new to knoxville

hello post op 12-23-04. moved here this month from sacramento Ca. need local support groups and a doctor for my follow ups! anyone who has suggestions please do! i am very lonely right now and my hair too is falling out i clumps so i uped my protien intake. would love to meet some WLS peers! thanks

Hello there Christa, Welcome to Tennessee !!! I am pre-op and I see a Dr. Ray out of Maryville. He is very close to Knoxville. He and his staff are wonderful. I love the fact that they all just feel like common folk. In case you want it , his office number is... (931)865-984-3413 Also Christa, I know that there are some doctors in Knoxville that do the surgery as well. Below is the link for the page that you can search for a doc by state on here. Good luck and best wishes to you and yours, ~~~Sharon http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/selectdocsbystatetype.php

thanks so much! i will call in the morning! i need follow up care! if you live close maybe we can talk and i will tell you all i have been through and am still going through! take care!

Christa, I live in Crossville...I am about 60 miles from Dr. Ray's office. I would love to talk with ya sometime about what you've been through with this surgery thus far. I have all my paperwork turned in to Dr. Ray's office and they are getting everything together to present it to the insurance company. I am a nervous wreck doing all this waiting...but it is something we must all go through... have a good one, Sharon

Hi Christa and welcome to the best board on the East side of the states. You will meet some many wonderful friends on this board. They freely offer their love, friendship, and prayers to help you in any way. Dr. Ray and Dr. Colquitt out of Maryville (a subburb of Knoxville) are very nice dr.'s, Angie *****cently posted knows when the support group in Maryville starts. She can help you with that subject or you can call the Dr.'s office and they can help you with any information you need. Try horse shampoo and conditioner found in the shampoo isle of the department stores. It helps hair grow faster, stronger, and longer. It has a lot of nutriants and protein for the hair. May God guide you on your new journey in TN. Kathy

i never thought to use a different shampoo and conditioner! thanks! i will by some this weekend. i have been using pantene for brunettes cuz i dye my hair dark now. i need to up-date my photo! its weird to see me then..i dont remeber it, i focus on the weight i want to loose more now..weird how i went from fat obbsession to skin and hair obsession! thanks for the doc referral! i am in north knoxville, fountain city area. i need someone close..i will call Dr. Ray tomorrow! christa

Hi Christa, I saw your post. There are a fair number of us who had surgery with Dr. Stephen Boyce here in Knoxville. His office (Parkwest Comprehensive Weight Loss Center, parkwestcwlc.com) is located in west Knoxville. However, he has support groups that meet in various places. The one I attend meets in Fountain City at the Fountain City United Methodist Church. It is located directly across the street from Fountain City Park. This group meets at 7 pm on the 3rd Thursday of each month and is led by Mrs. Sandra Hatcher. Sandra had her surgery about 2 years ago and has lost over 200 pounds. Please feel free to come to our support group. We have a lot of fun and it is always very encouraging and uplifting. See ya! Doug RNY: 10/13/03 Start: 345 Now: 200

Hi Christa! Welcome to Knoxville. I am also a patient of Dr. Boyce and found he is a very good doctor. (had my surgery 02/22/05). He also has a support group that meets in Oak Ridge (about 20-25 minutes for you) they meet at Methodist Medical center on the second Saturday of the month at 10AM. This was a better option for me as I work on Thursday evenings. Just thought I would give you another alternative. E-mail me if you want to talk. Dr. Boyce office # is 694-9676 and his office is in West Knoxville. Meryl