Re: Comparison from elsewhere by Felicia

[Guest guest]

Well, you said you wanted to hear everything, regardless of whether it's true or not. I just did the same thing Felicia did and made up a bunch of crap.

LMAO I'm sitting here reading that going OMG...and people are choosing that surgery... Then I read your last bit and laughed my butt off. Thanks for a good laugh today!!

~~* AJ *~~

BMI 59

INSURANCE: NW Washington Medical (Regence )

DR Heap, Richland WA

Denied due to exclusion, denied appeal 6/7/01

going self pay - Dr Baltasar Spain

Bellingham Support for WLS

WWW.lookin2bthin.homestead.com

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/24/2001 10:30:08 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

Cinloo59@... writes:

<< .nobody is an a**hole here. >>

If I offended you I appologize. I did not intend to call anyone an a**hole, I

simply meant everyone has an opinion, as I stated. I am very well aware that

the poster said several times this was " only her opinion. " That's why I

wrote what I did. I hope no offense was taken.

Kim B.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/24/2001 1:56:18 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

tlarussa@... writes:

<< Well, you said you wanted to hear everything, regardless of whether

it's true or not. I just did the same thing Felicia did and made up

a bunch of crap.

>>

Gotta love ya Tom! LOL! :-)

Kim B.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/24/2001 3:13:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

LiliFrench@... writes:

<< Why is this person even ON this list?? >>

Liane, I was wondering the same thing. If she's already had surgery, why not

stick to her surgery list. If people are still in the research stages, I'm

sure they will look everywhere for the information, and would run across the

info eventually.

Kim B.

[Guest guest]

I understand that we all feel that "our" surgery is the best ever.. but that does not give anyone the right to create undocumented, unfactual "comparison reports" that contain lies about another surgery. I'm thrilled that your surgery worked & you're happy with it. But my surgery is working too.. and will still be working 10-15 years down the line. Email me then.. we'll do a head to head comparison, labs and all... and then I'll go have a half a hamburger & a few fries while sipping iced tea, and you can go chew a teaspoonful or so of chicken to mush and wish you could drink during meals. And I still won't post untruths about your surgery all over the internet, ok?

I loved your letter...especially the eating part...<G>

~~* AJ *~~

BMI 59

INSURANCE: NW Washington Medical (Regence )

DR Heap, Richland WA

Denied due to exclusion, denied appeal 6/7/01

going self pay - Dr Baltasar Spain

Bellingham Support for WLS

WWW.lookin2bthin.homestead.com

[Guest guest]

Hi, I was wondering about cosmetic surgery. My dr. has referred me for a

breast reduction. I want to have my ds first, can you imagine what muy breast

will look like after? I just wondered what vitamins your taking,thanks.

[Guest guest]

> I want to hear everything weather its true or not.

Okay then, here's some more stuff about the RNY:

1. 75% of RNY patients develop stomal ulcers; of that 75%, 50% have

to be operated on, and 25% die;

2. The RNY causes infertility in 61% of patients;

3. 18% of RNY patients develop pancreatitis;

4. Dumping causes cancer in 41% of RNY patients.

Well, you said you wanted to hear everything, regardless of whether

it's true or not. I just did the same thing Felicia did and made up

a bunch of crap.

I hope this is helpful,

Tom

[Guest guest]

> I read what she wrote...don't agree but her

> opinion is HER opinion...

But she didn't state it as opinion. She stated it as fact,

supposedly backed up by medical research. This takes it out of the

realm of " mistaken opinion " and into the realm of " misinformation. "

Tom

[Guest guest]

Good one, Tom! Bravo!!!

Perfect example of how potentially dangerous it can be to pass along

unsubstantiated garbage. Felicia's disclaimer does not excuse

disseminating misinformation. I hope she'll retract her statements,

or at least be fair enough to admit she received a lot of compelling

rebuttals to her " facts " .

>

> > I want to hear everything weather its true or not.

