS. Come ON, Eric- even the ASBS released a statement this
year endorsing the DS, but you still treat it like it doesn't exist. Its
almost funny.. or would be, if it weren't so sad.
— Liane F.
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