Kimberly-

I think that this is an AWSOME idea!!!!  I work full-time in Palmer, so, I shoudl be able to attend your 6:00pm meetins.  YA HOO!!!!

-Jamie

I am training with ObesityHelp to become a support group leader and have secured a location to start having meetings.  Check out www.losersbench.info

I am training with ObesityHelp to become a support group leader and have secured a location to start having meetings.  Check out www.losersbench.info

Those of you that know my back story know that I fought for over 5 years to get approved for gastric bypass surgery. I asked everyone that I met who had either had the surgery themselves or worked with patients who had had the surgery about the physician that preformed the surgery. I received glowing positives about one physician in particular, this was Dr. Snyder. So I went to his seminar. I expected a hard sell or even a perfect picture painted of the whole process, I made up my mind that if either happened, I would keep looking. Yes, out came bunches of post ops that were successful, um hum, flowers and sunshine pretty picture being painted...then some unsuccessful post ops came out. Wait, he is admitting this surgery isn't for everyone?! I was thoroughly engaged. Then they started to talk about all of the classes that you had to attend both preop and post op.
They honestly expected to have to teach you how to eat like a healthy person! Wow! They didn't just slice and dice you and send you out the door. Then he talked about fighting the insurance companies to make sure you could stay a full THREE DAYS!!! in the hospital and longer if you need it! Working in health care, I knew how rare that was! Then I actually met him and he was very charismatic (I had already heard this from several people before I saw it for myself) and I hit him with some questions and he smilingly indulged me. I had found my surgeon. I applied with my first insurance and was denied, then I changed at my next open enrollment and did the required six month physician supervised weight loss program (Optifast) and I lost tons of weight and was a size 6 till I ate a salad, was denied, and gained it all back within 2 years. I tried with another insurance and was denied. I tried with my fourth insurance and found they had an exclusion. I got pregnant and got to 330+ pounds.
I tried with my husbands insurance (this was the first insurance that I had tried with that wasn't tied to a hospital or clinic that I was working for, he worked for a publishing firm at the time) and was approved within two weeks. Through all of my denials, Dolly at Dr. Snyder's office and Dr. Snyder himself were very supportive. They continued to write letters and make calls on my behalf. Dr. Snyder was so supportive and informative during my preop visits that my husband decided to have surgery with him also even though he had a BMI of close to 35, Dr. Snyder was able to get him approved due to his out of control diabetes and all of his co-morbidity's.
He promised my husband that he would be medication free after this surgery and he was in 6 months. He mentioned the Full Bar then but said it wasn't the best treatment for my husband as only the surgery could "cure" his diabetes. He gave my husband the pros and cons of the lap band and the RNY and answered all of his questions too. I still get invites to their post op classes (cooking, fitness, and emotional support classes) and on line support groups. I would love to work for Dr. Snyder, that is how much I believe in him and his program and maybe someday, if I end up back in his area, I will. I have seen first hand what happens when these surgeries are done without any follow up care or support, without the proper nutritional education. I have worked with patients who were never told about vitamin supplementation, or even given a clear set of dietary guidelines for post op eating! Seriously. I have worked with people that are never told about the honeymoon phase or that they will have to exercise to maintain their loss! When you have seen this over and over (unfortunately I see it even more here in Alaska), it really makes you appreciate a good physician and a good program, like Dr. Snyder's.
I started seeing commercials for his full bar (yes, they are even showing here in Alaska) and I too was worried that he was moving away from his great surgical program. Then I received the following e-mail. I hope it answers some of your questions and puts aside any concerns.
The e-mail........
http://luvsexytrstno1.blogspot.com/2008/09/dr-snyders-full-b ar.html
We have to remember that this surgery isn't for everyone and even those that are good candidates for it often don't have insurance or financial means to get it.  I think it is nice that Dr. Snyder is trying to offer a nonsurgical alternative.  These bars aren't intended for people that have had weight loss surgery.

Dr Todd in Anchorage does lap bands and bypass surgery. I chose to have bypass surgery done in Edmonds, Wa Dec 22 instead of here in Anchorage.  You can call his office and I think once a week they have a meeting in the medical complex of Alaska Regional.  I've seen Dr Todd in the past and the reason I choose to have my surgery elsewhere is the fact that his office is very diorganized and everytime I go there I miss a half of day of work.  I think he's a good caring Dr but AI can't deal with all of the disorginazation.  So far I've lost 35lbs as of Dec 22.  Only problem post surgery was I had problems with my lungs but that cleared up within a couple of weeks and I was back in Anchorage and back to work in 2 weeks