>

> Okay then, here's some more stuff about the RNY:

>

> 1. 75% of RNY patients develop stomal ulcers; of that 75%, 50%

have

> to be operated on, and 25% die;

>

> 2. The RNY causes infertility in 61% of patients;

>

> 3. 18% of RNY patients develop pancreatitis;

>

> 4. Dumping causes cancer in 41% of RNY patients.

>

> Well, you said you wanted to hear everything, regardless of whether

> it's true or not. I just did the same thing Felicia did and made

up

> a bunch of crap.

>

> I hope this is helpful,

>

> Tom

[Guest guest]

Why is this person even ON this list??

She's postop RnY & happy with her results.. I think she's just here to

take over where the last

I-don't-want-a-DS-but-I'm-a-self-proclaimed- " expert " left off. Can we

censor this one, too? The contributions to this list that she makes

are not helpful nor supportive. Let her go " publish " her " truths "

with that other WLS " expert "

Liane

> In a message dated 6/23/2001 8:26:10 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

> thepflanz@y... writes:

>

> << http://hometown.aol.com/felicialee/myhomepage/index.html >>

>

> It's a good thing opinions are like a**holes. Everyone's got one.

>

> Kim B.

[Guest guest]

> Felicia's e-mail address is:

> felicialee@a...

>

> Perhaps she needs some feedback about the misinformation she has

written and

> now has been circulated throughout the WLS lists.

>

I did.. Here's my response...

your little diatribe about the superiority of the RnY to the DS would

have been fine, except you forgot to take into account that there are

medical personnel who do have all the facts available who will call

you on your fantasy " report. "

As for never needing supplementation, that was never said, and won't

be, by any reputable doctor. However, at the recent bariatric

surgeons association meetings it has, in fact, been determined that

after 20+ years of research, those having the DS do not have to

supplement their protein levels past the first 3 months, when extra

protein is needed to facilitate healing. It has also been determined

that we don't have to supplement the fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E,&K)

unless a problem comes up showing a deficiency in our scheduled

regular blood tests. My information comes from a published report on

this year's conference. Where did yours come from? From the very

start of my journey, I knew I would have to take calcium supplements

and multivitamins for the rest of my life. Big deal- I did that

already (except they weren't chewable). The stuff that I knew I would

not have to take (unless I wanted to) was B-12, because my stomach

still contains enough of the tissues that manufacture intrinsic factor

to make my own B-12. I still take the shots if I'm run down or

tired.. but its my choice.

I understand that we all feel that " our " surgery is the best ever..

but that does not give anyone the right to create undocumented,

unfactual " comparison reports " that contain lies about another

surgery. I'm thrilled that your surgery worked & you're happy with

it. But my surgery is working too.. and will still be working 10-15

years down the line. Email me then.. we'll do a head to head

comparison, labs and all... and then I'll go have a half a hamburger

& a few fries while sipping iced tea, and you can go chew a

teaspoonful or so of chicken to mush and wish you could drink during

meals. And I still won't post untruths about your surgery all over

the internet, ok?

Liane J. French

[Guest guest]

Oh God.. Tom, you know we're gonna get these " facts " quoted someplace

now as truth, don't you??

ROTFL....

Hugs,

Liane

>

> > I want to hear everything weather its true or not.

>

> Okay then, here's some more stuff about the RNY:

>

> 1. 75% of RNY patients develop stomal ulcers; of that 75%, 50% have

> to be operated on, and 25% die;

>

> 2. The RNY causes infertility in 61% of patients;

>

> 3. 18% of RNY patients develop pancreatitis;

>

> 4. Dumping causes cancer in 41% of RNY patients.

>

> Well, you said you wanted to hear everything, regardless of whether

> it's true or not. I just did the same thing Felicia did and made up

> a bunch of crap.

>

> I hope this is helpful,

>

> Tom

[Guest guest]

I hope you sent your post to Felicia directly., She is not on this list.

Felicia's e-mail address is:felicialee@... in Seattle

----- Original Message -----

From: lookn2bthin@...

