gr8ful1

I agree. I was in consulting and consulting sales for 14 years before I decided I wanted to sleep in my own bed every night and got a new job that allowed me to do so. My drinking habits consist of having a single glass of champagne on New Year's Eve, if I can stay up that late. It sometimes *felt* like I stuck out like a sore thumb when my colleagues and clients were drinking with/after dinner, but I was rarely questioned about it, and I always made my targets and got my compensation just as consistently as anyone else in my organization.

You might want to ask around for other options. The leaders of my doctor's group said it was open to everyone, not just his patients. I think the groups tend to attract a lot of those types of people because they are the ones who have the most questions.

Good point. I said that in jest. In my opinion, food is probably ok as long as it's only because the guest speaker of the night is a bariatric chef, as @jenn1mentioned. Everyone should be responsible enough to either try a sample, take one home, or not take one. I'd have a problem with it if the group is always serving ou d'oeuvres or asks someone to bring "snacks to share" every evening. Yikes!

Welcome, Katie! My program allows alcohol after all procedures, but discourages the consumption of liquid calories in general. So depending on how often you have those business dinners (I used to fly from IAD to SFO every single week), liquid calories may or may not be an issue for you. I don't have personal experience with lap band or gastric balloon, but the feedback I got from my program indicates that almost everyone who gets a lap-band gets it removed, sometimes with permanent damage left behind. Regarding the balloon, not many have had it, but everyone who has had it at my hospital has regained their weight rapidly as soon as it was removed. I haven't heard about any sports or activity-related restrictions as a result of any type of surgery, but you won't be able to gulp water after most surgery types. RNY gastric bypass is considered reversible. My surgeon has successfully reversed it, but has only had one patient (of several thousand) that needed reversal.

May I respond to your question with a question? This question is really for everyone, and I think the answers might add value. When you are having a stall in weight loss, do you have a corresponding stall in losing inches from your waist/hip/whatever measurement? I've seen some people mention stalls lasting 3 weeks, a month, or even more. But did your clothes continue to get looser as the scale stayed pegged on the same number?

I was given the option to attend 2 different groups, both of which meet one evening per month. The first group is run by my surgeon's office, and the 2nd is run by the hospital where I plan on having the surgery. I've attended each group once, and I found that both seemed to consist mostly of post-op patients, though some of the attendees were just a few weeks post-op. One of the groups invites guest speakers, such as plastic surgeons, to address the group from time to time. I'll probably keep attending as long as I don't have any scheduling conflicts. Free water, but they need to offer food!

If you're having a hard time doing it on your own, I would recommend enrolling in a medical weight loss program at a local hospital. This is different than just seeing a dietitian or nutritionist once a month. I'm talking about a much more comprehensive program that requires visits at least weekly. I have done this many times. The weight keeps coming back, and that's why I'm here seeking surgery now. But a very low calorie keto diet is relatively easy to sustain when they give you (well you pay for them, of course) the products to consume, track your progress and health along the way, and basically hold your hand all the way through the program. Bottom line: You can do this!

Please check out this video. I know it's long, but it's an excellent back-to-basics program that *will* help you get back on track.

My surgeon briefly discussed smoking with me. People who smoke after weight loss surgery have an astoundingly high complication and mortality rate as compared to those who quit post-op. It is not the same mortality/morbidity rate that smokers have on average, but a much higher mortality rate specifically because of the combination of surgery + smoking. The risk is not for tobacco use in general, but smoking specifically. He reversed one patient's RNY because the patient couldn't give up smoking. How sad is that? Does "smoking" including smoking of all sorts? I wouldn't want to take the risk, personally.

True.

It was several years ago, but as I recall, he was ok enough to be charged.

That might be pretty close to the truth. One of its users decided to DUID in my neighborhood after smoking it. He plowed into a minivan at over 100 MPH in a 25 MPH zone. Destroyed an entire family.

