Do you go to a Support Group?

 

I'm still looking for the actual percentage rate, but did you know that patients that consistently go to support group have a higher rate of loss and success than those that just have WLS and go on with their lives?  And it makes sense, really...  Going to a support group gives the patient a chance to talk with somebody who's had to deal with head hunger, protein issues, food getting stuck, and people that just don't get it.  It gives the new post-op a chance to see folks that are a few years down the line and are still maintaining their loss, which can be such a HUGE encouragement.  It gives the long-timers a chance to remember why they went through with the surgery, and maybe to hold themselves accountable. (You know how I am about accountability!!)  And it gives the pre-ops a chance to talk about their fears and helps them understand what they're about to go through. 

As you may have guessed, I'm going through the training with Obesity Help to become a support group leader.  My surgeon's office does a meeting twice a month, every third Tuesday and first Saturday, and they haven't had a leader for the bypass group for a long time.  At our last meeting the nurse that runs the support groups mentioned that they were looking for new leaders, so OF COURSE I said yes.  I'm a big believer that education before, during, and after WLS is the biggest key to success.  Not just for the patient, either, but for the entire support system.  My husband nailed it on the head when he came to my first support group meeting, he realized that it wasn't just me that was having surgery, it was our whole family. 

Yesterday was my first tele-training session, and it got me so excited about doing this.  I'll have access to so much information about all varieties of WLS, a subscription to OH Magazine specifically for support group leaders, 10 issues of the standard OH Magazine that I can take to group and give away, a vendor sample program...and sooooo much more.  The thing I'm most excited about, though, is all the educational information.  I'm going to make a binder that I can keep with me, since I talk to so many people about WLS already.  (Few things make me more angry than somebody that just assumes that WLS is a fatpass.  Grrrr.)

My next tele-training session is today, and we'll be covering nutrition.  YAY!  I've not been as...um...vigilant about my nutrition as I should be lately, and I do feel it at times.  I printed out a 37 page packet that we'll be going over, and it's CHOCK full of information, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. 

Soooooooo.....today's plan.

9:00  head to the gym for weights, elliptical, and Zumba.  I haven't worked out for two weeks, my ass NEEDS it.

Back home by noon.  Do some housework & try to get caught up on laundry.

1:00  Tele-training

After that....blech...more laundry.


Don't forget to take your vitamins today!!!  (I've been forgetting to take mine...)