Support Group & Free Lectures

You are WELCOME at CRMC Lifestyles Management Program.

Losing significant weight brings many changes in your life - some you expect, others you may not. After your surgery, you're encouraged to attend an CRMC Lifestyles Management Program Support Groups. You'll find they're an important source of information, encouragement, and support.

Support groups are an excellent opportunity to get together with others who had surgery in our program and with the professionals in our program. The groups are run by a professional group leader. Support groups will routinely have useful short talks on a number of subjects. CRMC Lifestyles Management Program surgeon, registered dieticians, nurses, and a myriad of other guests will present useful talks on subjects that will interest you. If the group identifies a subject they want to have presented, the CRMC Lifestyles Management Program will try to arrange an appropriate talk.

But the most important aspects of support groups is REAL advice from patients who have either gone through it or are going through it, whatever is on your mind. You'll hear about what others are experiencing as they enter their new lives. And, by sharing your feelings and experiences with people who can personally relate to them, you'll gain new insights...and new friends. These groups often deal with:

• Emotional changes - learn how to overcome issues in a welcoming environment.
• Nutritional advice - You can get formal advice and practical tips. Trade recipes with other patients.
• Vitamin and protein supplementation strategies, from professionals in our program and practical tips from other patients.
• Exercise challenges - other patients share secrets of success. Get advice on how to overcome plateaus. How to exercise when your mobility is limited and your joints ache to transitioning to activity levels you may have never dreamed of.
• Body changes such as
  • Body concepts- how will you feel as you start to look thinner?
  • Excess skin - your group leader can provide you with a detailed informational guide, and CRMC Lifestyles Management Program Reconstructive Surgeons periodically attend groups to give presentations on this subject.
  • Relationship changes - learn from others who've been there.

Support groups are a safe place to share and where you will find a welcome listener. Our main mission is to provide an opportunity for you as a CRMC Lifestyles Management Program patient to connect with other patients in a positive, supportive atmosphere, with educational information sessions to aid your progress, while sharing individual successes and challenges. You'll find people at varying stages, both pre-op and post-op, coming together to provide support and encouragement and building new friendships. CRMC Lifestyles Management Program Support Group meetings are specifically for CRMC Lifestyles Management Program patients, their supportive friends and family, or those considering weight loss surgery in our program.

For those considering weight loss surgery in our program:

We ask that you attend at least one of our support groups before your surgery and attend as many as you can before surgery. We also encourage patients to talk at length one on one with another patient, and it would be ideal for your family members and friends to speak to our former patients and their families. This perpective is invaluable.

Free Informational Lectures

Dr. Fermelia and Dr. Parnell offer free monthly informational lectures on Weight Loss Surgery in Cheyenne. On the first Tuesday of the month we discuss Gastric Bypass Roux-en-Y AND the Lap-Band.

The surgeons will travel and give other rotating lectures late in the month.  The surgeons will be giving lectures in various Wyoming and Colorado locations. Please look for advertising in the local newspaper or call the Weight Loss Surgery office for additional information.

You, your friends and family are encouraged to attend the lectures. You may want to attend more than one.

Please register with the Rocky Mountain Weight Loss Surgery Bariatric Office (Constance Schmidt or Leigh Christy) before the lecture, so they can give you more information and a registration packet.

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