Just seeing if any long term people are still out there. I pop in and read every day and see absolutely no-one who was here when I joined or had my op. Has everyone gone? Does no-one see this as useful for long termers? People seem to pop back if they have a problem or perhaps mark a surgiversary but no-one is there to chat too about long term things. I don't for one give a stuff if you didn't lose 150% of your weight or have regained, lets chat and see if we can help each other or celebrate those who have done well and share their secrets.
Believe me it is a whole different ball game when you get to 2 or 3 or 4 years and I do so wish others were here who were at that stage. if they remain successful they could share, if they have problems we could all pitch in to help. As it is I look elsewhere and feel sad to have to do so does anyone else feel that or am I talking to myself?????
I know that many feel its all about those who are pre-op or in the first year post op and yes thats when you are fearful need support, need to share your victories or bemoan your problems or stalls. However does it all suddenly go away at the 1 year mark which seems to be when most people have beggared off. Do newbies not need to know its not all new that some have walked the path before and felt the same and survived. Have all those that have gone left because they are all in full control, happy and getting on with life? Don't they need anything now from others in the same boat?
Its a mystery to me as I constantly need to know what others are doing, find things out to help me and assess how I'm coping. American sites have helped show me by reading others real long term experiences that the UK knows a fraction of what they do in terms of potential complications just by the fact it has been happening there for so much longer. I read time and time again how long and fairly short term post op people here (and in the US) have problems they present to their GP (mistake they know very little about bariatrics let alone complications) or local hospital with and get sent away. Nowadays with many new surgeons and hospitals undertaking bariatrics the surgeons don't have the length or depth of experience to have seen many of these problems and so don't identify them either. I sometimes worry when I read go back to your team, yes thats fine but our local hospital for example set up bariatrics a year ago and have done 33 ops. to date so yes start there but ask the relevant question i.e how much experience of this do you have as docs are beggars for believing they walk with god on a regular basis and are superior beings. I'm a partner to 9 of them. BUT where there are many long termers posting you can bet one of them will have either experienced it first hand or know something about it enough to say ask some more that's not right. For example how many know what a Petersens hernia is?? No well you should bypassers suffer these, they may be life threatening. How do you recognise magnesium or copper deficiency, its effects can be cruel?? Do you know why we need to take calcium as calcium citrate? More important does your GP and is s/he prescribing it in that form? I doubt it, its not the usual calcium on prescription. Do we don't we need B12 injections how is that monitored? The list is endless.
Is there any body there can we build a long term section for support???
Bariatric surgery can be fantastic I love my bypass it changed my life but it isn't all about the here and now its for life just like that pesky christmas puppy. Come on out and post if only to shut me up
M
