Went to the support group for those who’ve had bariatric surgeries put on by the group that did my preparation and surgery early last February.  I think that’s the fourth time I’ve attended (which means I’m getting there about every three months).  I may be able to get to some of the once a month Saturday during the day sessions (rather than the late evening monthly sessions I’ve been attending).  But, frankly, I probably need to supplement with a closer group (most such support groups are open to anyone who’s had this kind of surgery) if I want to be more regular.  And regular participation in such a group seems to make a real difference in how things work out long-term.  It’s also a chance to give back.

There were more post op (had the surgery) folks than I’ve ever seen (apparently because it’s the beginning of a new year) and still a number of folks scoping out whether or not to have the surgery.  Average weight loss for the post ops was upwards of 100 pounds (and in total over 3,300 pounds lost by all the post ops in the group).  That’s a pretty impressive number.

Things are likely pretty (new) normal for me at this point as far as eating goes — though I know that will continue to evolve slowly.  That’s part of the wisdom of the group.  Presumably my ulcer is gone.  But I have had a couple of ulcer like episodes, and my doctor tells me to take the over the counter version of one of the ulcer medications I was using for a couple of weeks any time this happens and things should stay pretty well controlled.

One thing I have not kept on top of is my labs, which primarily monitor my vitamins.  I’ve been feeling good, and am pretty confident these will be normal (I had a brief period where I realized I had been missing some doses, but have corrected that), but it will be good to know.  Not to mention important.  When our vitamins get out of whack, there can be some pretty bad consequences.  So we will see.