Re: My Plea to all of you thinking of having surgery! Depression!!!

[Guest guest]

First, I'm glad to hear you are doing so well now . How

brave of you to reach out and ask for help. Hang in there!

Also, I think your warning should be heeded by all. Especially those

of us that grew up fat will likely face some of what you experienced,

if not all. It's a new world out there for many of us.

So far I feel I'm doing well, we'll see when all the weight is gone

how I'm doing, and I promise to get help if I need it!!

Huggles,

Barbi

Dr. Ren

4/24/01

-120 pounds

Starting BMI 61

Current BMI 40

> WARNING: If you have serious issues and suffer from depression or

use your

> weight to hide from your problems, get therapy BEFORE having the

surgery.

> It can save your life. I was in serious trouble and it had nothing

to do

> with being fat but everything to do with clinical depression.

>

>

> Sincerely, R.

[Guest guest]

Congratulations, , and good luck during your recovery.

Love,

Sue

post op 9/11/01

Dr. Warden

Ocean sps, MS

> Hi everyone, Yes it's true I'm posting again. I know it's been way

too

> long and I apologize. For those who do not know me here is my brief

> history.

>

> 1992- Vertical Banded Gastroplasty, weight @ 342

> 1995- VBG reversed, weight @ 240 silastic ring closed off due to

adhesions

>

> 1998- Duodenal Switch-Dr. Rabkin, weight @ 304

> 2000- Duodenal Switch revision-Dr. Rabkin, weight @ 127 I became too

> skinny so Dr. R put some of my intestines back

> 2001- Weight at 142

> I'm 29, 5ft7, full time law student (last year) and I can eat

anything and

> everything. I can eat all day and not gain one pound.

>

> Here is the reason for my letter!

>

> I became morbidly obese because of abuse as a child. Being fat was a

great

> shield. Now of course, I always wanted to lose the weight but when I

was

> sad, I ate. When I was bored, I ate. When I was happy, I ate.

>

> I could always use my weight as a shield. He doesn't like me because

I'm

> fat. I didn't get the job because I'm fat. I can't go out because

I'm fat.

> etc.

>

> When I had the DS surgery, I lost almost 200 pounds in a little over

a

> year. I went from being fat and ugly (by society standards) to thin

and

> beautiful. I was asked out two or three times a week. Now it's about

twice

> a month. Now you think everything would be grand but you couldn't be

more

> wrong.

>

> I can no longer use the fat as a shield. In other words, I must

battle my

> own demons without the help of my weight.

>

> I became severely depressed. All the issues from my childhood were

now raw

> and I HAD to deal with them or else shrivel up and rot away. I'm in

law

> school and the depression was sooo bad that I would spend a week at

a time

> in my bedroom crying with the lights off and no contact with the

outside

> world. This affected my school work and everything else.

>

> So, instead of dealing with them I thought some prescription drugs

would

> take care of my problems. I started a Norco addiction (twice as

strong as

> Vicodin) and kept that up for almost a year. It kept the pain of

reality

> at bay but it sure screwed with my ability to think. I don't know

how I

> stayed in law school. I can remember taking a final on TWO Norco's

and I

> don't even remember what I wrote. Somehow I ended up with a C+ on

the

> exam.

>

> It wasn't until August of this year that I finally had enough. I

called

> Kaisers emergency psychiatric line and told the nurse absolutely

> everything. I was put into therapy for the severe depression, was

put on

> Wellbutrin and also stopped the prescription drugs cold turkey. I

started

> going to two group therapies a week. One for severe depression and

the

> other for co-dependence. I still have so many issues to work out but

boy

> have I come a long way.

>

> I'm being harshly honest here for a couple of reasons. One, I

started this

> list for this reason. To get honest help to all people concerning

this

> surgery physically and mentally. Plus, I don't want anyone to think

that

> the DS surgery will cure all your problems.

>

> WARNING: If you have serious issues and suffer from depression or

use your

> weight to hide from your problems, get therapy BEFORE having the

surgery.

> It can save your life. I was in serious trouble and it had nothing

to do

> with being fat but everything to do with clinical depression.

>

>

> Sincerely, R.