Hello to all!
I was struck by a comment made by bitu8489 regarding Animus' solution for his POIS. I did discuss it briefly with Daveman and Demo, who both gave me permission to write some brief comments about it.
Obviously we are each affected by our beliefs, especially those generated by culture and/or religion. We're possibly not even aware of how deeply held some of these beliefs are.
But this forum -- and the NSF forum -- are meant to be places that serve as a safe haven for everyone sharing their experiences, feelings of isolation, strength, hopes and vulnerabilities. Putting a fellow POIS sufferer on the defensive is the antithesis of the goal of this supportive forum. In my humble opinion, judgemental remarks toward each other must never be made here.
This is not to single out bitu8489 in any way, as there have been other posts that are critical and judgmental of other forum members. But because of the nature of POIS, and the lack of research and a real treatment, some members have had to take extreme measures for relief.
Animus has not only taken an extreme measure, but has had the courage and bravery to go public about it. Most wonderfully -- he has had terrific results!!
I have never read posts by Animus trying to convince anyone to undergo the surgery that he's undergone. He has explained his procedures, spoken candidly of what he went through and how he was helped -- but he has never pushed others to do what he did.
Reading bitu8489's comment from yesterday, "Hi animus ...i somehow feel that you are playing with god's gift that is human body...how many organs you are gonna remove...lets wait for science to find a way instead of removing the organs which maybe important for our existence..." I felt that it was a low blow toward someone (Animus) who has shown extraordinary courage and honesty.
As an aside, there are many medical conditions in which organs or body parts simply must be removed for health reasons or for comfort. A good example is The Three Tenors (from Ireland). Ronan Tynan, one of the more well-known tenors in the group, was born with a condition which caused his lower legs to be underdeveloped, and also caused him pain as he grew. At age 20, he decided to have both legs amputated below the knee. Not only is this removal of body parts not noticeable (he wears prostheses), Ronan also went on to become an orthopedic surgeon! But his main love is and always was singing.
We are all entitled to our opinions, but it is just not kind, not supportive, nor is it helpful to judge someone's decisions -- especially when the person is not trying to foist his decisions onto others.
You men NEED each other! This is absolutely not the place to post comments about "playing with god's gift..." as an example. Personal attacks, judgemental comments -- these are not supportive ways of expressing disagreemnt or disapproval.
I truly don't mean to single any one person out -- it's happened on this forum before, and happens on others also -- so you are not alone with this. For the most part, I think you do a wonderful job of supporting each other through this terrible struggle!
So--if something annoys you about what someone else posts -- please try to take the time to ask yourself before posting, "Will my return comment generate more heat than light?"
Light is what you're seeking here!
