Taking a stand.

I never assumed for one minute that you drank alcohol..never crossed my mind.  I enjoy your posts, and I know that your suffering is very real.  I hate to see people giving you a bad time also, so please don't think I'm one of them.  My intent was only to determine if this person's problems were caused by alcohol.  I have hpoglycemia myself, and I also had trouble sleeping after surgery.  I finally had to get some Lunesta from my Dr.

 Okay.

The way you worded it -- it came across as "you need help."

I would run for help if I picked up the bottle now.  Believe me, I'd pass out in three sips.

No problem.  I read Tanya's post and thought "she needs some help if she has turned to alcohol", and then I read your post where you said she had neurological damage from the RNY.  My question I guess was simply could it be the alcohol causing the neuro damage to her.  Honest...swear...it had nothing to do with you.  I think what's written somehow just comes across differently sometimes.

Hey Guys...read her blog...it explains everything. I was confused too. Now I understand. It was a horrible vitamin deficiency and she is warning others to take care. I am sorry Tanya!    Connie

Why would Beth know exactly what was the cause of my disability.  I was using wine to show case the cross addiction that can happen when we dont get the mental help that we may need. 

To clarify though it wasnt wine that made me this way.  It was vitamin defeciencies.  Numerous vitamin defeciencies.  Ones that still creep up now even with all my supplementing.  I think I am now on number 4.  With not a drop of wine in sight.

I will admit that when my problems started it was all my fault.  I WAS NOT SUPPLEMENTING.


ETA:  I wanted to clarify to all others reading this that I do not believe that these posts ( at least by me) should "scare" you away from having WLS.  I think many of us who had/have complications put it out there so that you can be informed.  So you know what to look for.  For me I want you, even years out feelin good, to take supplementing seriously.  I would never want anyone NOT to have WLS cause it may happen to them.  I have someone in my family that could desperatly use WLS.  They wont do it cause of me.  I have told them repeatedly that thier post op life doesnt have to have a bad ending.  Now there are others who have no control over what happens but things like mine can be controlled.

I agree completely. I'm glad that you are posting the information that you are. People need to go into this with their eyes wide open to both the good and the bad that can come from WLS. There are potential physical and psychological complications or bumps in the road (from tiny annoyances to life threatening), and we all hope that we don't encounter them, but that's no reason to not learn what they are and how to recognize them. Thank you for making such an effort, and for not backing down when it upsets people.

I agree that it is ESSENTIAL that people keep talking about some of the possible realites of life after WLS. I know there are many people who just want to make it seem like all weight lose surgery can do for you life is fill it with rainbows and happiness. And for many of us, including myself, that is not always true.

And if you can scare a newbie away by providing honest information, then they need to be scared away...they are just not ready...

I so wish I had been scared away. But, what is done and so I deal with it the best I can.

Anne

For me, information is support.

I am hypoglycemic. I was before surgery and my doctors were not hesitant to discuss the possibility of reactive hypoglycemia with me as a strong possible complication for me. Since I've always used diet to control it and have always focused predominantly on protein, my docs feel I will still do well. This was after the initial informational meeting in which RH was brought up as a complication in general. I watch for symptoms, thanks to you and your information.

I had two years of psychiatric counseling before surgery and I'm emotionally healthy (I have a doctor's note!), but I can be stubborn and not deal well with false authority (Lord, I hated my surgeons' psychologist). I am also very aware that my emotional and mental health could change, just like my vitamin reserves. 

Do I feel knowledgeable about my surgery and my future with it? Yes and no. I feel I have a good grasp on what I need to do here and now and that there's always more to learn about future complications, issues and strategies for maintenance.

Thanks to you and Andrea and Vita-Lady and others willing to talk about the good, the great, the bad and the ugly.

**edited to finish post as precious cat wanted to submit early**

I am a sexual abuse survivor, not an expert, but someone who has looked a horrible childhood in the eyes and overcome the worst of it.  There are four triggers that can cause someone to remember their abuse after years of repressing memories.

1)  Breaking an addiction
2)  Moving to a new geographical area (or getting safe)
3)  Death of an abuser
4)  Having a child *****aches the age you were when the abuse began

Many of us are not only obese, we are addicted to food.  The surgery forces you to break that addiction.  So, it stands to reason that folks who have never dealt with abuse issues, but have them, will find themselves facing that pain.

The fantastic news is that going through the pain to a place of healing brings incredible satisfaction and freedom.  So, even though it might be scary to have to recover from that kind of pain, it is possible to recover. 

They say that 75% of women who've reached morbid obesity were abused.

This is amazing.