Felicia

Well, you said you wanted to hear everything, regardless of whether it's true or not. I just did the same thing Felicia did and made up a bunch of crap. LMAO I'm sitting here reading that going OMG...and people are choosing that surgery... Then I read your last bit and laughed my butt off. Thanks for a good laugh today!! ~~* AJ *~~ BMI 59

[Guest guest]

I don't think she is on this list. Leonard Pflanz-- who is on this list--

apparently read this on another list and then proceeded to post it to

multiple lists. He is a member here and his e-mail address is:

thepflanz@...

Encourage people to write her:

lookn2bthin@...

in Seattle

----- Original Message -----

> Why is this person even ON this list??

> She's postop RnY & happy with her results.. I think she's just here to

> take over where the last

> I-don't-want-a-DS-but-I'm-a-self-proclaimed- " expert " left off. Can we

> censor this one, too? The contributions to this list that she makes

> are not helpful nor supportive. Let her go " publish " her " truths "

> with that other WLS " expert "

>

> Liane

>

>

> > In a message dated 6/23/2001 8:26:10 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

> > thepflanz@y... writes:

[Guest guest]

Thanks, AJ..

I felt it made an excellent point, lol. =)

Hugs,

Liane

> In a message dated 6/24/01 3:39:50 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

> LiliFrench@e... writes:

>

>

> > I understand that we all feel that " our " surgery is the best

ever..

> > but that does not give anyone the right to create undocumented,

> > unfactual " comparison reports " that contain lies about another

> > surgery. I'm thrilled that your surgery worked & you're happy

with

> > it. But my surgery is working too.. and will still be working

10-15

> > years down the line. Email me then.. we'll do a head to head

> > comparison, labs and all... and then I'll go have a half a

hamburger

> > & a few fries while sipping iced tea, and you can go chew a

> > teaspoonful or so of chicken to mush and wish you could drink

during

> > meals. And I still won't post untruths about your surgery all

over

> > the internet, ok?

> >

> >

>

> I loved your letter...especially the eating part...

>

>

> ~~* AJ *~~

> BMI 59

>

> INSURANCE: NW Washington Medical (Regence )

> DR Heap, Richland WA

> Denied due to exclusion, denied appeal 6/7/01

> going self pay - Dr Baltasar Spain

> Bellingham Support for WLS

> WWW.lookin2bthin.homestead.com

[Guest guest]

I did, - thanks for the address(I found it on her website). I

just wanted to share =D

Hugs,

Liane

> I hope you sent your post to Felicia directly., She is not on this

list.

> Felicia's e-mail address is:

> felicialee@a...

>

> in Seattle

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: lookn2bthin@c...

>

> Felicia

>

>

> In a message dated 6/24/01 1:56:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

> tlarussa@p... writes:

>

>

>

> Well, you said you wanted to hear everything, regardless of

whether

> it's true or not. I just did the same thing Felicia did and

made up

> a bunch of crap.

>

>

>

>

> LMAO I'm sitting here reading that going OMG...and people are

choosing that

> surgery... Then I read your last bit and laughed my butt off.

Thanks for a

> good laugh today!!

>

> ~~* AJ *~~

> BMI 59

[Guest guest]

Uhh.. ME?

umm..

2 centrum kids/onesource kids/flintsones chewable multivitamins with

Iron (can you tell I went on a quest to see if any tasted better,

lol?), 1 in the AM, 1 in the afternoon.

3 viactive chews (mostly cuz they firm up my BMs)(500mg Ca/each)

2-4 Maalox quick-dissolves (680 Ca/each)

No iron supplementation yet.. I've never been anemic, so we're waiting

on that one..

As for cosmetic surgery, tell him to wait, so you can get them reduced

& lifted at the same time.. plus, I once met an obese woman who'd had

breast reduction.. the way they did it, her bra would have fit as well

backwards as forwards.. they were NOT nice to her..

Hope I helped-

Liane

> Hi, I was wondering about cosmetic surgery. My dr. has referred me

for a

> breast reduction. I want to have my ds first, can you imagine what

muy breast

> will look like after? I just wondered what vitamins your

taking,thanks.

