Another very positive post from the TRUTH site

[Guest guest]

The following interchange between and myself may be of interest

and

relevance to some folks on this mailing list, thus I am posting it

here to the

list. Anyone is welcome to cross post, if they wish.

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

From: " " <lindat@m...>

> Somehow you have managed to twist this into an RNY v. MGB issue and

it

If the MGB is safer than the RNY (which at this point, bile reflux or

not) it

appears so, then Dr R is not any more at fault for performing it than

any

other surgeon who performs the gastric bypass if, in fact, performing

the

gastric bypass is a bad thing (and we have not established that

performing a

gastric bypass IS a bad thing since so many individuals are pleased

with the

results and feel that WLS has increased their quality of life a

hundredfold).

> The Billroth II procedure causes bile reflux and that has been

Perhaps you missed this little detail but what Dr R does is a

modification of

the B.II. And some of his small changes make the procedure safer,

from what I

have read. Not that ANY WLS is real safe and Dr R is honest enough

to say

this clearly on his website and I really respect him for that.

> corrected for years, by giving the person an RNY if they have enough

> intestine -- NOT as a weight loss surgery, but to save them from the

> bile reflux.

As I have understood it, the RNY is principally performed FOR weight

loss

surgery and not for other purposes.

Are you saying that the gastric bypass has no other complications

except bile

reflux in an MGB? Does the MGB correct some of the things which are

very wrong

and dangerous with the RNY? Dr R believes it does. So far, I tend

to agree

with him. You have not shown me anything yet that says the MGB is

not safer

than the RNY. This is Dr R's contention also.

> My life and 900 other people's lives are at stake, here, Sue.

That's right but perhaps your decision of the MGB was a good

one. I am

rather astonished that you refuse to entertain the possibility that

you might

have been mistaken about the dangers involved since, although you

would have

to perhaps change your website back to the way it was two weeks ago,

it might

mean a whole lot of serenity in your life and perhaps obtaining help

for the

few problems which you do have in managing your surgery at present and

enjoying the effects of the weight loss.

What you don't seem to understand is that the dangers of cancer,

osteoporosis,

Raynauds, R.A., LUPUS, peripheral neuropathy and other long term

complications

are the same with ANY gastric bypass but that the MGB has saved many,

the

repeat trips to the hospital from hernias (which a LARGE percentage

of RNYs

seem to get), internal bleeding, infection and other short term

rather serious

problems connected with the RNY which CAN BE life threatening and do

cause

death in a small percentage of patients. Additionally, since the MGB

is quite

a bit 'less invasive' than the RNY which in surgery is VERY

SIGNIFICANT, it

may be that having the MGB will correct some of the long term

complications of

the RNY also.

Have you lurked several mailing lists? I have for over a year now,

read ALL

the messages on several mailing lists and have observed first hand,

the

percentage of those who have to return to the hospital for immediate

complications associated with the RNY which I have mentioned above

and have

also occasionally observed people to die from such complications. I

have also

observed that for 1 to 2 weeks after an RNY, the pain is INTENSE and

patients

are heavily sedated while in the MGB, it seems that patients not only

suffer

much less pain but also are up and about much earlier than in other

types of

gastric bypass. If Dr R's MGB can prevent these immediate

complications, then

he's ahead of the game (as are his patients). Perhaps he will help to

find

ways to prevent the long term side effects also as he has cleverly

avoided

some of the life threatening short term side effects.

As a matter of fact, I am so impressed with the procedure after

looking at

things more closely that I plan to take down my anti-MGB article. I

feel I

was wrong before and understand now, why Dr R calls it 'mini'.

>

> Your careless and cavalier attitude and your misinformation just

> absolutely floored me, frankly.

No I don't have a cavalier attitude at all and am very

concerned about

your life and that of all those who have weight loss surgery. Perhaps

someday

if and when you understand more, if you are truly, as you say you are,

interested in the welfare of others, you will understand just how

caring and

concerned I am to have given so much of my life (over 1 year and 4

months) to

the study of a subject in which I am not personally involved any more

than the

fact that I was once a candidate for WLS and that I am concerned for

folks

like myself and DH, battling genetic obesity every day of our lives.

In studying this myself and discussing this at length with the

medical advisor

for my health website, I feel at this point, looking at the overall

picture,

that even with the complication of bile reflux, the MGB may be a good

choice

of procedures. Since you obviously do not believe me (and that's

ok), perhaps

you might want to bring another medical provider (i.e. physician,

physician's

assistant or nurse practitioner) into the picture, one who is not

selling a

different WLS procedure and have them look at the information you have

provided - it can't hurt and might give you serenity, if you are

really

interested in whether you made a good decision or not. More educated

opinions

surely can't hurt, as they say.

I wish you luck, health and happiness in your choices, whatever they

will be.

Respectfully,

Sue Widemark

PS: With your kind indulgence, I will continue to read and observe

(as I have

on so many other mailing lists) and am always open to learning more

and to the

fact that I might be wrong. I am truly sorry if I have annoyed or

upset you

or other individuals in my fact finding search.

--- End forwarded message ---