Who is Your Support Group Inspiration?
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nickdemarco
Posts: 61 Member
Feel free to post a piece about someone in your group (you can keep them anonymous if you wish) who was (or is) an inspiration to the members of the group. How they helped you in your journey? Was it something they said? Questions they answered? Or was it just the fact that they kept showing up, session after session, with a smile and a story?
Let them be our inspiration, too!
Let them be our inspiration, too!
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Replies
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It was June, 2011 - 5 months before my surgery. I'd met my surgeon, and she encouraged me to attend the program's monthly support group meeting. So my wife and I headed out one Monday evening 2 years ago to see what the group was about. On the ride there, she asked me how I felt about the probability of actually going through with the surgery. I told her that I was "probably" going to do it, and "we'll see".
At the meeting, we met several folks who had gone through the process, and were at different stages of recovery. They were all interesting and inspiring, and were helpful in their support. But they were almost all women, and I'm a guy, so it was a bit harder to relate to their accounts of life before and after surgery.
But one other guy was there. Leon had the gastric bypass surgery 3 years before. A tall black man, maybe a tad overweight still, but obviously in decent shape, Leon explained that he was a teacher in an inner-city school. He told tales of his lifetime struggle with food and obesity, and how the surgery changed his life. He realistically recounted his continuing reluctance to exercise like he knew he should, but said he was renewing his efforts. He was REAL.
And then he passed around his "before" picture. I saw a picture of a man about my size, or larger. (MY "before" picture is associated with my profile if you want to look at it.) This man was a completely different, and much happier, human being.
Wow. On our way home, I told my wife that I was "all in" for the sleeve surgery. Over a hundred pounds later (lighter?) I'm so very glad we met Leon that night. And that's one significant reason I keep showing up every month to our meeting.0 -
By the way, here's a picture from late last year, to compare with my "before" picture. Leon, this one's for you...0
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Our facilitators, Monica and Dana, do a great job, and really care about the group, and about each of us individually. We're constantly getting emails from them reminding about the upcoming meeting, or passing on a web link, or presenting a seminar that might be of interest. Monica's an RN who is passionate about health issues, and compassionately advises about complex issues that are not "black and white" to solve. Dana is an RN, but is also a veteran of bariatric surgery herself, and brings real-life experience (and the inherent frustrations that go along with it) to the group. Dana is an additional inspiration because of her Triathalon adventures.
Hopefully, you all have leaders in your group to inspire you. I know we do!
Nick0