[Guest guest]

Thank you Lili! I couldn't of said it better myself!

Sandy

--- " Lili F. " LiliFrench@...> wrote:

> Thanks, AJ..

> I felt it made an excellent point, lol. =)

> Hugs,

> Liane

>

>

> > In a message dated 6/24/01 3:39:50 PM Pacific

> Daylight Time,

> > LiliFrench@e... writes:

> >

> >

> > > I understand that we all feel that " our " surgery

> is the best

> ever..

> > > but that does not give anyone the right to

> create undocumented,

> > > unfactual " comparison reports " that contain lies

> about another

> > > surgery. I'm thrilled that your surgery worked

> & you're happy

> with

> > > it. But my surgery is working too.. and will

> still be working

> 10-15

> > > years down the line. Email me then.. we'll do a

> head to head

> > > comparison, labs and all... and then I'll go

> have a half a

> hamburger

> > > & a few fries while sipping iced tea, and you

> can go chew a

> > > teaspoonful or so of chicken to mush and wish

> you could drink

> during

> > > meals. And I still won't post untruths about

> your surgery all

> over

> > > the internet, ok?

> > >

> > >

> >

> > I loved your letter...especially the eating

> part...

> >

> >

> > ~~* AJ *~~

> > BMI 59

> >

> > INSURANCE: NW Washington Medical (Regence )

> > DR Heap, Richland WA

> > Denied due to exclusion, denied appeal 6/7/01

> > going self pay - Dr Baltasar Spain

> > Bellingham Support for WLS

> > WWW.lookin2bthin.homestead.com

>

>

>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I just read this post from Felicia. All I have to say is:

WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHERE THE HELL THIS GIRL GETS HER INFORMATON FROM???????????

Apparently, she's a FICTION writer for a living?????????

Pam

Pre-op in MD

Dr. Vanguri

Surgery date July 9, 2001

[Guest guest]

Nope Kim....none taken....I would like to think we are all in the same boat here...and avoiding the capsizing of it...LOL....Besides...you are entitled to an opinion like we all are...We need to rely on each other for insight and info and I greatly respect ALL the people on this site...

Cindy

[Guest guest]

WHOA! ROFLMAO.....Boy, would I hate to see you really mad, but you said it in a nutshell....I never agreed with Felice, only felt we should never censor anybody....You go girl.....LOL

Cindy

[Guest guest]

lol... I love you, Pam...

Hugs,

Liane

> Hi All,

>

> I just read this post from Felicia. All I have to say is:

>

> WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHERE THE HELL THIS GIRL GETS HER

INFORMATON

> FROM???????????

>

> Apparently, she's a FICTION writer for a living?????????

>

>

>

>

> Pam

> Pre-op in MD

> Dr. Vanguri

> Surgery date July 9, 2001

[Guest guest]

I have read most of the backlash from Felicia's post. Let's be honest

we all know that what she describes is a possibilty for all of us.

However we all know that DS has come a long way and that with the new

information we can lower the odds off this happening to us. The major

message to take from this is that we must be vigilant in taking our

supplements and getting our protein in. I have known many people with

life threatening diseases who look as healthy as a horse because they

take good care of themselves. If we take care of our nutritional

needs and follow our doctors instructions we should be fine.

Now on the stinger side:

To be honest I would rather take 100 supplements and be able to eat a

piece of fruit and a bite of steak than have rny and worry about

throwing up or having surgery to remove a stuck piece of steak.

> Hi all! Someone asked me to post my opinion on

> various procedures to

> the whole group. So here I am

>

> But, I want to stress that I am NOT a medical

> professional. The only

> thing I know about each procedure is what I've

> researched myself,

> what I've discussed with the surgeons at the ASBS

> conference and what

> I've seen in the form of post-ops, mostly long term

> post-ops.

