I was pleasantly surprised this past Tuesday when I attended my first weight loss surgery support group. It is a monthly meeting from 6-8 p.m., hosted by the staff of the medical group that I am going to for my gastric bypass surgery. It is required that I attend monthly until my surgery and highly recommended that I attend monthly thereafter as often as possible.

Hubby drove and picked me up (for which I am extremely grateful), so I didn’t have to worry about dealing with driving around trying to park and then walking all over to find the right door to go into. I was reluctant to go for several reasons. I really dislike going out on a weeknight because I’m so exhausted after work. I am in so much pain that the thought of walking from the car to the building to where ever the meeting is (which probably included steps ugh!) is not my idea of fun. And I did have an overall mild sense of apprehension just from not knowing what to expect.

Now that I now where it is, driving myself won’t be a problem and fortunately it is only about 15 minutes from my house. There were at least 8o or more people there at various stages, from contemplating whether or not to have weight loss surgery to those who had it a few years ago.

The agenda for the evening was an overview of preparing for the surgery, some basic tips for eating before and after surgery, and some basic housekeeping topics (like the office move that is coming next month and new office policies), with plenty of time for questions during and after the agenda the covered. All questions were answered either by the director who was leading the meeting and\or other folks in attendance. There was an emphasis on building a rapport and trust with each person over the long haul for years to come. The staff’s commitment to encourage and support each person to succeed was the top priority. Even the surgeon was there that night so folks could ask him questions directly.

The surgeon explained why he uses the part of the stomach that is the “toughest” so that that “pouch” cannot be stretched and how they make absolutely sure every pouch is exactly the same size (they use a balloon to measure it), and many other details that really helped me to feel very confident about his technique. He is also the son of one of the surgeons who is very well known in our area as being one of the best, and his own reputation is also excellent.

As the meeting progressed it was clear that everyone was friendly and helpful. Those who were new shared concerns and questions, and those with experience shared their stories and suggestions. It was odd but refreshing to be in a room with so many folks who shared common experiences and emotions regarding their weight and efforts to lose weight. I can definitely see the benefit of attending the monthly support group.

I wouldn’t want to have to sit for two hours going over the same agenda each time, but I am pretty sure they cover various topics and I think I even remember them mentioning when I first visited the office they sometimes have guest speakers. Next time I will bring some crocheting to do at the meeting. That way I can listen and learn, but if things get slow I will have something to keep me busy.

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Currently Diet Pulpit is rarely updated. Lady Rose is now blogging at Blissful Moon, where she is staying healthy and continuing to have adventures, please stop by and visit.

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