Islip is 15 minutes from the hotel if you hit ALL the lights! LOL

JFK is about an hour to hour 1/2 depending on traffic - and taxi costs might be up there....

There is an air-train from JFf to Jamaica, then you can catch the LIRR(Long Island RailRoad) to Central Islip, then your about 4-5 miles away....

There are LOTS of options.....

Yes!

Deb and Tammy still do the group - same schedule - 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month.

I have moved though.  I'm now on Long Island.

We keep in touch!

You have to do whatever it takes.  If you're not willing to work now, how are you going to work the tool later?

You have to commit yourself, make the effort for yourself.  For me it was a 2 year search for someone to just work on me (and I had AWESOME insurance - that EVEYRONE took!)

This is just the beginning.  If you think this is too much work to research, call, ask, and ask again....then when the pre-surgical requirements come (all the tests) and then the pre surgical diet....it only gets harder....this is the EASY part - the START of a journey.   This is just a speedbump.

Thanks for your replies.  I realize now that Dr. Ahmad's office is only concerned with the physicallity of the surgery, not the emotional side of it.  All we talk about is how much protein is in something, how many shakes and what kind we can tolerate, how much weight everyone lost (at this point who cares) and the focus seems to be about all the newbies who may have questions, because afterall we must only be there to sell them on the idea of the surgery.  We wouldn't want to lose them as candidates based on any negative post-op topics that may arise on our journey (sarcasm here).  But the truth is that they are never addressing the emotional parts of who we are that got us to absurd weight number to begin with!!  We are not fixing the problem, only masking it with the plumbing.  But everyone's demons are going to come back to haunt them at some point.  I'm sure there are exceptions, people who make this their lifes work now. But I do not want my life identified as the woman who had gastric bypass surgery.  I want my life to be as "normal" as possible now....I don't want to be a public spokesperson promoting it at every juncture of my life.  Surgery is something I went through to set me in a different direction, but no one is helping us with that "direction" emotionally, just physically about the food.  It was never about the food, it was always about the emotion behind it....the drug of choice, the object to numb and comfort us during all the days of our lives.  I do believe the moderator is too personally involved with patients lives to be objective at meetings which is surely why I am being singled out for this.  But I did connect with others and obviosly now that I have said something, there ARE people out their experiencing this...so I'm not abnormal....there is some comfort in this.  I have to say that I am disappointed in what happened at last months meeting and will address it in future meetings since I have yet to get an apology that I requested.  It was hurtful and others in attendance commented on her response to me after the meeting esp someone who is also having "issues"...TBC...April 26. 

Hi Trish sorry can't send this privately since you are Private.....I live in Ronkonkoma.. I recently joined a group of post ops we meet twice a month once in  nassau and  once in Suffolk..
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/LIPO.Nation

and they have a group on here... not as active but The moderator is on severl times a day. They are uber supportive.
I go to 2 groups my Surgeons and Lipo...  they have meetings, activities etc.

feel free to contact me anytime. I am here.

Tammy