Support Group Info

Support Group Info

Announcements

Monday Lunch Break Support Group Meetings
When: Fourth Monday of every month by appointment.
Where: These meetings are held in our office and facilitated by Roberta Pearle Lamb, MPH, RD, LDN. Be sure to call ahead as space is limited. Struggling? Finding it hard to come to evening meetings? Call 617-243-3724 and reserve a spot.

General Information
Time: All meetings begin at 6:30 pm.
Location: All meetings take place in the Allen-Riddle Living Room on the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Campus.
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Directions to Hospital

Directions to Allen-Riddle Building: Turn off of Route 16 at the traffic light leading into the hospital campus. Drive up the driveway with the parking garage on your right. Allen-Riddle is on your left at the top of the hill.

Parking: All parking must be validated by the Hospital staff person at the meeting. All support group attendees may park in the Patient/Visitor Parking Garage located at the Hospital's East Entrance. Please do not use the Emergency Department Parking Garage. Parking located close to the Allen-Riddle building should be reserved for handicapped persons and the severely physically impaired.
Parking is validated for support group meetings only. You are expected to pay for parking at your regularly scheduled appointments.

Handicapped Parking
Handicapped Patients: Those patients who are handicapped, or have severely impaired mobility, may continue to park:

in the Emergency Department Patient/Visitor Garage located at the rear of the hospital (validation still needed) or

in the small number of parking spaces (handicapped and non-handicapped) located in the rear of the Allen Riddle Building.

Due to the limited number of handicapped parking located close to the building, we would encourage those persons whenever possible, to bring someone with them to the meeting who may be able to assist - or drop off that individual in front of the Allen-Riddle Building - in the event that this area is full.

The handicapped entrance to Allen-Riddle is located at the right side of the meeting hall as you face the building. There is a small courtyard and picnic table in this area.

Attendance Requirements
Pre-operative Patients: Prior to performing surgery, we require our patients to attend three support group meetings:

The New Patient Instructional (done before your first appointment)

One community support meeting

One 0-6 month group

This is the minimum number of meetings you need to attend. You can come to more meetings which will provide you with the most information and education available in preparation for your surgery.

Attendance is taken to track compliance. It is your responsibility to make sure your attendance is noted by one of the Newton-Wellesley Hospital's Center for Weight Loss Surgery staff members. If you arrive very late, or leave very early, you will be expected to come to an additional meeting.

Types of Meetings

New Patient Instructional Meetings:

These meetings are designed for pre-consultation patients. The surgeons take turns presenting this program and focus on how gastric bypass surgery is done, why and how it works, complications, results, etc.

We do not perform lap-band surgery.

Meeting time: This group meets the last Thursday of each month. Attendance is required at this group before a patient can come to the office for a consultation. It is your responsibility to have your attendance noted.

Community Support Group Meetings:

This is open to all CWLS pre- and post-surgical patients. The group addresses all aspects the gastric bypass patient faces and includes guest speakers, workshops and patient interviews. A surgeon and nutritionist are usually in attendance.

Attendance is required at least once before surgery and regular attendance before and after surgery is strongly recommended.

Meeting time: This group meets the first Thursday and third Tuesday of each month.

0-6 Month Group:

Open to pre-, new, and post-operative patients who have had surgery within the last six months.

This group is led by a fellow gastric bypass patient who is able to provide unique insight into the challenges (diet, body image, food issues, support, etc.) of this post-operative stage.

Attendance is required at least once before surgery.

Meeting time:This group meets the second Thursday of each month except where noted on the schedule below.

Staff Request: Please limit your questions and discussions with staff persons in the time allocated for the assigned support group. Specific and/or personal questions or concerns should be addressed with staff during normal business hours.

