Just starting

I am starting a new group because I have heard wonderful things about the Umass/Memorial Group and the docs. Have anyone gone through this program and if yes, how did you like it? Is there a weightloss requirement before you can even get a date for surgery? I was going through the Fallon Group but to even get an appt. to meet with the surgeon you had to loose 10% of your weight and keep it off until the surgery. If I could do that then I wouldn't need surgery..... I lost 20 pounds but like usual I couldn't do it anymore and gained it back, I had to loose a total of 35 pounds. They kept saying if I can't keep away from the food now then what am I going to do after the surgery. But what they don't get is I can eat the food now and not get sick but when I have to surgery I will get sick if I eat it so then I will stay away from it. I know it will be hard but with support from family and friends and especially everyone on this board. :bow Thanks Amy

Hi Amy - I had my surgery at UMass last March. I think it's a good, solid, very thorough program, but it is kind of long as they want you to be as prepared as possible for life after the surgery. It took me 9 months to go from the first orientation meeting to my surgery date, and I think that timeframe is still consistent. Waiting between appts for various things can be very frustrating, but once I got through that last appt time just flew and before I knew it my surgery was over and I was back to work! In retrospect, I am certain that the 9 months was worth every moment as the time made me sure I wanted the surgery, and that I had the skills to eat right and do what I needed to do after the surgery to stay healthy. What's important is that you feel comfortable with the program. You have to go to two orientation meetings at UMass before you get your first official appointment, so go to those and see how you feel about the program and the surgeons and the people who run the programs. It's really important to feel comfortable with the program you choose. UMass does require you to lose some weight before the surgery, but when I went through they were more concerned that your weight was on a downward trend rather than forcing you to lose a set percentage or number of pounds. I lost only 6 pounds from the beginning of the program until my surgery date. Friends I met through the program lost as many as 50lbs before the surgery. I'd say the more you can lose beforehand the better off you'll be afterwards. Please also understand that not everyone gets sick (or gets "dumping", as it's called) from eating "bad" foods after surgery. A fair percentage of postops never dump at all. I can eat many unhealthy foods with no problem at all. So relying on the surgery to cure you of poor eating habits is not going to work. It really is important to learn before the surgery how to eat properly after the surgery. The cravings for junk food will not be cured by the surgery, either. I have battled "head hunger" as it's called, off and on since about 5 months after my surgery. I also still crave chocolate and other unhealthy foods from time to time, and I have had to learn to not eat them in order to lose weight. This surgery is NOT a magic bullet. It is a LOT of hard work. You will have to monitor everything you eat and make sure you get in enough protein and water every day, and you will have to take vitamins and other supplements every day for the rest of your life to stay healthy. I wish you well with your decision about whether to have the surgery, and in choosing the program that is right for you. Good luck! Mary Ellen

Thank you for responding but I do want to say that I understand that not everyone "dumps" and that surgery is not a magic pill, what I meant is that it is a tool that is going to help me stay away from the junk where as before I didn't have it.

Hi Amy, I had surgery in May 2004 at UMASS with Dr Kelly. Although I do believe things have changed somewhat since then, this was what I was required to do. First 2 group evening meetings a month apart with general info given from patients, Drs., nurses, and Nutritionists and Psychiatrists. Q and A always followed. Sign in was required. After 2 were attended you called for an appt with Psychiatrist. At that point you were weighed and had to loose 5 lbs and keep it off prior to surgery. Then you had to join a presurgical support group which met for 6 consecutive weeks I believe once a week for 2 hours. Intense work was done on physical emotional and familial cause for eating and obesity, Each week a written assignment was given, collected and evaluated. Failure to complete an assignment put your forward movement in question. Individual nutritional counseling with written requirements every visit followed. Then another appt with the psychiatrist and then a preop nutrition group. Finally you could call to schedule surgery.... It took me over a year to complete the program. I do not feel the post surgical support in groups is as effective as the preop. I attended 2 different post op support meetings and found them to be depressing and lacking focus or purpose. I have lost 155 pounds attend a gym and workout 2-5 days per week and, I might add, I am 61 years old! Good luck and if I can be of any further assistance be in touch. Su Ellia