Hello LA Buddies

It has been forever since I have visited this message board.  I want to say hello to you all and I am so excited to see some old faithfuls still posting.  

For myself this journey has been so exciting.  I have currently lost approximately 234 lbs and I am looking forward to an extended abdominoplasty in December.  I hate that I had to have RNY but grateful medical science has an answer to obesity.

Take care - Clinell 

@ 234 pounds lost!  Congratulations to you.  Much success to you in the next phase of your journey.  Are you possibly going to attend the Dallas OH event next weekend?

 I would love to go to a OH event one day.  I am going to have to make it a priority to go instead of just saying I want to go to one.

Clinell, my buddy!

Great to see (so much less of) YOU! I'm so happy for you and I applaud your dedication and awesome success.

We are planning a reception Oct. 2 in Baton Rouge at Pennington and we have asked your wonderful surgeon to sit on a special panel discussion that night. I hope you can come. I've posted the details on the board, but here's the full deal again in case you don't sign on for a while.

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If you are close enough to Baton Rouge for a special getaway weekend, please consider this special series of events for bariatric patients.

On October 2-3, the Walk from Obesity Weekend will be hosted in Baton Rouge. It's three events focused on bariatric patients and Saturday, you can bring the entire family and have a good time in downtown Baton Rouge near the capitol.

Here's the line-up:

Friday, Oct. 2 -- Reception/Dinner at Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Dinner for patients and their adult guests and program: "Living with Obesity Post-Op: Educating Post-Op Patients"

There will be vendors, samples and professional will be on-hand. The speaker will discuss metabolism after weight loss and a panel made up of two surgeons, a nutritionist, a plastic surgeon and an fitness instructor will field questions from the audience.

There's no charge to attend, but you must RSVP. Send contact information and your name, guest to [email protected] by September 29.

Saturday, Oct. 3 -- Capital Community Health Fair at the Louisiana State Museum

Health screenings start at 8 a.m. and bariatric and other health professionals will be exhibiting and providing information. Plastic surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Kaplan will hold sessions to discuss reconstruction/plastic surgery after weight loss. Samples and vendors will be onhand. A live band will perform. The museum will be open at 9 a.m. and the exhibits and entire museum will be open to participants. There will be no fee to enter the museum.

Saturday, Oct. 3 -- The Walk from Obesity starting at the Louisiana State Museum

A 5K/3 mile walk will start at 9 a.m. The route will go through historic Spanish Town and wind in front of the State Capitol and venture through downtown Baton Rouge. Participants can pre-register at www.WalkfromObesity.com. Go to the site, choose "Join a Walk" and go to the Baton Rouge page. Registration for walkers is $25 and includes a Walk From Obesity t-shirt. Children under 12 register for free. The first 100 children registered will receive a free "Legion of Health" comic book and a music CD.

Here are some related posters/flyers for the events:

• Walk from Obesity General Poster
• Walk from Obesity Youth/Teen Poster
• Capital Community Health Fair

I'm coordinating this event for the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge and the health fair is sponsored by Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. Please email or PM me for more information or any questions I might not have covered.

I hope to see you on October 2.

Onward!
Frances

 I may have to head out to that reception!  Thanks for the information.