>

> So this is NOT fact, nor medical advice, nor slander

> towards any

> particular surgeon. It is only the opinion of someone

> who is post-op

> and has seen and read a lot

>

> Lap versus Open:

>

> If I had the choice, I would go lap. A lot of open

> surgeons say that

> the reason open is better is because they can actually

> " look at "

> and " hold " all of the organs, therefore easily

> detecting problems and

> correcting them before they become life threatening.

> Lap surgeons

> say that this is simply not true, that the monitor can

> see organs

> better than the human eye any day, and that open

> surgeons are only

> saying this because they don't want to spend the time,

> money and

> training to perform a procedure that takes longer,

> costs less money

> (less $$$ in their pockets) and is expensive to start

> up. It's just

> not cost worthy. So those are the pros and cons of

> lap vs. open,

> from rumors and various surgeons. What do I

> personally think???

>

> Well, let's give the open surgeons the benefit of the

> doubt. Let's

> say that everything they say is true. They really can

> see the organs

> better, they really do feel everything and check it

> out thoroughly.

> Okay...now is that benefit worth the risks of the side

> effects of an

> open surgery? Not IMHO. The side effects can be

> horrific. Open

> surgeries cause an astronomical amount of adhesions

> compared to lap

> surgeries. A person who is prone to adhesions can get

> them from

> either method, lap or open, but the chances of getting

> the from a lap

> surgery vs. an open surgery are much, much less.

> Adhesions will make

> your life a living nightmare if you get them badly

> enough. Handling

> organs is one of the premier reasons for developing

> adhesions,

> supposedly. Also, the risk of hernias goes up

> considerably with an

> open surgery vs. a lap surgery. Some surgeons say

> this is a benefit,

> because you can usually get a free TT thrown in at the

> time of hernia

> repair. But who really wants a hernia? No one that I

> know. What a

> bother! And the weakened abdominal wall? No thanks.

>

> I think open surgery can and will continue to be

> performed in certain

> cases, but if you qualify for lap, need the quicker

> recovery, don't

> carry a lot of weight in your stomach anyway and want

> to avoid the

> possible side effects of adhesions and hernias, lap is

> the way to go.

>

>

> Restrictive versus Malabsorptive:

>

> The lap band and the VBG are restrictive-only

> operations. The VBG

> has a huge failure rate. Does it work for some

> people, yes. Does it

> work for most people, no. If the person has all of

> the right

> components: volume eater, not a grazer, not a big

> snacker, not a

> sweet eater, extreme ability to keep a commitment, did

> not get MO due

> to an eating disorder, but perhaps a glandular

> disorder or another

> disorder, it might work. There are also some really

> strange side

> effects of the VBG. For instance, people who were

> never into sweets

> suddenly find that they throw up everything except

> sweets. Strange.

> But it happens all the time. Wouldn't it be a shame

> to go through

> major surgery just to find yourself still MO because

> of drinking high

> calorie sweets all the time? Who wants to go through

> another surgery

> and feel even worse about themselves because they feel

> that they

> failed the surgery? Not me. I think it CAN work for

> some people,

> but that it probably WON'T work for most people.

> Statistics seem to

> support that claim.

>

> The Lap Band is pretty ingenious. I was thrilled that

> it got

> approval during the ASBS conference. I really think

> that this can be

> the cure for a lot of overweight people. Not

> necessarily MO people,

> but overweight. If you have certain components, I

> think the band

> might work for you: Not MO, but very overweight (BMI

> <35 for sure).

> Volume eater. Not interested in sweets or grazing

> junk food. No

> history of GERD, acid reflux, indigestion, etc. Easy

> access to a

> surgeon or doctor who can do the fills. History of

> problems with

> invasive surgeries (adhesions, hernias, etc.).

> Ability to keep

> commitments with fills, exercise, non-grazing, only

> eating sweets

> rarely (like weddings, etc.). No ability to

> supplement with protein

> shakes and a lot of vitamins, minerals, etc. No

> eating disorder (or

> have overcome any eating disorder with therapy and

> have been over it

> for a long time).

