Support Groups-Starting the process

Hi everyone! I am in the process of collecting data for my insurance company and working on getting approval. I am still researching to see if WLS is right for me.  I am wanting to attend a support group meeting in the Eastside area of Seattle fromBothell to Bellevue or Bothell to Seattle. Does anyone know of any in that area?  If I have to go further North or South I will be willing to do so.  I am excited that this may be an option. I have already been informed of what my insurance will and won't cover and  the documentation I need to submit. I am hoping that I will receive it all soon from previous medical offices and I can get it submitted....and then wait for the insurance company.  I will get fully excited if they approve it but not get my hopes up in case they don't. However, I am still looking for information and would like to talk to people who have had it done.  I have a surgeon and all of my appointments scheduled to be completed this next week. I do not have family support (mom, dad, siblings) so I am on my own as a single parent. My son however who is 12 is excited as I lose the weight we can do so many things together. He is making a list on a calendar of the things he would like for us to do together for about a year out. This alone is support enough, although, I would like to find a support group as well since I don't think I will be as successful with only my son and myself.  Thinking positive thoughts all the way around! ~~Miss Kasey~~

Welcome Miss Kasey!! Congrats for taking the steps to become a healthy you and get your life back......  Sorry you don't have family support.... but bless your son heart....what a sweetheart! I'm in West  Seattle (Alki) and I was banded in Everett at NWWLS.....and I attend their support group as well as belong to there yahoo support group online.  I'm not sure if you can attend their support groups after banding if you are not a client of theirs?  But you could look into that..... I know they do welcome those that are still in the "research" stage....   Good luck..... keep us posted!! 

No family support is okay...I am handling things so far fine on my own with those closest to me. Can you believe the 2 people I have told want to go to support group meetings with me to see from an outside view from others what they can or shouldn't do to support me? My friend and I went to the first support group meeting last night through Evergreen Hospital. I am looking at a new surgeon. What a fantastic group!  The doctors nurses run the support group and have had the surgery themselves. Not only that but the surgeon came in and spent an hour answering questions from the group but mainly mine since I was one of the few  pre-op patients and everyone kept looking at me to go ahead and ask. I felt very put on the spot but very at ease with the doctor and the group. I was able to get all my questions answered, I scheduled an appointment with his office a week ago. When I go in I will have all of my pre-op requirements done and insurance requirements as well. We will see what he has to say. He looked me in the eye when he answered questions. What a difference to the few I have met.

I met with the surgeon I was going to go through on Friday and decided that I needed to find a different one. There was no eye contact, the nurse kept saying the she had to get "this patient" ( I was standing right there) in to see the Doctor and I was early for my appointment. I was being rushed, not all my questions were answered, I was given information that was not necessarily my business or my concern regarding the contract with the doctors office and my insurance company.  I felt very frustrated when I left.  I was at a point of tears yesterday when I finally reached someone who I was told could give me some answers and I still didn't get them.  I felt I had hit a brickwall. The support group last night let me walk around my brickwall feeling and move forward. 90% of my questions were answered and again by the surgeon himself! I am so thankful that someone in this group suggested it. I have renewed strength, patience and peace with my decision again. I was starting to doubt.  This decision pushes me back another 4 weeks but for my comfort and peace of mind it is worth it.  I would go to NWWLS but my insurance does not cover the surgeons there. I have heard only good things. It is sad that insurance right now has to dictate who I see. I appreciate the support and words of encouragement! ~Kasey~

Hi There, I was banded at Evergreen Surgical Clinic in Kirkland (Evergreen Hospital).  They have a Lap Band Support Group on the 4th Monday of the month, 6-8 p.m.  Here is the link if you are interested.  http://www.evergreenhealthcare.org/services/bariatrics/suppo rt/support_groups.htm Good Luck With Everything!!!

I appreciate the information on Evergreen Surgical Clinic. I live in Bothell so it is much closer than where I was thinking about having my surgery done. I have gone through and talked to the nurse and found out their processes. They do most of the work I have already done! After finding out all the information from them, it is more information than the surgical center I am going through now has given me.  After talking with the Billing department, the class coordinator to find out about the classes that need to be taken, I am amazed at how much information my current surgeon and staff have not given me.  I researched their surgeons and I have an appointment with them in August. I am going to push things out a month or two more but I think in the long run it will be for the best my comfort is what matters. Not to mention they are closer to home, they make the process seem so much easier than the group I have been working with. They take my insurance. They made me feel more at home with the first phone call than my surgeons office has. Thanks so much for the recommendation! Because I have already gone through the nutrition assessment, psychological evaluation and alot of the presurgery requirements, it will make my next steps very easy.  They have requested that I bring in all my documentation and they will handle the insurance company and getting the approval. I know that I could be denied but I am wondering why the drastic differences in how someone's case is handled. Is this the norm? or the exception? ~Kasey~

I want to say a HUGE Thank you to you! I went to the support group! What a fantastic group of people! After  hitting a brick wall last week with my surgeon and feeling as though I couldn't do much more. I went to the support group meeting last night at Evergreen. The people there were fantastic! I got to meet the surgeon. In 2 hours of talking on the phone with one of the bariatric nurses, and meeting the other in person and meeting with the surgeon I was set! I made the change. I have an appointment with Dr. Clinch. Yes it will push me back another 4 weeks but I am okay with that. My comfort is what is most important.  You can bet I will be attending this support group regularly!  I have a renewed strength of moving forward. Again Thanks so much!! ~Kasey~

I am sorry you don't have support from your family,but your son sounds grea!!  Aren't our kids wonderful??? My brother and sis in law go to a support group at Vitalady's.  Look up vitalady.com.  Tons of info. Good luck  diane

I wanted to share one more group that I found.  I looked up support groups on the Vitalady website..great place to go...and I emailed a gal given for the Edmonds area.  There are two support meetings at Stevens Hospital.  Here is some of the information I got back:

"...The specifics on our group (Stevens WLS support group)is that we are an open group to any surgery, any surgeon, pre or post op,and also for a surgical support person.We are not for any one specific surgery. Our "base"or core members (those that come almost every month) are mostly gastric bypass patients, but we do have a few lap banders that do drop in. Dr. Peter Billings's lap banders used to meet exclusively with our group,but felt that they needed their own group because they were on a "different" type of journey. We mostly have specific topics, like emotions, eating,relationships, etc. We also have guest speakers every now and again. Next month we are having a nutritionist be a guest speaker and she is AWESOME! It is true that lapbanders and gastric bypass patients do travel different journeys, but we try to keep our subjects and topics not specific to any one type of surgery.

Our group meets the 2nd Thursday of every month from 7-9pm. The lap band specific group meets the 4th Thursday of every month from 7-9pm. We meet in the same place, the 2nd floor of the hosptial in the meeting rooms adjacent to the cafeteria..."

I host  a support group meeting in Auburn, our next meeting will be tuesday  August 14th. at 6:30 pm . We will be doing a taste testing! Come join us! Merrilou

I was banded 6/18 by Dr. Chebli at Northwest Hospital.  There is a support group that meets there on the first Wednesday of each month from 6-8PM.  It is for all types of WLS.  It is very educational to hear and learn from everyones experiences.  I attended one before I was banded and it was very helpful.  It too is not restrictive about attendants.   Carlotta