Dates and Details of Upcoming Meetings The dates for each group are listed below chronologically:
April 2013
Date	Type	Topic	Moderators
4/25/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	New Patient Instructional Meeting	Required information session about weight loss surgery	Bariatric Surgeon
May 2013
Date	Type	Topic	Moderators
5/2/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group: Patients 1 year out from surgery	Clean Cooking	Local Chef speaks
5/9/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	0-6 Month Community Support Group	Let's Get Moving	Shipley Medical Fitness Center
5/14/13 Tuesday 6:30 - 8:30pm - Holiday Inn Taunton, MA	Free Information Session Learn More >>	Are You Serious About Weight Loss Surgery?We Are...	Rajan Chahal, MD
5/18/13 Saturday 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Allen Riddle Hall	CWLS Clothing Exchange	Drop off those itmes that don't fit anymore and take away a new wardrobe!
5/21/13 Tuesday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group	Food Feelings: Head Hunger vs. Stomach Hunger	Mary Gorman, RNC
5/30/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	New Patient Instructional Meeting	Required information session about weight loss surgery	Bariatric Surgeon
June 2013
Date	Type	Topic	Moderators
6/6/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group: Patients 1 year out from surgery	TBD	TBD
6/11/13 Tuesday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Special Lecture	Body Contouring After Weight Loss Surgery	Plastic Surgeon, Christopher Davidson, MD
6/13/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	0-6 Month Group	TBD	TBD
6/18/13 Tuesday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group	Getting to Know the New Me. Who Am I If Not My Size?	Mary Gorman, RNC
6/27/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	New Patient Instructional Meeting	Required information session about weight loss surgery	Bariatric Surgeon
July 2013
Date	Type	Topic	Moderators
7/11/13 THURSDAY* 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group: Patients 1 year out from surgery	TBD	TBD
7/16/13 TUESDAY 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group	Managing "Vacation" Mentality	Mary Gorman, RNC
7/18/13 THURSDAY* 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	0-6 Month Group	TBD	TBD
7/25/13 THURSDAY 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	New Patient Instructional Meeting	Required information session about weight loss surgery	Bariatric Surgeon
*Due to the 4th of July holiday, the Community Meeting and subsequent 0-6 Meeting will be held on the second and third Thursdays this month. We will still have the other Community Support Group Meeting on the third Tuesday of this month.
August 2013
Date	Type	Topic	Moderators
8/1/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group: Patients 1 year out from surgery	TBD	TBD
8/8/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	0-6 Month Group	TBD	TBD
8/20/13 Tuesday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group	Four Months Left to 2013? Am I Where I Want to Be?	Mary Gorman, RNC
8/29/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	New Patient Instructional Meeting	Required information session about weight loss surgery	Bariatric Surgeon
September 2013
Date	Type	Topic	Moderators
9/5/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group: Patients 1 year out from surgery	TBD	TBD
9/12/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	0-6 Month Group	TBD	TBD
9/17/13 Tuesday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group	Setting Doable Goals	Mary Gorman, RNC
9/26/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	New Patient Instructional Meeting	Required information session about weight loss surgery	Bariatric Surgeon
October 2013
Date	Type	Topic	Moderators
10/3/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group: Patients 1 year out from surgery	TBD	TBD
10/10/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	0-6 Month Group	TBD	TBD
10/15/13 Tuesday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group	Sugar Cravings, Grazing and Emotional Eating	Mary Gorman, RNC
*10/24/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	New Patient Instructional Meeting	Required information session about weight loss surgery	Bariatric Surgeon
*Due to Halloween on the last Thursday of the month, we moved the New Patient Meeting.
November 2013
Date	Type	Topic	Moderators
11/7/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group: Patients 1 year out from surgery	TBD	TBD
11/14/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	0-6 Month Group	TBD	TBD
11/19/13 Tuesday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group	Holidays Ahead! Anticipatory Planning, Learning from the Past, Managing Expectations	Mary Gorman, RNC
*11/21/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	New Patient Instructional Meeting	Required information session about weight loss surgery	Bariatric Surgeon
*Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, our New Patient Instructional Meeting will be held on the 21st instead of the last Thursday of the month.
December 2013
Date	Type	Topic	Moderators
12/5/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group: Patients 1 year out from surgery	TBD	TBD
12/12/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	0-6 Month Group	TBD	TBD
12/17/13 Tuesday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	Community Support Group	Managing Stress Without Avoiding, Shutting Down or Denying	Mary Gorman, RNC
*12/19/13 Thursday 6:30 pm - Allen Riddle Living Room	New Patient Instructional Meeting	Required information session about weight loss surgery	Bariatric Surgeon
*Due to the holidays and school vacation week, our New Patient Instructional Meeting will be held early.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital is proud to be a smoke-free campus.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital • 2014 Washington St. • Newton, MA 02462 • 617-243-6000

April 2013

May 2013

June 2013

July 2013

August 2013

September 2013

October 2013

November 2013

December 2013