My surgery is better than your surgery... so there!

Ya know, there are times when you just gotta shake your head and walk away from the battle.

The battle, a recurring one, is about the superiority of one type of weight loss surgery over the other. Here's my take on things.

1. The common enemy is obesity. While there is documented evidence that the Duodenal Switch is superior in terms of weight loss and long term weigh maintenance it is definitively not a case of "one shoe fits all".
2. Support boards are not the place to put doubt in peoples minds after they've had surgery. Whatever tool we choose we should be able to support each other. We have to go on the assumption that people made the best choice available to them at the time. We should be applauding their choice to do something. We all know how hard it is to be obese in a thincentric world.
3. Support boards should be a place to help educate people about the WLS options. Not by putting down any given methods but by pointing people to the facts. By talking about our experiences. By encouraging people to research research research. With respect. And then respecting their choices even though it may not mirror our own.
4. If you are passionate about your choice of surgery then by all means invite people to visit your support boards for more information. But do it respectfully. A simple note to say " congrats on your decision to pursue weight loss surgery. Feel free to come visit us on the "x" board when you're researching this option. Good luck" could go a long way in helping people explore all of their options.
5. Don't make it personal. Don't be nasty. There's no point. This sort of behaviour will just back fire.

I am very passionate about my choice of surgery. I believe that for those that are super morbidly obese it really is the only option available. There have been times when I've shaken my head when I see people who are so desperately trying to fight the obesity demons make a choice that doesn't give them the best chance of success. But at the same time I applaud them. For doing something that moves them beyond dieting. And I wish them great success. People have been successful with all surgery types. I always hope they are one of the successful ones.

My point... let's make WLS about educating people on their options. In an unbiased way. Not based on our preferences or experiences but based on facts. Let's help people make their choices educated ones. This journey is emotional enough as it is, let's keep unnecessary emotions, ours, out of it.