Crofton Support Group Meetings On Hold

Hi All, I went looking for the Crofton Support Group meeting this past Tuesday, only to find that it was not being held. I contacted Rho and this was her reply. "Hi there,,,,,,,Unfortunately or should I say VERY unfortunately, our Crofton meeting have been canceled, the wonderful person ( Cathy who had volunteered her time for over two years and allowed us to have the meeting at the office where she worked had to call it quits due to personal matters, so in essence our meetings no longer exits I have been tiring to figure something else out , if I do I will post it, OH and could you me a favor and post this on the message board at OBHelp, Thank you and take care Rho "

Hi There, I saw the e-mail from Cathy, I thought that the support group meeting was called off for a few months, not dissolved!?? Did she send out another post that cancelled the whole group? I don't get to check in here every day, so maybe I missed a post. And I wanted to tell the Crofton Group that I have a surgery date!!! July 6th, two days after Independence Day...fitting isn't it?! I hope we can get this group back together and meeting regularly! Thanks, Sue T

I have been looking for a support group meeting in crofton. I am getting ready to have my surgery July 10th and wanted to find a meeting closer to my house. I have heard of one in crofton. Was this the one at the Family medical practice in crofton on defense highway? I would love to help in anyway to find a place that we could start these meetings back up. Maybe the library or something. Please let me know how I can help and if anyone is interested in starting this meeting back up Kelly Wheeler

Hi Kelly, Yes, these were the meetings in the family medical practice. I'm very new to this group and haven't had RNY surgery yet. I'm hoping one of the Post-Ops will respond to this e-mail so we can be sure the group is dissolved and not just "on vacation". Maybe I'll start a new post to see if they'll respond?? Anyhow, July 10th for you?!?! Wow, you're really close too. How are you doing with the preparations? and who is doing your surgery? Sue

Hi Sue, Yeah hopefully we can find out about this support group and take it from there. I really want to go to one before I have my surgery as well as after. Yes I was really surprised how fast my surgery date got scheduled. I found out may 24th that I was approved and called the surgeons secretary that day and thats the first date she scheduled. My surgeon is Dr. Magnuson. I see your's is Dr Schweitzer. I asked for him the first time and he was booked for a while for consultations and I got in with Dr magnuson sooner so I really like him. I am getting prepared by going over all my nutritional stuff and making sure i have all my vitamins proir to my surgery and just enjoying everyday till my surgery. And trying to quit smoking. Thats my biggest hurdle so far. So how are you doing with preperations? Well maybe we will bump into each other during our hospital stay or at a meeting. Have a great week Kelly

Hi Kelly, I am looking for a PCP and in this search I called the family practice where we meet in Crofton to see if they take my insurance. I asked about Cathy and the meeting and they said she was just taking a break for a few months. So that's good news and bad. "Yeah!", it will pick back up but "boo", not in time for yours and my surgeries! I've heard some really good things about Dr Magnuson, good for you! I've gone to a few support group meetings at John Hopkins Bayview (JHB) but the group in Crofton is much more intimate and sharing. Have you been to any?! and what was your take? I think the JHB groups are relatively new so maybe it will just take some time. I too am trying to get all the supplements and vitamins lined up for after surgery. I still haven't figured out a schedule for all these pills. You're not suppose to mix this with that, take this two hours after that, etc. My brain is swimming!!! I have started a work out routine that is going ok. I over did it and couldn't straighten out my arms yesterday. They have loosened up some today. My body just doesn't perform nor bounce back like it did 5 - 10 yrs ago!!! I'm trying to figure out how to tell my 7 yo son about the surgery w/o scaring him. And I'm also trying to line up some help for my husband - housework, kids, dog, etc. This surgery seems to be coming with lightning speed. I'm speed reading through all the info about RNY that I've collected and trying to absorb it all. I've tried to curb my eating and do mostly proteins and simple carbs but that isn't going well. I'll have to have the help of this surgery to kick off this eating lifestyle. I'm doing it some but not religiously. That's about all my preparation so far. I hope yours is going well and you're comfortable with what's about to happen. Good luck with the smoking. I've had some close friends that have kicked that habit but it was very difficult at times. You can do it!! Good luck and I'm sure we'll bump into each other some time. E-mail more if you like. Take care, Sue

Hi Sue- My head is swimming also. I am glad to hear about those meetings. Maybe I will make it to a meeting at JHB before. Do you know when those meetings are held? If not I guess I can call them. Yeah the vitamins confuse me but I emailed Ashli the nutritionist the other day and she informed me or should i say comforted me that they will come in and go over this stuff with you while your in the hospital so it made it a little better. I dont have any children so I have nothing to give to my husband as far as help except our three dogs. My mom is going to stay with me at the hospital so that my husband can take care of our dogs and work some of that week so he can take off when i come home to take care of me. My dogs are very attached to me so that is going to be hard. I am a nanny to two wonderful children who I have been watching for almost 2 years and they are 5 and 2 and the 2 year old wont understand anything but the 5 year old knows I am having surgery but doesnt know what it is or anything. The parents are wonderful and have been very supportive so I know they will explain to him cause I wouldnt know what to say. The smoking thing is difficult but i am slowing down to eventually be done with it by saturday cause i was told a month before at least. So we will see. Well take care and talk to you soon Kelly