Question:
Has anyone ever heard of a book entitled Shadow on a Tight Rope

Just the other day I was trying to find someone that I could support by being his/her angel. I happened to run across a woman's profile where she was saying that she'd read a book entitled "Shadow on a Tight Rope" that detailed the horror stories of patients who'd had weight loss surgery. She was basically saying that the people in this book were never the same after the surgery and that their lives were negatively impacted (physically and emotionally) afterwards. Well apparently, the contents of this book discouraged her from having her gastric bypass. Though I'm confident and comfortable with my decision to have surgery because I know the risks of remaining obese outweigh the risks of the surgery, still I was just curious if anyone else had ever read or heard of this book?    — Janine H. (posted on January 30, 2001)

January 30, 2001
I hadn't heard or read this book, but I did find it. The sub title reads; "Shadow on a Tight Rope: Writings by Women on Fat Oppressions" by Barb Wieser. Keep in mind the date I found on this book is from 1983, which is EONS in medical technology. I, like you, am alway's interested in the FULL story, even the bad. You can get this book at this link. It is 9.95. http://www.bookbuyer.com/cgi-bin/getTitle.cgi?ISBN=1879960249 But maybe a library would have it or something. There was no book description so I haven't the foggiest idea what's in it.
   — T B.

January 31, 2001
Yes, I own this boook, bought when it first came out in '83. I still have it in storage somewhere. It is a powerful, riveting book, from the "political and emotional awareness of fat-predjudice and fat abuse" perspective. It shares on an intimate level what women go through because of obesity and societal abuse, but also some of the medical caregiver abuses such as giving amphetamines to a young child, and the horrors of the "old" jejuno-ileal bypasses, botched stomach staplings, etc. It is NOT remotely up-to-date with the new technology, but was, and is still, an important book. It should be re-issued with a warning in the intro about how obesity surgery has changed. ---Jesse, 8 days post-op :-) Lap BPD/DS
   — Jesse M.