Many Thanks To

[Guest guest]

Mel - Moderating this list has been a big responsibility for you. Thank

you for taking it on and for remaining loyal to it for so very long.

You and many of the " old timers " like Duffy, Kris , etc. helped

bring the news of the DS procedure to the internet. Your personal

dedication to disseminating information about this procedure and

assuring that WLS patients are educated about their options is

unparalleled.

It is difficult for post-ops to stay on this list. Life changes a great

deal after surgery. The struggles that you live with as a pre-op, and

the often attendant anger, hostility and depression, give way to

obsession as you prepare for surgery, which gives way to the experience

of the surgery itself, which gives way to learning to live with your new

anatomy, which ultimately gives way (for most) to the remarkable freedom

of life as a thinner, healthier person. At 10 months out, I am still

happy to share my experience or offer advice to questions asked, but I

have desire to spend any of my energy listening to people squabble over

list rules or who is more supportive of whom or whether people should

have a right to say whatever they want on someone else's list group,

regardless of who else it offends. I cannot tell you how much I admire

your generosity, Mel, in remaining true to this list and wading through

such behavior.

For pre-ops and recent post-op - I suggest that you step back and really

think about what you want from this list. Do you want a place where you

can make connections and exchange information? Or do you just want a

place where you can blow off steam and rant from a soap-box and find

someone to fight with so that you can exorcise and ventilate your rage

du jour? I think that you will find that this list has an excellent

history of providing the former and little tolerance for the latter. I

also think that you will find that temper tantrums have only the effect

of driving post-ops from the list - which is a shame for those of you

that value information from those that have experienced the procedure as

opposed to those who have merely researched it.

Kathleen B.

land

Lap DS/Dr. Gagner 8/7/00 (Mt. Sinai)

Minus 160 lbs as of 6/27

CareFirst BCBS of land/PPN

[Guest guest]

Ditto. Thank you, -

I had to repost this... its very true.. kudos to the OP.

Hugs,

Liane

> Mel - Moderating this list has been a big responsibility for you.

Thank

> you for taking it on and for remaining loyal to it for so very long.

> You and many of the " old timers " like Duffy, Kris , etc.

helped

> bring the news of the DS procedure to the internet. Your personal

> dedication to disseminating information about this procedure and

> assuring that WLS patients are educated about their options is

> unparalleled.

>

> It is difficult for post-ops to stay on this list. Life changes a

great

> deal after surgery. The struggles that you live with as a pre-op,

and

> the often attendant anger, hostility and depression, give way to

> obsession as you prepare for surgery, which gives way to the

experience

> of the surgery itself, which gives way to learning to live with your

new

> anatomy, which ultimately gives way (for most) to the remarkable

freedom

> of life as a thinner, healthier person. At 10 months out, I am

still

> happy to share my experience or offer advice to questions asked, but

I

> have desire to spend any of my energy listening to people squabble

over

> list rules or who is more supportive of whom or whether people

should

> have a right to say whatever they want on someone else's list group,

> regardless of who else it offends. I cannot tell you how much I

admire

> your generosity, Mel, in remaining true to this list and wading

through

> such behavior.

>