Elizabeth, are you feeling better??

Awww, Pam - I just so want you - and all of our wonderful friends here - to continue doing well and experience the best health. I just want the best for us. You have a great day, my friend. M.

I believe we disagree and I for one do not see a need to continue with this conversation.
Take care

Hi Pam - maybe this is the best way to answer your question - of course I am happy that I had the surgery. But I hold the medical professionals in the WLS industry ACCOUNTABLE for our continued success, well being, health, and education - as they learn more (and they are learning every day about how this surgery is affecting us - their guinea pigs - in our bodies and in our lives), it is a moral imperative that they be committed to keep us informed and educated. Surgeons like Dr. Aranow, who carve and release without so much as a backwards glance toward individualized personal follow-up care, are doing the entire WLS industry a great diservice. He doesn't need to be my daddy, my friend, my shrink, my anything - other than the single most knowledgeable person I can and should be able to go to if something goes wrong - and he is not available that way. Our regular doctors, our PCP's are generally pretty clueless about the physiological consequences of WLS. My doctor says I've taught HIM a tremendous lot so that he feels much more informed and capable to research and to treat people who have come after me having the surgery. I'm happy about that. But it shows how little the general medical world really knows about what this surgery does to our bodies! Negative??? NO!! Dealing with reality?? YES. But look at Nic, and Connie, and YOU, and so many of us and the PHYSICAL problems we're having. You keep saying it's because of the laxatives you took but I don't think so, Pam. I've researched your problem and I can find absolutely NO CONNECTION between laxative use and the extreme hypoglycemic episodes you've described - but TONS of connection between these episodes and post-WLS! Surgeons are not Gods. I feel pretty passionate about this right now, so sorry if I'm coming across stronger than I should or need to - have you noticed Connie has been absent from the board for a very long time? I'm betting it's because she's really dealing with some medical **** That's my guess. Time to get real about this surgery - be grateful for the weight loss, sure... but there are things happening to our systems because of the surgery that are potentially very serious. And that doesn't even take into consideration the fact that MOST PEOPLE have gained most or all of their weight back by 5 years post surgery!!! Attention must be paid. Here's a post I made a week ago in response to a post on the Revision Board - it was applauded, virtually speaking: 

"If I had one wish for the entire WLS community, especially for people considering weight loss surgery, it would be that every single surgeon and associated caregiver would utter these words as their opening remarks:  "YOU WILL FEEL HUNGER AGAIN. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO EAT REGULAR FOODS IN WHATEVER QUANTITIES YOU ASK OF YOUR POUCH. YOUR POUCH WILL STRETCH TO THE EXTENT YOU ASK IT OVER TIME. TO SUSTAIN YOUR WEIGHT LOSS WILL REQUIRE HURCULEAN EFFORTS ON YOUR PART. FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMMIT TO A DAILY REGIMEN OF VIGOROUS EXERCISE AND HEALTHY EATING CHOICES IN MODEST PORTIONS AT NO MORE THAN THREE MEALS A DAY.  IF YOU CAN DO THIS, YOU MAY STAND A CHANCE TO KEEP MOST OF YOUR WEIGHT OFF FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. THE SURGERY IS A TOOL, IT IS A JUMP START TO HELP YOU LOSE THE WEIGHT. IT IS IN NO WAY A MAGIC WAND THAT WILL GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL BE FOREVER NORMAL SIZED. THAT IS ENTIRELY UP TO YOU AND YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK AS HARD AS YOU HAVE AT ANYTHING YOU'VE EVER WANTED IN YOUR LIFE BEFORE TO ACHIEVE IT.  GOOD LUCK."  Look, you are 10 lbs. from your goal weight. That is an incredible accomplishment. Eat healthy foods that taste good. Stay away from crap food. Move your butt, hard, every day. Do these things and you'll be fine. Get out of your head and you'll get out of your own way - redirect this energy toward giving yourself away to other people or causes who need help. Make a difference in your community and in your world. This is the true secret to successful weight loss, staying healthy and fit. Sorry you're not hearing what you want to hear. But this is the truth. Let us know how you're doing, ok? Best, Maureen"

That was my post to the Revision board. Pam, I just don't want any of us, myself included, to waste a minute of our lives blaming ourselves for anything - ill health, weight regain, failed ANYTHING. There are many REASONS for much of what is happening. Not all, but much of it.  When my beautiful horse, Laela, is behaving badly I always start from the physical in trying to figure out what's wrong - and I'm always right. She's never 'behaving badly' out of choice, there's always a (physical) reason. I need to accord myself that same respect. There are reasons I do what I do. I need to love myself that much to stop, listen to my body, and try to help it. Our surgeons need to do likewise for their patients. Maureen

ok....2 bites of a peanutbutter cookie and a half of cup of fat free Lactaid milk.  Threw up, got tired, went to sleep....for like half an hour.  I'm thinking the natural sugar in the milk (?) and the sugar in the cookie pushed me over the edge. 

My worst enemy now is stress.  My mother was in the hospital for a week...all the kids coming in....work....holidays.  I feel like every ounce of life was zapped from me.  I'm going to the doctor's tomorrow....if I can drag myself there.

Take care...
Joanie