Re: feeling good about ourselves

[Guest guest]

Carole,

I recently spent a little over 24 hours with a preop with those being the

last hours before her surgery. I drove my cousin out to Bowling Green

leaving at 2am Sunday morning. She had surgery 8 am Monday morning.

This is a very emotional time. It is a very difficult time. I am sure, as

Marilyn, myself, and anyone else who has gone through this surgery, you just

want it to be over. Better yet, you want it to be one month out from over.

Time must be going at a snails pace for you now.

Of course you deserve the surgery. Secondly if the RNY punishments got

better results than the DS, then it is maybe something we should have

considered. However, the DS does not have these punishments AND it has

better results. You can't argue with that. Furthermore, none of us need the

psychological torture of the possibility of failure or being " forced " to diet

our entire lives. Do you read the main OSSG list. I still read that list

and am very thankful I had the DS so that I can RELAX.

As I was with Marilyn before her surgery, we talked about many things which

seemed to help her:

1. In order to get to the point of even signing up for surgery, you

obviously know that dieting is not going to get you out of this MO disease.

This leaves you with two choices, stay MO or have surgery. Most of us do not

want to stay MO, so surgery is the logical choice.

2. We discussed the very difficult first month and I just kept telling her

she had to keep her eye on " down the road " . She said she just kept looking

at me and thinking about how beneficial the surgery has been to me and that

helped her. Maybe print out some before and after photos from the DS site to

look at frequently now and to take with you when preparing for surgery.

3. MO is a disease and our disease was partly brought on by the very thing

that makes us think we don't deserve anything. We listened to the world. We

dieted. We were often successful (Marilyn kept 100 pounds off for 10 years

once). However, those diets combined with heredity and many other factors

are what made us MO. So now we feel like a failure for not being better at

something that makes people fat. It is goofy logic that we all have.

Dawn--South Suburban Chicago area

Dr. Hess, Bowling Green, OH

BPD/DS

4/27/00

www.duodenalswitch.com

267 to 165 5' 4 "

size 22 to size 10

have made size goal

no more high blood pressure, sore feet, or dieting

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/01 6:41:43 PM Pacific Standard Time,

MsMystic1@... writes:

> Just wanted to know if any of you have gone through similar thoughts

Carole..

I can totally relate to your thoughts. I cried alot before I left for my

surgery and there are days yet that I dont feel like I look good. Last night

I was invited to go to a party with my boyfriend....I cried over not having

anything decent to wear and feeling like I was going to look horrible. I

guess when you've felt that way all your life, its hard to envision it any

other way. I did finally find something to wear and for once my hair looked

awesome and I even put on a full face of makeup. I've not done this in 10

years! I ended up having a great time...and hopfully today as I prepare to

go to THanksgiving I'll leave that old attitude at home. It does improve

after surgery and I think its better now than a month ago..like anything you

have to relearn your attitude!!!

~*~ AJ ~*~

Bellingham, WA

Age 37 5'8'' Open DS

self pay - Dr Baltasar -Alcoy Spain

07/24/01 BMI 64 415.1

08/24/01 BMI 58 386.5 -28.6 lbs!

09/24/01 BMI 55.8 367.1 -48.0 lbs! -37.75 inches

10/24/01 BMI 52.6 346.0 -69.1 lbs! -50.0 inches

11/19/01 BMI 49.8 327.5 -87.6 lbs! -77.0 inches

My profile:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=E982002956

My website:

www.wls4aj.homestead.com

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/22/01 6:47:11 AM Eastern Standard Time,

duodenalswitch writes:

<< MO is a disease and our disease was partly brought on by the very thing

that makes us think we don't deserve anything. We listened to the world.

We

dieted. We were often successful (Marilyn kept 100 pounds off for 10 years

once). However, those diets combined with heredity and many other factors

are what made us MO. So now we feel like a failure for not being better at

something that makes people fat. It is goofy logic that we all have.

Dawn--South Suburban Chicago area >>

Thanks, Dawn. You are always so generous with your answers and

encouragement. Marilyn is lucky to have your support. I am glad it is not

only me who feels emotional at this time, and yes......I can't wait for it to

be over and the first month to be over and to get on with learning my new

lifestyle and eating habits.

Carole

[Guest guest]

Carole, your letter was so true and heartfelt. (Is

that a word? LOL). It was so honest and real that I

teared up while reading it.

I did have a question, though... how are you handling

not smoking? I saw Dr Jossart yesterday and he gave

me a hard time about it. I told him I would quit the

day I got insurance approval and he didn't think I'd

be able to do it. I'll show him, LOL! Seriously, I

do have faith in him as a doctor and I want him as my

surgeon. Plus he's a cutie! But I'm scared - I've

never tried to quit!

Please let me know how you're doing. Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving,

dee

--- lookn2bthin@... wrote:

> In a message dated 11/21/01 6:41:43 PM Pacific

> Standard Time,

> MsMystic1@... writes:

>

>

> > Just wanted to know if any of you have gone

> through similar thoughts

>

> Carole..

>

> I can totally relate to your thoughts. I cried alot

> before I left for my

> surgery and there are days yet that I dont feel like

> I look good. Last night

> I was invited to go to a party with my

> boyfriend....I cried over not having

> anything decent to wear and feeling like I was going

> to look horrible. I

> guess when you've felt that way all your life, its

> hard to envision it any

> other way. I did finally find something to wear and

> for once my hair looked

> awesome and I even put on a full face of makeup.

> I've not done this in 10

> years! I ended up having a great time...and

> hopfully today as I prepare to

> go to THanksgiving I'll leave that old attitude at

> home. It does improve

> after surgery and I think its better now than a

> month ago..like anything you

> have to relearn your attitude!!!

>

> ~*~ AJ ~*~

> Bellingham, WA

> Age 37 5'8'' Open DS

> self pay - Dr Baltasar -Alcoy Spain

> 07/24/01 BMI 64 415.1

> 08/24/01 BMI 58 386.5 -28.6 lbs!

> 09/24/01 BMI 55.8 367.1 -48.0 lbs! -37.75

> inches

> 10/24/01 BMI 52.6 346.0 -69.1 lbs! -50.0

> inches

> 11/19/01 BMI 49.8 327.5 -87.6 lbs! -77.0

> inches

> My profile:

>

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=E982002956

>

> My website:

> www.wls4aj.homestead.com

>

>

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

>

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

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/22/01 3:41:35 PM Eastern Standard Time,

duodenalswitch writes:

<< I cried over not having

anything decent to wear and feeling like I was going to look horrible. I

guess when you've felt that way all your life, its hard to envision it any

other way. I did finally find something to wear and for once my hair looked

awesome and I even put on a full face of makeup. I've not done this in 10

years! I ended up having a great time...and hopfully today as I prepare to

go to THanksgiving I'll leave that old attitude at home >>

Thanks, AJ - I know exactly how you feel. So many times, I didn't even want

to go anywhere because I didn't think I looked *good* enough. You are doing

so wonderfully and AJ, you are gorgeous, you were before surgery and you

still are.

Remember that! Thanks for the encouragement.

Carole