>

>

> Restrictive plus malabsorptive operations include all

> of the

> following:

>

> Proximal RNY: Great for those with 100-150 lbs. to

> lose. Combines a

> low level of malabsorption with extreme restriction.

> Good for those

> who don't mind drinking protein shakes and doing a lot

> of

> supplementing perhaps in the first years, but don't

> want to " live " on

> protein shakes and pills for the rest of their lives.

> Great for

> sweet eaters who want the negative reinforcement of

> dumping. Good

> for those who are MO, but not super MO (though I have

> seen some super

> MO proximals get down to a normal weight, it isn't

> impossible). Has

> the benefit of being the " gold standard " of WLS, so a

> lot of PCP's

> and ER docs are going to be familiar enough with this

> surgery not to

> screw it up if you have an emergency and have to be

> opened up. Can

> be out eaten with continual grazing, and can overcome

> dumping with

> continual eating of sweets. Not for those who haven't

> addressed

> their eating disorder and have no wish to get help for

> an eating

> disorder.

>

> Medial to Distal RNY: Great for the super MO. Needs

> a lot of

> commitment. Combines extreme malabsorption with

> restriction. This

> surgery can be the difference between life and death

> for those who

> have to take off a lot of weight, and keep it off, to

> stay alive.

> The commitment is great, they really must live off of

> supplements,

> perhaps for life. If pills and shakes don't phase

> you, and you can

> conform to lots of little meals, this is a great

> surgery. Those in

> middle age seem to do better, because they aren't as

> embarrassed by

> the gas and smelly BM's as the younger folks. They

> also seem to have

> more commitment than younger people, though not

> always. This is one

> of those operations that is going to change your life

> utterly and

> completely, so for those who have absolutely hit rock

> bottom and have

> nowhere else to turn and nothing else to do but go up,

> I think this

> surgery can save your life and turn it around.

> Malnourishment is

> going to be a given, if you cannot commit to taking

> care of yourself

> after this surgery

>

> BPD: Only for those who absolutely have no other

> choice. This

> surgery is usually always done open, so you have those

> side effects,

> plus the extreme malabsorption. Yes, this surgery

> lets people eat

> relatively normal meals, but malabsorbs almost

> everything eaten

> except sugar. Supplements will be a part of daily

> life, forever. Of

> all of the post-ops I have ever seen, BPD post-ops

> look the worst.

> Usually they have a gray or pasty appearance. Their

> immune system

> seems shot, so they get huge sores on their skin if

> they don't take

> their supplements. Sores that don't want to heal.

> Sometimes their

> eyes are yellow, their skin looks jaundiced. They

> always seem in the

> process of losing hair. Either they have just gotten

> over losing, or

> are just very thin on top. I have only met one long

> term post-op BPD

> who did not have thin hair; thin enough to see the

> entire scalp.

> These people just do not look good, no matter how much

> they can eat.

> But if you have an eating disorder that you cannot

> and/or will not

> face and overcome, the BPD might be your only chance

> at a relatively

> normal life. You really can eat more than a post-op

> RNY should ever

> be able to eat. You can eat sweets and junk food, you

> can eat and

> drink together with ease. You will be like a

> relatively normal

> person in those aspects. But I have never seen a BPD

> who got to

> goal, despite all of the malabsorption. So is it

> worth it? For

> some, yes, because it is their only chance. Most of

> the BPD's I've

> seen are still obese, if not MO. Most look very

> ragged and sickly.

> But they are alive, versus being dead if they'd done

> nothing. I

> would say that the distal RNY would be better for

> these people, but

> some just can't seem to address or overcome their

> eating disorder,

> and they could easily kill themselves with the small

> pouch of the

> RNY, whereas the BPD allows them to eat more, and even

> binge in a

> small way. The gas and BM's are usually out of this

> world. They can

> clear a room, some say.

