Tonight I'm attending a support group for Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) patients at Ephrata hospital.
I had gastric bypass surgery at the end of 2009, and have lost 106 pounds. The WLS was a great tool, but food and weight are still a big issue for me.
When I signed up for the surgery I was required to attend a pre-surgery support group. This group consisted of people in various stages of "the process", and it helped prepare me for what was going to happen and what to expect. Following WLS I should have started attending a support group. But I didn't really feel I needed it, and driving to Hershey (where I'd had my surgery) just wasn't convenient. For the most part I have done ok, with the exception of maintaining a consistent exercise regime.
I have never been much of an exerciser. I enjoy being outside, swimming and biking, but always on a casual basis. To suddenly have to focus on it so completely isn't much fun. It was easier leading up to and immediately following surgery when I knew it was "required". Plus, I could see fairly immediate results then. Now, I have to work twice as hard to burn half as many calories and that mystifies me.
So, I have decided maybe I do need this group after all. While I do not relish the thought of spilling my guts, aka being vulnerable, to a group of people I haven't met before, it's comforting to know that we all have a shared experience. I probably should have gone long ago, but now is better than later.
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