Have you found Support Groups Helpful?

[wwboy 141]

Hi I'm scheduled to have vsg in December and the facility I'm using is about a 3hr drive from my house. They have occasional support groups (1x/mo) and as it turns out one is taking place on the same day as I'll be driving up for a dietician appointment.

My question is - do you think these would be worth my time?

It's scheduled at the end of the day and will make my return home very late - after 11pm. I'm just trying to weigh if it will be worth sticking around in town for several hours to wait for...

I like the idea of support and in person people who have been on this path - but I'm not from the area and so I'm confused as to how useful it will be.

Any experience with these groups? What have you found? What's your advice on this for me?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TealSister 296]

I would definitely go if you are going to be there anyway. It would be nice to check it out pre-op to know if it's a good group to attend post-op. Support groups can be a key to success.

My hospital is only 1 hour away, but it's still a long drive at the end of the day. I've only been to one support group - the guest speaker cancelled last minute so it was an open forum. It was great to bounce ideas off each other and learn what has worked/not worked for them.

Just my two cents

[ShrinkingPeach 1,291]

I have attended live support group since 2 months before my surgery. We meet once a month. I enjoy the face to face interaction with those who are pre-op and post. We even have a handful of folks who come to every meeting who are years out.

I have slowly gotten to know some of these folks and am making friends within the group. It is nice to have someone who knows exactly what you are experiencing to talk to. My husband even goes with me and sometimes speaks to support-spouses to offer insight.

I would say to go to at least one and see what you get out of it. Then you can decide if you wish to continue. Good luck!

[IncredibleShrinkingMan 437]

I would say they are more interesting than helpful...we all read so much about this here and elsewhere that all that really happens is regurgitation (not literally lol). At the last one I attended, a fight broke out because one guy accused another guy of lack of willpower while trying to explain the difference in their results and at another, it was just amusing to hear people ask when they can have various foods again (jelly donuts, mac and cheese, bacon cheeseburgers, disco fries, etc...) while the rest of the room rolls their eyes in the "why the f*ck did you get surgery if you want to keep eating that sh*t" grimace.

[TealSister 296]

Piping in again. One major bonus with going to your own facility's support group is that you are all doing the same thing. On sites like this, there are so many variations of what's right and wrong. Meeting with people who are all on the same plan makes things so much easier and less tempting to stray because of others who do things differently and don't have adverse consequences.