Last night's support group-- What?

Apr 12, 2010

I went to my surgeon's monthly support group meeting last night. I have been looking forward to it. Normally, I get to see the dietician and surgeons and it's a great time to listen to other people and see the similarities in all our experiences.

When I walked in, there was a guy I had never seen before up front and he was going to be the featured presenter. What? I thought it was a regular support group meeting. There was no dietician and no surgeon there. I was really disappointed with that and, honestly, it's not why I go to these meetings.

The presenter was talking about "Building Your Personal Brand" which translates into people make judgements about how you dress/what you wear and that you should put thought into the things you wear. He talked about shopping tips, buying things on sale, buying the best garments you can afford.... blah blah blah. I still don't know that this was really WLS related. Maybe for people who don't want to throw away their fat clothes and buy ones that fit, it might make a difference. I would think anyone who is dropping sizes would WANT to buy clothes in that size even if they come from the Goodwill Store or Ross. More than likely, we aren't going to be wearing that size very long either.

When he finished his presentation, we all looked at each other and did a "now what?" sort of thing. People talked about why they had come to the meeting last night and what they were hoping to share or find out and that sparked a pretty good discussion. We hung out for a while talking about what works, doesn't work and getting in the right mindset for this process to really work. Overall, the 2nd half of the meeting -- even without a facilitator, was really good.

It helps me see the people who are investigating surgery or have just had surgery. It reminds me of where I started from. I also remind myself how easy it is to get complacent and go back to that place. It's a humbling experience when I go to these meetings. I feel great that I have lost a bunch of weight but I remember that the #1 issue that all WLS patients face in years 3+ post op is weight regain. I have struggled with that after I started anti-depressants and then again after my motorcycle accident. It's great to be down 44 lbs from the high after my accident. I still have a ways to go to chip away at the weight I gained from the anti-depressants.

For me, I'm a work in progress. It's a lifelong journey and there will be victories and defeats along the way. I just keep plugging along and try to learn from the things that create setbacks for me-- what was I feeling? what did I do? what was I thinking during that time? Eventually, I will figure out the mental/emotional side of this journey. I can't expect to change how I think after a couple years when I ate and thought a certain way for 30+ years.

Although the first 1/2 of the meeting was sort of a bust, the 2nd half was great. Bring on May! I hope I am closer to 200# and my physique is looking even better. I have 2 months until my wedding and I want to look good for my photos!

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