Does your center have support groups?

[learn2cook 486]

I’m curious about other WLS centers. My center has an online support group that meets while I’m working or on my way home. I’ve gone to it during school holidays but found they talked about breaking stalls or simple facts. I try to bring up meatier topics like feelings about food changes or non-scale victories and it’s crickets. Just wondering…Thanks

[liveaboard15 1,292]

My Bariatric center has a monthly support group via zoom and they have a Facebook group too. I dont participate in them. Only 1 session was required as part of the pre op stuff. The one i attended on zoom was like 75 people in it... The nutritionist the one who host the zoom meeting.

[FutureSylph 377]

Our center has a monthly online support group, and I've attended it every month since this process started (nine months ago). It's hosted by one of the dietitians, and she's great about making sure every question is answered. Attendance is typically about a dozen participants, sometimes two dozen. Since we're a smallish group, we have the luxury of wandering off topic if anyone has something else to discuss. Plus, our host regularly asks us to submit topic ideas that are relevant to us personally. It's not as intimate as meeting face-to-face, but it's about as good as an online group can be, IMO. I actually look forward to it every month.

If your support group is unsatisfying, maybe a phone call to the host is in order. If the problem is that the group is too large/structured to offer any real support, perhaps you could offer to host a second (smaller) group. They can't fix it if they don't know there's anything wrong, you know?

[catwoman7 10,845]

my center has them but I'm a few years out so most of the topics aren't of interest anymore - although occasionally there is one. So when there is - yes, I login and listen if I can. Unjury also has online support groups on Tuesday nights for pre-ops and under one year post-ops - and on Wednesday nights for people who are at least a year out. (although anyone is welcome to go to either). A lot of the Wednesday night ones aren't of particular interest, either, but if I know ahead of time what the topic is and if it's interesting, then I'll tune in.

[kcuster83 1,502]

Mine has a FB group and a support group that is currently a zoom meeting but that only switched during COVID so who knows if it will go back to an in person group. I am on the FB group but don't ever engage. I have not joined the ZOOM meeting yet and not sure I will.

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 800]

Mine has a virutal support group that meets once a month. I had to attend one recently, that's my centers pre op requirement. There was probably 60 people in attendance, and one person from the center "moderated" it and there was one of my centers patients who had a successful sleeve surgery that told her story. There was a few minutes at the end of the meeting that they allowed questions. There were a lot of questions asked, but only a few got answered, due to the time limit of one hour. So it was pretty much pointless. Everything that was said, I've already learned about on BP.

[kcuster83 1,502]

1 minute ago, WhispersOfAngel said:

Mine has a virutal support group that meets once a month. I had to attend one recently, that's my centers pre op requirement. There was probably 60 people in attendance, and one person from the center "moderated" it and there was one of my centers patients who had a successful sleeve surgery that told her story. There was a few minutes at the end of the meeting that they allowed questions. There were a lot of questions asked, but only a few got answered, due to the time limit of one hour. So it was pretty much pointless. Everything that was said, I've already learned about on BP.

That doesn't sound like much of a support group, more like a informative class. Weird and I agree, probably pointless.

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 800]

2 minutes ago, kcuster83 said:

That doesn't sound like much of a support group, more like a informative class. Weird and I agree, probably pointless.

Yeah it wasn't what I was expecting.