Hi fellow banders

My Dr has a support group that meets once a month($20). I have been to 2 of these meetings, the first at 2 weeks after banding and the second just last week(7 months out). Both were rather unorganized and I left with the feeling I get more and better support here at LBT.

Im wondering what other support groups are like. Does your Dr have one? Do you have to pay? What is talked about? Do they have hand outs? recipes? Do you get a support buddy/sponsor (like AA)? Who runs the group? What makes your support group good? What's working for you?

Thanks in advance!!

hi my Dr support group is 80 miles away and like you I found it unhelpful

so contacted some local lap banders and we meet to share information,recipes, and if anyone needs an exercise buddy we help out,

see if you can find likewise in your area.

hope this helps :thumbup:

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Dr. Voung, who rocks BTW and I wish he did my surgery, is offering a subscripton of DVD's for like 9.95 a month with "handouts" you can print online. It is a DVD of a support meeting he usually hosts. He hosted one at the conference in Dallas and I really enjoyed it.

Due to IKE there is a delay but this may be a solution for you and possibly some lap-buddies in your area.

I have been thinking about hosting groups at my house when the DVDs start coming in that way there is direction and purpose to the meeting, hope this helps.

Hi. My hospital bariatric program has a bariatric support group on the first Monday of each month. It is for RNY and lapband patients combined. The bariatric nurse coordinator schedules the meeting and chairs it and has guest speakers. Different patients get up and share informally their scale or non-scale victories. We open it up for questions for pre-surgery candidates. They actually require all pre-surgery candidates to get a certificate that they attended at least one support group meeting. Some of our topics have included:

Dealing with the Holidays

Vacation planning

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Overeaters Anonymous

New Years Resolutions

Relationships and Sex Therapy

food as a Nutrition Tool

Self Esteem

Ask the Expert

Patient Panel - open Q&A forum

Patient Style Show at a local mall - its a big event in April

I'm actually helping plan a January scrapbooking our weight loss journey meeting so that those of us who are taking pictures along the way can put them into a book or organize them and Celebrate our journey.

I'd be interested in what topics other groups have had so I can pass along suggestions for the 2009 meetings for us.

We also have a separate Bariatric Nutrition Support Group meeting separate from what I described above. Its only for post-op patients and you can come and get help on any areas you are struggling with,get ideas on food planning, etc.

Finally, a group of us that met on Lapbandtalk decided to meet in person at a local food court at a mall (a public place so its non-threatening to anyone the first time to come and check us out). It is a combined group of four different hospital/bariatric centers in our town of patients pre-op and post op and we usually have anywhere from 5-10 people a month. We sit and have coffee/drinks or whatever from 2-4 pm on the 2nd Saturday of the month and its been a great way to diversify and see what different programs are like. Now, I have to tell you, my hospital's bariatric coordinator isn't thrilled with the idea because I'm finding it is a competitive thing to get patients for cost reasons, but for those of us who want support, its been fabulous. We have even started swapping clothes with each other and giving help and advice/our experiences only, no medical advice, to self-pays who went out of town but live her locally.

I mark the spot where we meet with a Helium Balloon so new folks can find us in the food court. It works like a charm. The mall staff has never bothered us because we are sitting there eating or drinking some of their food but many of us bring our own Water bottles and things along.

Hi!

My doctor's group has several support group meetings. The hospital I went to has meetings 3 times a month. The support group meetings are with a nurse, dietician and once a month they include a doctor from the group. The meetings for St. Francis (where I went) are free.

The other hospital in our area has support group meetings at least 2 times a month. They are $5.

I have been to the St. Francis ones and find them very helpful. Two of the meetings are for pre and post ops. The doctors in the group require that the pre-ops attend some of these meetings. I have found the groups to be a mixture of pre and post ops. Sometimes there are topics and sometimes not. Sometimes there are handouts and sometimes not. I have found other people there and exchanged numbers. These folks are like the AA sponsers, you can call them when you need them or not. I have to admit that I really enjoy the meetings and have gone to quite a few. I am not normally a "support group" type person. I find these meetings informative and always remind me why I did this in the first place.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for all the responses. There are some really good support groups out there.

I like the idea of starting a local group and there has been a little action on the local board here at LBT to get together.

Again thanks for taking the time to answer.