Hi Vets,

I checked with Alex and he gave me the go-ahead to collect information that would go into a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Section that is easy to find on the Website (actually he asked if I could help coordinate it when I asked if we could do it)! That may help alleviate some of the concerns I've seen lately about re-answering questions over and over and give a resource to those that need it. I believe it would be easier than searching the forum because it is hard to figure out an exact topic to search at times and as a newbie, searching may not be the first thought of how to find information.

The vets have been answering (or at least viewing) the questions over and over so I am posting this in the vets section because I feel you are the experts for this but am eager to also hear from people that are not vets as well.

So three things I am asking for to collect the information for Alex to post:

a) Topics for FAQs (see beginner list below)

Information to put into the FAQs

c) Helpful hints on how best to provide the information and set it up (any web experts out there that can help advise?) Do we need to separate out for sections for each type of procedure or is the information universal for all procedures? How best to collect the topics and information to go into the topics? (I know SharePoint would be good but I don't think we have that with this site.)

I'm sure you long timers have a list of what should be there, but here is few to start:

- Hormone changes after surgery and impact on mood

- Alcohol when if at all?

- What to bring to the hospital for surgery (I saw someone has started a list already so this one may be close to being done for content!)

- Surgery in Mexico

- Pre-Op diet

- Post-op diet

- Maintenance diet

- How often should I weigh and pros and cons of different frequencies

- Stalls and what to do

- Plastic surgery

- Surgery regret

- Challenges pre-op

- Challenges post-op

- Challenges in maintenance

- Insurance approval and what to do if not accepted

- Helpful hints for each stage

- What to drink to keep Water amounts to where they should be each day

- What to eat to get in the Protein

- What not to eat and why

- What to expect day of surgery.

- What exercise works best at each phase?

- Thing I should definitely call my doctor right away about

I know that we have many different inputs from our own doctors and NUTs and would need to preface the FAQs with the information that your doctor's and NUT's advice should be followed over what is posted here, but it is to give folks an idea of what we have been told by outs for our WLS.

Any other ideas are welcome and appreciated!

Thank you!

I like this! While I agree with @@Ashlegal that folks may still feel compelled to post about their specific situation (the reasons she listed are valid and make sense), I think this could both help vets feel less annoyed AND help the newbs.

Topic ideas:

Which surgery should I have?

recipes

Third Week Stall

How much time should I take off work?

How did you take time off? (info about short-term disability, what you have to/don't have to tell)

Since there's so much disagreement about many of these topics, I second the idea of including links to our best old threads about them.

Btw, I work as a writer and editor (first for newspapers, now in marketing) and I'm happy to assist if you'd like my help.

Would love your help! I'm a project manager and can help organize the heck out of most anything but could certainly use the help with writing and editing!!

@@4MRB4PHOTO You are cracking me up! I'm not sure your responses are valid to be put on FAQs but will be respectfully considered!

Word of advice: I think this is a really good idea, but unless the software has it built in that your must do a search or check the FAQ before being allowed to post many people still going to post repetitive questions. It's just how the internet works. We now live in the TL;DR _{^{(Too Long: Didn't Read)}} age.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

@@B-52 --

Agreement from this corner. Your concerns are valid from beginning to end. The impression I have, though, is that the info in the new section will come from recognized, accepted, professional WLS sources/existing literature, not opinions and anecdotal experiences of BP users. It's starting out as a grassroots effort, but I think that's only to determine what material would have value to users.

I'd add "leaks" constipation and TMI, ladies and boobs. And I second the suggestion that the links should be sent with the welcome email.

@@OKCPirate -- If you're relying on FAQ to explain women and breasts, all I can say is "poor, fevered Pirate."

Certainly we can all probably agree the big topics are what goes in. And what comes out... How and when are the variables....(In my opinion)

Lots of opinions.

That is for certain ????????????

@@OKCPirate -- If you're relying on FAQ to explain women and breasts, all I can say is "poor, fevered Pirate."

It was more of a way of stopping more breast threads . I won't claim infallible knowledge, but I'm an eager end user and fan.

It was more of a way of stopping more breast threads . I won't claim infallible knowledge, but I'm an eager end user and fan.

Of course you won't claim infallible knowledge: You're no pope. Alas, lacking infallible knowledge necessarily calls into question your credentials as eager end user and fan in another arena.

(I had so much trouble composing the last sentence. How'd I do?)

My favorite topics:

Will I grow an inch for every 10 pounds I lose?

Did my doctor really perform surgery? I can still eat ...

I've only lost 50 pounds in the last 6 weeks. Why am I losing so SLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWWW!?!?!?!

Did my doctor really perform surgery? I can still eat ...

I never said it to anyone at the time, but I wondered that one. Now look at me. I sneer at the askers behind their backs. It's lovely to be superior and jaded.

Did my doctor really perform surgery? I can still eat ...

I never said it to anyone at the time, but I wondered that one. Now look at me. I sneer at the askers behind their backs. It's lovely to be superior and jaded.

Sneer? Superior? Jaded?

Dramatic much?

In all my time on this forum, FB groups, other WLS discussion boards, etc., I have read ONE story where the author actually had proof of such suspicions. Even she had surgery performed, however, the stomach simply wasn't made as small as it should have been.

Never have I read/heard of someone who went in, went under, and came back with no WLS when advised they had it.

You?

Sneer? Superior? Jaded?

Dramatic much?

In all my time on this forum, FB groups, other WLS discussion boards, etc., I have read ONE story where the author actually had proof of such suspicions. Even she had surgery performed, however, the stomach simply wasn't made as small as it should have been.

Never have I read/heard of someone who went in, went under, and came back with no WLS when advised they had it.

You?

"Dramatic much?" -- good thing you're smiling. Truth is truth, after all, and too much drama is never enough.

"You?" -- not I. But the subject brings up something hideous that went on in NY years ago. I'm uncertain now of the minute details. Here it is in short. A gyn performed abortions for women referred perhaps by a women's health organization and/or a rape crisis center. He'd run pregnancy tests to confirm and then operate. At some point it came out that he'd been operating on women -- invading their bodies and doing who knows what -- who were not pregnant. H must have thought up the fraud scheme for the payments from the referring agencies.

@@OKCPirate -- If you're relying on FAQ to explain women and breasts, all I can say is "poor, fevered Pirate."

It was more of a way of stopping more breast threads . I won't claim infallible knowledge, but I'm an eager end user and fan.

This is a subject that shouldn't be correspondence taught, but should be "hands on" learning.

"Dramatic much?" -- good thing you're smiling. Truth is truth, after all, and too much drama is never enough.

No, your truth is not my truth at all, and yes, over the top drama simply for effect is far too much *in my opinion*. Glad you own it, though.