January 19, 2016
With helps from the Red Deer Bariatric Specialty Clinic, Bob More has lost more than 200lbs.
Story by: Heather Kipling
When there’s a dramatic change in a person’s life, it’s nice to have someone there for support. Whether they provide a listening ear or can offer sage advice from shared experiences, that support can make a world of difference.
Such support is helping past and present patients at the Red Deer Bariatric Specialty Clinic. They are gaining valuable education, self-confidence and a sense of community through a new peer support group offered by the clinic and Volunteer Resources at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC).
“We all have different personal journeys that we take, but we experience a lot of the same struggles and encounter a lot of the same stigmas from society along the way, so we can relate to each other,” says Bob More, who began his own life-changing journey with the clinic two years ago. “Through the support group we can open up about our experiences, discuss problems and share stories and not be afraid of any judgment.”
And that is the goal, says Chelsey Stang, provisional psychologist with the Bariatric Specialty Clinic.
“The group is open to all past and present patients of the Bariatric Specialty Clinic, as well as anyone who has undergone bariatric surgery,” Stang says. “The goal is to offer patients an environment where they can connect and share with others who have had similar experiences, as well as to provide encouragement and motivation to one another.”
For several months, Stang, who often works with clinic patients one-on-one, has been helping to get the peer support group up and running.
“We have an amazing group of participants,” she says.
It’s not the first time a support group for patients has been offered, as one was first offered in 2009. Initially led by health professionals, the needs of the group shifted when the clinic expanded and began to offer group education sessions that relate specifically to bariatric surgery.
With the education aspects available elsewhere, participants wanted to share personal experiences, exchange coping strategies and develop a sense of community. So the Bariatric Specialty Clinic partnered with Volunteer Resources to begin offering a peer support group early last year for past and present patients of any AHS bariatric clinic.
“This partnership has allowed the group to become a place where patients can come together and share their knowledge and experiences, as well as support one another in a safe, peer-led environment,” says Volunteer Resources co-ordinator Erin Poissant. “Members of the group who are passionate about the program have stepped forward to become volunteer facilitators who co-lead the program and are trained in how to facilitate group discussions.
“They also have a wealth of knowledge both from their own experiences, as well as information and resources provided by the bariatric clinic team.”
Stang says shared experiences are key.
“In a peer support group, individuals are able to benefit from the experiences of others, and find comfort in the fact that they are not alone in managing their obesity,” she says. “With the help of Volunteer Resources, we have been able to create a social network of people, whose main goal is to support one another.”
Gathering during the evening on the third Wednesday of every month in the hospital auditorium hospital, the peer support group brings together a mix of participants, some of whom have undergone bariatric surgery only recently, while others experienced it many years ago. There are those who have opted for the clinic’s non-surgical stream of treatment, and others who are just beginning their weight loss journeys and are still exploring their options.
Each meeting includes education topics chosen by group members, but the focus is on participants supporting one another through the struggles that they face.
“You can gain a lot of valuable insight and encouragement from talking with people who have been down the same road as you,” says More, who struggled extra weight his whole life. After previously losing 170 lb. only to gain it all back, he is now almost a year post-gastric bypass surgery and down over 200 lb. since being referred to the clinic.
He credits his success and renewed self-image to the support from clinic staff, and is now sharing his story through the support group.
“I didn’t have a support group when I lost all the weight before and that was hard. Now with all this support I have I know I can keep the weight off,” he says. “I feel great. I can do so much more than I could before. I’m even hoping to play ball this year.
“The peer support group has been very beneficial and I plan on continuing to go.”
