Class tonight

The surgical group my surgeon is a part of was one of the pioneering practices in weight loss surgeries. It is all they do. One thing they have come to be really big on is education, both before and after surgery. I was required to attend three different classes about the procedure - pros and cons and what to expect - before one of their doctors would even perform the operation. A follow-up that is held at their center, and which they strongly recommend during the first month or two, is a group class with a licensed clinical social worker. The therapist who works with them had gastric bypass surgery herself almost six years ago and devotes part of her practice to helping those who have also had (or are planning to have) weight loss surgery.

There were five of us there at her class tonight (with our support people in tow). Three of us had the surgery a month or less ago. I very much enjoyed hearing what the therapist had to say about recognizing the things that would be "hazards" to reaching our weight loss goals and learning the best way for us to deal with the hazards. I also enjoyed the various comments made by others in attendance. Know what I gleaned from the whole thing? No one but you can be responsible for your success or failure on this journey, because you, and you alone, determine what your attitude is and what it will be. No matter what anyone else says or does or puts in front of you, the attitude you choose to take will determine what you will or will not do. I was reminded of something I heard someone say in a support group meeting back in November that struck a chord with me enough that I wrote it down.

It may be hard, but I risked my life to do this,

and I'm not going to mess it up.

I'm going to print that on card stock and hang it on my wall. Attitude is everything.