In June of 2010 People Magazine they wrote the first  semi positive story about WLS and I begged everyone on the OH forums to write in so we would be mentioned and WE WERE!  You'll reognize a member's name in the picture!  They only do this on the stories that get the most email.  I just posted the following on every other place I could and I'm posting it here in hopes we can do it again.  Here's the post:

Hey guys I've been fading in and out a bit because I had some surgery but this is important so don't be surprised if you see it in more than one place. People Magazine has done a positive story about weight loss surgery regarding Carnie Wilson. Some of you guys have been tough on her but you don't realize there was no education on how to use our tool back then. I had my surgery one year after hers so I can relate. Because she went first she saved my life! We have a chance to make a difference in the history of People Magazine and hit them with enough email to bring WLS out of the closet. If we send enough email we will be mentioned in the mail bag section so I'm asking you to please send an email to editor@people.com and you can ask to be listed as anonymous if you want. Tell them how WLS saved your life, tell them how much you lost, tell them thank you for doing a positive story on WLS but tell them something to help remove the stigma that still exists at People Magazine and with many of their readers. Please pass this on to your friends and your friend's friends. Let's be a part of changing the stigma. 

ORIGINAL POST

 

Carnie Wilson is the reason I had weight loss surgery. Some of us affectionately call each other Carnie babies.  My surgery was about a year after hers.  In 2000 there was no aftercare and maybe a couple of places you could even discuss it online.  We forget how much ridicule Carnie had to endure going first and going so publicly.  The moment I heard about gastric bypass I made the first available appointment for a consultation.  I literally did fifteen minutes of research.

Now Carnie has decided to have a second surgery twelve years later and the comments under the online articles are so incredibly cruel. Not only from the "normies" (as I certainly expected) but also from the weight loss surgery community.  Revisions are very common so we should be accustomed to those. Many of us regain so we should be accustomed to that too.  At the very least if you don't have something kind to say... don't say it.  We have enough problem fighting the stigma of WLS without our own community helping.  Since I have been volunteering for many years I've noticed some particular circumstances that seem to cause regain.  In no particular order:

1. Having babies.  Almost every woman who has a baby after WLS fights regain.

2. Not being educated properly about the psychological aspects of our disease.

3. Being super morbidly obese before surgery.  It's just plain harder for those folks.

4. Being a woman. (Men have a far superior metabolism)

Carnie also has to do it in the public eye.  How well would you do if after your surgery paparazzi was there every time you left your house to record every pound regained or lost?  I would have crumbled. She went first so the process was a little easier for the rest of us and yet some of us pound her at the first opportunity.

She deserves to be happy with her decision.  I don't know anyone who is perfect enough to throw stones so let's give her another chance to be healthy and avoid diabetes.  I've never seen it in the "WLS life rules" that you don't get another chance.   I would really appreciate some support for her in the People magazine online article linked below. People Magazine has particularly not given us much of a chance because every time they publish the "Half Their Size" issue we are intentionally left out.  The cover says "no surgery, no gimmicks".  Aren't you happy to know we used a gimmick?

Thanks in advance for voicing your support.

Thanks in advance for not posting if you are against giving her support.

Online People Magazine article

We are so strong when we pull together and nothing would make me happier than People Magazine hearing us roar!

ORIGINAL POST

Did she have weight loss surgery?

Will we ever know for sure?

I doubt it.

Here are the reasons I think she did.  First of all she has diabetes.  We all know that many post-ops are no longer diabetic before they leave the hospital and that would be an excellent reason for her to make this choice.  Of course the only problem with that is her new gig for a diabetic drug.  Can she represent a product she no longer needs?  I don't think so and that would be the primary reason I believe we will never truly find out.

The second and most obvious hint is the rapid weight loss.  OK guys we've all done extreme diets and couldn't get results like that.  She attributes the thinner body to portion control.  If I'm wrong about this I will apologize profusely....but I don't think I'm wrong.

The third hint is that statement about "Oh I don't know how much I've lost because there are no scales in the house".  She admits to losing two pant sizes.  If she were to have to admit the exact amount of pounds we could put a pencil to it and say "yep that's surgery".

At first I was upset because I thought this was yet again another example of WLS shame.  Star Jones tried so hard to hide her decision because she didn't want to be a poster child and it failed miserably.  We also hide it because we are afraid we will fail and the stigma is still so alive and well.

Paula has a bigger reason to hide it.  She's being paid the big bucks to promote a drug.

This is just food for thought but I've got a feeling we'll find out where Jimmy Hoffa is buried before we find out the truth about Paula Deen.

Original post HERE

Please don't pinch me and wake me up!

Yesterday history was made when Dr. Oz did a positive show on gastric bypass surgery.  Lap banders he did a show for you a few months ago and I posted about that here.

Of course I expected the very vocal anti-surgery types but I was a little surprised at how many pro-surgery people picked it apart.  I had to remind myself that many post-ops are fairly new and don't remember the years of abuse we have suffered from other talk show hosts.  I've blogged many times about Oprah and even Dr. Phil who is kind of half and half on the subject (one of his nephews had the surgery).  I've blogged about People magazine that won't include us in "women half their size" because they say "no surgery, no gimmicks".  I've offered articles about great weight loss stories to many magazines but they don't want weight loss surgery content.  The list is endless.  The stigma is alive and well.

When I read the description of the show I thought it was a trick. It was called The most under performed surgery you should be getting. A Dr. Oz special report on how to lose weight instantly, prevent heart disease, cancer and even reverse diabetes overnight with a surgical procedure. After reading it about ten times and peeling myself off the floor I was jazzed.  Dr. Oz usually has a pro and con professional but this time he only had positive professionals.  The only post-ops were one woman who was four years out and had done well and another who was ten years out that hadn't.  The woman that hadn't done well had three children after surgery and said she gained with each pregnancy.  I'd say that's pretty common under any circumstances.  More power to post-op women after pregnancy who keep the weight off because I'm not sure how well I would have done.

Let's remember that just because he didn't cover other surgeries, cross addiction, and the many other possibilities that it's at least a beginning.  He did cover lifestyle changes and vitamins. Instead of complaining about the show why don't you write Dr. Oz and ask for specific subjects to be covered?  I'm very close to many people in AA and one of my favorite sayings about addicts is "you could ask one of us to a birthday party the wrong way".  That translates to no matter what is said someone will find fault in it.  This surgery basically cures diabetes and we will be paying for years treating the disease instead of stopping it or at least slowing it down.  We all know post-ops that have had various levels of complications but they are in the minority and most of the post-ops I talk to say they would do it all over again.  Having the surgery is a personal choice and I'm tired of being criticized for taking the easy way out.  I'm healthy for the first time in my life and it shouldn't matter how I did it as long as I didn't damage myself.

I can't convince you to like this show, the content, or Dr. Oz but I believe this is one great step for man and one great leap for mankind. (Thanks Neil Armstrong) 


You can view my original blog post here.