OMG..... My friend.... i could not have said it better myself. I feel exactly where you are coming from and completely agree with everything you said.

I wrote a post like this a while back, some people were supportive of what i had too say... some not so much. And to them i said.... Too Heck with you all.

But you are right, we come here to talk about our experiences with other and they say.... WOW you look great, tell me how/what you did.... you tell them and they then get so offended and or jealous of your success.

Im not here to compete with anyone... just to read, encourage, chat, discuss, and yes Vent sometimes..... but in all that i believe speaking the truth is the most important. But some people can't handle the truth.

You are amazing and still one of my encouragers..

I want to thank both of you (as well as all the "veterans") on this forumfor your encouragement, support and willingess to share your experiences. As a new lap band patient I appreciate having someplace to go where people can relate to some of the things I am going through.

I have never been able to figure out why people will seek advice from someone with more experience on a subject and then ignore the advice.

Just wanted you to know that there are some of us "newbies" who appreciate your time, effort, advice and encouragement!

I completely understand and I've been there MANY times. In fact, I can't tell you how many times I've said to people who get snarky "just because you don't like the truth doesn't make it any less true".

I get incredibly frustrated at the level of ignorance that seems to run rampant here. Either doctors are sending patients through surgery with zero education or people are totally ignoring their doctors. Either way, it's very sad that people will spend months researching a new car or new computer before buying it but won't bother doing an ounce of homework before having a medical device implanted into their body.

I used to post here A LOT. Now, I ignore at least 80% of the posts because I just can't deal with them.

I'm here most mornings while I wake up and drink my protein shake. I come back some evenings after my boyfriend goes to bed (I'm a night owl, he's not). Today I'm here more than usual because it's raining out so I can't do much. Otherwise, I'm way too happy with my real life to waste every moment online.

Keep in touch please!!

I will miss you but totally understand where you are coming from. I have noticed that in the past 6 months a lot of the regulars are missing. I enjoyed them and you. This site has taught me a lot and it is the best place to learn from the masters. There are always the people who challenge everything in life including the band. How far can I stretch it. They never should have gotten the band to begin with.

Be well and please pop in time to time.

Thank you.

Arlene

Hello from a newbie whose closer today to being banded than yesterday....please be sure to come back for newbies such as myself.

For as many "ignorant" people on here, there are an equal or more (i like to think ) number of people who count on people such as yourself to share their story, give their advice, and support. You are an inspiration to me and I dont want to lose the support and advice of "veterans" such as yourself.

So thank you for all you've done in the past and I hope by the time I am banded you are back....and I hope all the other veterans hang around for folks like me!

Thanks everyone. One of the lovely ladies here messaged me on FB about this asking if it was anything in particular. It's not. It's just a general thing. Just same old, same old. I think when I posted this blog last night I was feeling particularly tired of it all, and I apologise for being more dramatic than was probably necessary.

I still won't be reading or responding to posts for a while, because I do believe it's not a bad thing for someone to take a break from this place now and again, just to shed the negativity of it all and enjoy their lives, but I'll still be around, in chat or via PM, because I know I have friends here who I would miss and who would have my back if I needed them to.

So it's not farewell, it's just that I'm going to be quieter around the place.

Hey lellow...gonna miss you but I agree completely with your post. It's very frustrating to see how many folks don't get the band at all and expect the weight to melt off and/or to never be hungry again or crave food that's not good for you, or not sticking to band sized portions yet wonder why they are not successful. Good luck and come back soon.

Hope your healing will happens fast and you return refreshed! I have great respect for people like yourself and mis73.

I feel that I'm in need of repeat lectures so please don't judge some of us harshly, after a lifetime of wrong headed food behavior a single slap to the brain is not enough for me.

I think that some posts by veterans should be made into stickies and can become a reference material.

I don't mind reiterating something to anyone who is really interested in figuring it all out. I am not the quickest to learn either, I'm too stubborn for my own good sometimes. It's not that sort of poster that bothers me, so please don't think that it's at all what I'm saying. It's more those who, for example, insist that they need to be so tight they can't do anything but drink protein shakes because that MUST be how people lose weight with the band, or get angry because the band magically didn't take every shred of hunger away, or are pissed off because they don't understand why they need to get fills because surely it should have worked and made them lose 50lbs straight after surgery that make me cringe. Wanting to learn is one thing, making mistakes and admitting them is another thing, but not knowing anything but pretending like you know everything? Yeah, no, I have no more patience for that. And you know when it's time to take a break when you see those posts and it feels like they're EVERYWHERE, when they're probably not.

I can relate, and feel the same way. It sometimes feels that I am reliving the years when our sons were adolescents, and they refused to consider that someone else may have some wisdom forged from living through the experiences.

I particularly become concerned when there are posts which give medical advice to others, and the poster possess no professional credentials to do so.

Some things will never change. And like you, I ignore most of the posts which ask for medical advice and the responses of those forum members who are unqualified to render them.

I rarely post anything on the main forum any longer for those reasons. Thank you for sharing these most valuable insights with others.