Has anyone else seen this article? I'm furious.

Thanks. I should have guessed that, I suppose.

I'm not angry, either. It's her experience, not mine, so while interesting, doesn't really change my experience at all. I'm very fortunate that I'm surrounded by supportive people, some of whom are supportive because I took time to educate them. Anyone that thinks less of me? Not my problem.

It's kind of like the way I feel about my scars and saggy skin - anyone looking closely enough to have an opinion had best be either my doctor or my husband - and they both think I'm amazing. (And I don't correct them...)

I'm not angry at her b/c I think it's sad that she underwent major surgery thinking that everything in her life would magically correct itself but I'm angry that the article is bad publicity for WLS.  For anyone contemplating it, they are going to think that they don't have to work it or do anything and the weight will just fall off (and we all now that it's an extremely low percentage of people that are blessed to have it work that easy!) so they are being set up to fail.  Also, so many Centers don't give their patients a proper plan or support to succeed so hearing that they don't have to try hard and the weight will fall off is very dangerous for people who don't research for themselves.

The worst part is that it perpetuates the myth that WLS is the "easy way out"....the thin people out there already think we lack the willpower and resolve to just put down the fork....this article makes it look like WLS is an easy fix and takes no commitment on our part.

That's what irritated me, too. I have zero problem with anyone offering their personal experiences. But the way the article/excerpt was framed was really problematic.

To the person who asked earlier, I looked up her book online and she had the duodenal switch surgery. That is the surgery where you malabsorb 80% of the fat you eat, and 30-50% of the complex carbs, and like 50% of the protein eaten for LIFE. You can eat a lot more with that surgery than you can with others and get away with it and still lose weight. That is probably why it was easier for her to lose weight without changing her eating habits. Unfortunately, though, she will probably end up regaining some weight later down the road if she doesn't go to therapy. There are PLENTY of DS posts I've found from researching the forum of people gaining back 50-75 lbs. after surgery, so even the DS surgery is NOT fool proof. She needs to get the mental health taken care of so she can live in her own skin, be happy, and learn how to eat healthy. I am sad that she had a fantasy of her thin life being so great. I had surgery to be healthier and be there for my kids and to fix my diabetes. I had no illusions that I would be suddenly thin and much happier and have less problems in daily life.  It seems like she did. I have the same problems in life that any other person does now, I'm just not diabetic anymore and am a normal BMI. 

Happiness is not in a surgery, or a bottle of makeup , hairdo  or a dress or anything else. We find happiness within us, around us.She should be looking for counseling. She is looking for happiness in the sales of her book. She will find that money will not make her happy. I will not help her get yet another false hope that will not make her happy  Most of us have had some type of counseling to sort out and through our enter self to our true feelings It seams to me she got weight loss mixed up with being happy. I am having weight loss surgery to be health . She's still looking for stuff to fell the emptiness in her soul. I hope she will get the counseling she needs. I will not buy her book to feed her emptiness. She did get us to talking about something we all feel very strongly about.

I'm furious because of the face this puts to WLS. I am not 100% out of the closet. My biggest support system knows I've had the surgery and are super impressed with me and the results.

However, America still has a perception issue with WLS and having someone basically get a huge amount of publicity because of their unrealistic expectations and lack of mental follow-through is what infuriates me.

Not all overweight people are unhappy. I've had to deal with so much mentally also and so has my husband. He's been great. I mean who knew after losing 95lbs you'd need so much mental reassurance and stuff?

I mean it's like I didn't know I was fat so how do I know I'm thin now. The message that is saying it's about being healthy and happy and not a number is correct. She just had an awful way of stating it.

 

YES  i read this and was really upset too. I felt like she was using wls as her excuse for not finding herself. Also ...ask her if she had a choice if shed go back and change it eithe be her old self with her issues or thin with issues.... I doubt she would go back to her old heavier self!!! She has just forgotten what is like to be her old self. Yes its hard, but in my opinion..being over weight was the toughest thing i have ever been through. So either be larger..unhealthy with your emotioal self issues or be healthier, lighter with your emotinal self issues. Plus its each persons responsibility to utilize things around them such as counciling..support groups..whatever to help them with the process.

 

 

I think you guys are over-reacting. She wrote a book about her own experiences and now she's out pushing her book as writers do. I don't know if it's a well-written book or not (it doesnt' sound like anything I would relate to so I haven't bought it) but I know people who bought it and loved it because it spoke to their personal WLS experience.

I do think what she went through is typical of a certain segment and, from what I can tell, she did eventually change and grow so she's not running around saying "WLS SUCKS!" but just that you don't solve all your problems in life by losing weight -- which is hard to argue with even if it seems kind of obvious to me.