>

> DS: This surgery is just coming into it's own

> maturity. It CAN

> usually be done lap, so that it is a plus. It is

> similar to the BPD

> in that it offers greater food volume, no dumping and

> some surgeons

> allow drinking when eating. Unfortunately, it has all

> of the

> malabsorption of a distal bypass, so again, the

> concerns over

> malnouishment. Surgeons are just now starting to

> realize that the

> DSer's are going to have to supplement in a big way.

> Before this

> latest conference, surgeons were telling their

> patients that they

> could get all of their nutritional needs out of their

> food, because

> of the big pouch, but this is proving to be false.

> People who were

> not willing to make a commitment are now being forced

> to face that

> possibility. One of the beauties of the DS was the

> higher weight

> loss. They could take off about 5% more than the

> RNYer's. Surgeons

> thought they would keep it off better, too, but it was

> addressed that

> this is proving not to be true either. So not only do

> they get the

> malabsorption, but their weight loss over time is

> turning out to be

> not much better than the RNYer's after all. As more

> time passes, I'm

> sure that things will be tweaked with the DS. As it

> stands now, I

> would say that if you are super MO and need the

> extreme bypass, but

> still want to eat relatively normal meals, and sweets,

> but don't mind

> the gas or BM's and can keep a big commitment, this

> might be the

> surgery for you. If you cannot keep a commitment, if

> you don't want

> to be bothered with supplements and protein shakes,

> think this over

> carefully before jumping in with both feet. Never

> take any opinion

> by anyone, surgeon or not, as 100% fact, because they

> are changing

> their minds all the time, as more data becomes

> available. If a

> surgeon tries to sell you the DS as a miracle surgery

> where you will

> be more or less normal, and not have to supplement,

> think very, very

> carefully about what he is saying. Next year he might

> call you up

> and tell you he made a grave error saying you didn't

> have to

> supplement. Then will you be up to the challenge of

> changing your

> life once again? Because I truly believe that these

> people are going

> to need long term supplementation to stay healthy and

> alive. I have

> seen too many of them in malnourisment, when they were

> guaranteed

> that they wouldn't need additional supplementation.

>

>

> Nooowwwww, all of this being said, what procedure did

> I have? I had

> the proximal lap RNY. But, I didn't have a choice. I

> was in vital

> organ failure when I had my surgery, this was the only

> surgical

> choice I was given. If I had to do it all over, what

> would I

> choose? Well, knowing me, knowing my eating style, my

> ability to

> commit, my monetary situation, ability to travel, etc.

> I would

> probably not choose a malabsorptive procedure at all.

> I would

> probably go with the Lap Band, knowing all that I know

> now. I am NOT

> unhappy with the RNY, don't get me wrong, I am

> ecstatic with it,

> happier than I ever thought I could be in a lifetime,

> but just given

> the ideal circumstances and the ideal personal

> situation and in

> hindsight, etc, etc.

>

> Once again, I want to reiterate that this is all just

> MY opinion.

> Not the opinion of surgeons or doctors, not FACT.

> Even some of the

> stats I quoted were just things I got off of the

> Internet and at the

> conference on displays set up for anyone to read.

> Stats are often

> wrong, can be manipulated to fit a certain purpose.

> And a lot of

> what I said above are just my personal observations

> having spent

> years on these support groups and meeting hundreds of

> post-ops over

> time. I have absolutely no expertise whatsoever. I

> wouldn't even

> consider myself a layman, but rather just a Bariatric

> enthusiast, or

> patient advocate, so to speak.

>

> Please do NOT print off what I have written and run to

> your surgeon

> or doctor in alarm, handing him over my e-mail and

> terrorizing him

> with the " facts " that I have typed up, because they

> are NOT facts,

> just opinion. I do what works for me, I tell what I

> see and hear and

> read, but these are all just from a post-op

> perspective. I am not

> claiming anything other than having an opinion, which

> of course, we

> all have.

>

> Love,

>

> Felicia

> 258/130

> http://hometown.aol.com/felicialee/myhomepage/index.html

> " My worst day post-op was better than my best day

> pre-op " --Author

> unknown

>

>

>

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