Question regarding support system

Hi all - I'm new to this message board - trying to participate more.  Would you please share how much professional/organized support and help you’ve had on this journey? I lost like a breeze - got by with eating junk for 2 years and almost 2 years to the date I started to regain.  I have a great surgeon, a wonderful man but his program offers little moral support or guidance.   I read people say they've not had refined sugar since surgery - those are the successful ones.  I wonder, did you do that alone or were you in a program that supported and guided you through the many difficult times of the journey?  There isn't much to offer locally for 'graduate WLSers'.  There are monthly meeting but it is geared toward recent post ops or those trying to decide.  I thought I was doing well and didn’t need outside help - I have friends and family to cheer me on - I braved through the surgery period without  vomiting, was careful so that I would not dump, never lost work because of health issues with the surgery but I'm finding out that maybe I did need professional help/support. So my question is - if you have been successful maintaining your weight loss - did you have profession/organized support?  If you're struggling, as I am, - what kind of support did you have? Thank you, Carol

Carol, Welcome to the board, I think you'll find what you need.  I am not yet to to two year mark but I'm approaching it rapidly & I'm scared to death that I will start to regain!  My surgeon has a comprehensive program but the office is an hour & a half from my house & the meetings begin at 6 pm which means I'd have to drive through rush-hour...not fun in Phoenix, AZ.  So, I found a support group through OH that meets on Saturday mornings.  We have people from all over who had surgery with different doctors with different information.  I listen to everyone, read everything and make my own choices.  Remember, everyone reacts differently to the same things so there are no absolutes...well maybe one or two!  Staying in the support group has been very good for me.  It's easy to think you're "done" but this process is never done.  We must stay vigilant, otherwise we can un-do all of the good. Best of luck, Dj

Thank you for responding, Desert Rat!  I am going  to really  try to take time to stay viligant, as you say, with posting and supporting others as I can - to keep ocus.   Maybe to those newly post-op remind them - or warn them that the day will come with the weight  no longer fall off on it's own - take advantage of the time while it is to learn new eating and coping skills.   I am learning now - after I've regained 15 lbs and it is sticking like glue.  But knowing I do have people that DO UNDERSTAND I think will help be get over this hump (though feels like a mountain) right this minute.

Hey Carol - and welcome! My surgeon's office doesn't have a comprehensive support group system, so the fact that yours does is encouraging for future post-ops, although I'm sorry that it doesn't work for you logistically.  I agree with Desert Rat - if you stick it out here, you will find a LOT of helpful and useful information!  Pick and choose what works for you. Statistics show that those that participate in a structured support group program - whether locally in your area or online - are more successful long-term than those that lose their weight and move on without the structured support.  I believe that a lot of that success stems from being accountable to fellow pre-ops and post-ops, alike.  Acountability makes our choices REAL and forces us to face the good, the bad and the ugly!! It's great that you have a solid family/friends support system - those of us with that on our side are the lucky ones; however, I personally also feel the need to interact with those that know what I've been through and can relate to all the feelings/emotions that go along with weight loss surgery. Best of luck to you!!  Please stay on the boards and participate when you can! Hugs! Kristi

Hi Kristi - thank you!  just what I was looking for - stats - I'm a statictical thinker :  ).  Wonder what the stats are for those of us that get 'on the bus' this late in the game of recovery?  The support group my surgeon has didn't meet my needs, or I didn't feel like it did, maybe I need to give it another try.  I really appreciate and needed the encouragement to stay on the board and participate.  Silly, I know. You are so right, I do need those that KNOW what I've been though.   And being accountable - WOW -  Sounds so simplistic doesn't it?  We do have to work - mentally and emotionally - a lot harder than 'normal people'  to stay at a heathy weight - it is just a fact, just like blind people have to work harder to 'see'.  It is time to buck up and accept that.  I'm preaching to the choir I know - or to myself.  Anyway - thanks.

Hey Carol! As with anything else, I'm a firm believer that it's NEVER too late for anything that steers us towards success!   Hang in there - those 15 regained pounds are very manageable and you can get to your goal by doing what you know - upping the protein, upping the water, upping the exercise, sharing your experience with others (there's that accountability factor!)  and leaning on a few shoulders along the way. That's how we are all going to be successful!! Big hugs for a great day!! Kristi

Carol,  studies show that the most successful postops have long-term participation in support groups.  If your surgeon's group isn't meeting your needs, first I would communicate with them, it's very likely there are other patients in the practice whose needs aren't being met.  Maybe they could set up a seperate regular meeting for those farther out.  If that doesn't work, look elsewhere.  Try your state OH message board.  Some areas have groups that meet formally or informally for fellowship and support.  If there isn't one you could start one!  In my area there are several groups that meet at specified times in a Starbucks or restaurant. Some other surgeon groups welcome patients from other practices. Barring in-person support groups, there is always OH.  Great for those in rural areas or in locations where there isn't a large bariatric population. For me, support has been an integral part of my success.  It keeps me on track and gives me an opportunity to "give back" in honor of those that helped me when I was a newbie. Hope you can get the help you need. Hugs, Connie -147#

I have been maintaining successfully for quite awhile now. I still continue to  go to the  support group 1x per month sponsored by my surgeon's office and I come here to OH for support. I am also going for my first therapy appt tomorrow morning with a psychologist that specializes in eating disorders. I hope that all of these things will help me to continue to be successful in the future.

Thanks all for your replies - they've been VERY helpful and encouraging.   Tracy - I wanted to ask you specifically how you found a therapist for our kind of eating disorders?  I've often thought that would be so helpful.  The problem many professionals think of 'eating disorders' as anorexia or bulemia.  I am going to check on my surgeon's group - I can see that if I want to be successful I will need to pursue it. Thanks