So I went to the Staple Club support group in Reston last night. It was my first time attending. Nurse Azra Kukic led the discussion. It was a great group of people, with a good mix of pre-op, post-op, and veterans. Lots of open discussion, lots of time for Q&A. No food served, but free water and coffee. LOL. Azra tried to end on time, but there was a lot of informal discussion after 7:30, and there were still some people in the room talking when I finally left around 8:00. I learned a lot. I highly recommend these groups to anyone. They are open to all, including spouses and other "support system"-type folks.

How's it going, Tera? Losing 15 pounds in 3 weeks is tough but possible. I've lost 14 pounds in 2 weeks on "Phase 1" of the South Beach Diet. I've also lost at about the same rate when I was on a medical weight loss program at Fair Oaks Hospital, drinking Opti Fast shakes. If it takes you a bit more than 3 weeks, well, that's why they're not pressuring you with a surgery date yet. They want you to be where you need to be to have the best chance for the best outcome. So do what you can to drop the pounds but don't sweat it if it takes a few more days or weeks than you had hoped for. Just keep the scale moving in right direction and you *will* get there.

I believe the meetings are designed to last around an hour. If I can make it out there, tomorrow will be my first time attending the hospital-sponsored group. From what I heard at the Dr. F group last month, they invite guest speakers to many of the group meetings. No guest speaker last month, which I think left more time for discussion and Q&A. I think that was just what I needed at this early point in my journey. I got to ask a couple of questions and I received immediate answers from several veterans who have "been there, done that." Suzanne and a plastic surgeon who does skin removal are a couple of the speakers that the group hosts have invited to present at future group meetings.

I hope I'll remember my post-surgery talk with him. Last time I had surgery, my wife told me that the doctor talked to us in the recovery room about how the surgery went, and I asked him a couple of questions which he answered. But I have *no* recollection of seeing the doctor after surgery! I understand that this is because of the affects of anesthesia, and it happens to lots of people. Maybe I should tell my wife to take notes or record the post-surgery discussion on her phone. LOL.

Dr. Fitzer's support group meets on April 2nd at 6pm. Reston Hospital Center's "Staple Club" support group meets tomorrow, March 15th, at 6:30pm. Both groups meet once a month, but not always on the same day. Call Dr. F's office and ask them to e-mail you the support group schedule for 2018. Both groups meet in Conference Room A in Pavilion II, 2nd floor (building next door to Dr. F's office). There were probably 25-30 people at the group - more than I expected!

Is 2 nights in the hospital typical for your hospital/doctor? I was thinking that one night was most common. If all goes well for me, I believe I'll be having RNY with the same doctor at same hospital as you.

What do you all think about the support groups? Do you attend one or both? I attended Dr Fitzer's group for the first time last Monday and I thought it was excellent. I guess I'll check out the "Staple Club" this Thursday night.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Roxine! My initial consultation with Dr. Fitzer was last month, so I think my surgery will be near or in August-September.

And what he said. Review the “Itinerary” checklist and call Heather to make sure you are on track for insurance approval and surgery scheduling. Are you having surgery at Reston? I just watched the video from Azra. It answers some questions about Reston.

Take a look at the checklist they gave you. There are a few things you have to do in the 30 days before your surgery date. You have to see the PA, you have to see your primary care doc for a couple of tests and get surgery clearance, you have to talk to the hospital where you are getting your surgery, etc. You are almost there! I’m jealous!

I just saw that he's got 4.5 million subscribers. Wow! Hearing about the divorce was heart-breaking. I hope he's really dealing as well as he seems to be. His "fat guy splash" video is a classic. I remember seeing that one years ago. I saw that he did another after some weight loss. Would love to see more of those as he loses more and more weight.

I stumbled across boogie2988 while looking for WLS information on youtube. His channel is focused on gaming, but he talks a lot about WLS in his "rambling" series of videos. And whoever did this video about Boogie has a gift in inspirational story-telling! This video blew me away.

Thanks for sharing! Would there happen to be a recording of that sermon available online somewhere?