Volunteering at Bariatric Center?

[sraebaer]

After my last crazy support group, I came up with the idea of volunteering at the clinic to talk with patients before and/or after surgery about my experiences over the past 4 years. Before surgery I didn't know a single person who had the surgery, and know I would have loved to have had someone to talk to. Even at the introductory session I would have appreciated a real person who had gone through the procedure to answer some of my questions.

I know my surgeon, nutritionist, psychiatrist know everything about bariatric surgery. But there a few things they have never experienced, like living as an obese person, actually having the surgery, and actually changing their entire lifestyle.

I just retired from a career in special education, and while I know everything about adapting curriculum to each particular child, writing Individualized Education Plans, and working with parents, there are things I have never experienced. I have never been the parent of a child with special needs. I have never been a student who struggled in any way with school. So just because I am an "expert" in my field, I sure don't know everything going on with each particular person I worked with.

My dad had open heart bypass surgery 3 times, about every 8 years. He used to volunteer in the hospital just to talk to patients, to let them know there was life after such a horrific surgery.

Long story short, I mentioned this to my nutritionist who shot me down. My 100 pound 20 something nutritionist. She said in her professional opinion it wouldn't work. She also said I may "shame" people. Why she said that, I have no idea. I am a very positive, compassionate person who knows I can make a difference. Unless she thought I would shame people by having lost all my weight when they didn't?

Would a veteran sleever have helped you early on? Did anyone have someone like that at their surgery center? Am I just nuts?

I guess at least we have each other!

[Dutchie]

I don't think you are nuts at all!
I had exactly the same idea... (for me, that is)
Go for it!
It is also a very good incentive (IMHO), just like being a WW coach.

[Ann2]

sraebaer ... I do something a little like that but not in a one-on-one situation with WLS patients.

After surgery approvals, my surgeon requires patients attend an all-day educational seminar during which one or two folks who've had WLS and wsuccessful long-term at both losing and maintaining are guest speakers during the luncheon portion of the day-long program.

Four years ago, as a pre-op patient, I went to a class like that, and heard two women speak. It was very helpful for me to see how they were doing several years post-op.

Since then, I've been a guest speaker three times at my surgeon's day-long seminar. People ask me all kinds of questions, e.g., about lifestyle, family pressures, maintaining while living stressful lives, what my skin looks like, how fast I lost, how I manage to maintain, what I do for exercise -- the whole gamut.

One thing that comes up again and again that I hear from audience members is that I'm the only person they've ever met who had WLS who hasn't regained back any of their excess weight. Turns out, that's a really big deal for most of them. So I tell them what I do -- what I eat, how I eat, how much I eat, about my (unusual) willingness to still plan and measure and track my food intake nearly 4 years post-op, about my exercise, about how much support my husband has given me, about my commitment to therapy, etc. I explain in detail how committed I am to remaining healthy and slim for the rest of my life. And I also make it clear that my goal doesn't have to be anybody else's desire or goal. Heck, getting rid of diabetes and being "merely" overweight is a HUGE GOAL for some people and would improve their lives 1,000%.

I also make a huge, huge, huge deal about how critical it has been to me that I now put MY needs before the needs of anyone else in my life. Doesn't mean I don't fulfill my obligations or bear my responsibilities. But MY needs get met first. I say when I made this change in my life 4-5 years ago that nobody else really noticed much difference -- meaning that the big switches I turned were in MY head, not anyone else's. Big subject!

I also think that most pre-op WLS patients feel incredibly traumatized and vulnerable. They all have big doubts WLS will work for them, especially if they don't have any successful WLS role models.

So here's the deal, and I'm not sure I've ever said this so bluntly before: I don't think all WLS patients are capable of being successful long-term. I don't think everyone has the internal resources or the external support in their lives to help them do continuously all the work it takes to be successful long-term. Some WLS patients have huge barriers to achieving long-term success, e.g., physical diseases and disabilities, terrible, horrific family situations, poverty, mental illnesses, low mental acuity and poor formal education, and much, much more. It's pretty overwhelming to me, as it is to all of us, when we're out in society seeing so many people who are so physically and emotionally miserable, buried under their obesity.

I don't know if your counseling pre-op and post-op would help your surgeon's patients or not. I think there is a chance you could shame people who are struggling against overwhelming odds to succeed. But between that group of people and the ones who don't have nearly as many challenges is the group where you could help -- those who CAN be helped. Heck, I wouldn't even be on this board after all this time if I didn't think my same old answers to the same old questions were worth the effort it takes to type them.

Not sure this is any help at all.

[AnnieG]

After my last crazy support group, I came up with the idea of volunteering at the clinic to talk with patients before and/or after surgery about my experiences over the past 4 years. Before surgery I didn't know a single person who had the surgery, and know I would have loved to have had someone to talk to. Even at the introductory session I would have appreciated a real person who had gone through the procedure to answer some of my questions.

I know my surgeon, nutritionist, psychiatrist know everything about bariatric surgery. But there a few things they have never experienced, like living as an obese person, actually having the surgery, and actually changing their entire lifestyle.

I just retired from a career in special education, and while I know everything about adapting curriculum to each particular child, writing Individualized Education Plans, and working with parents, there are things I have never experienced. I have never been the parent of a child with special needs. I have never been a student who struggled in any way with school. So just because I am an "expert" in my field, I sure don't know everything going on with each particular person I worked with.

My dad had open heart bypass surgery 3 times, about every 8 years. He used to volunteer in the hospital just to talk to patients, to let them know there was life after such a horrific surgery.

Long story short, I mentioned this to my nutritionist who shot me down. My 100 pound 20 something nutritionist. She said in her professional opinion it wouldn't work. She also said I may "shame" people. Why she said that, I have no idea. I am a very positive, compassionate person who knows I can make a difference. Unless she thought I would shame people by having lost all my weight when they didn't?

Would a veteran sleever have helped you early on? Did anyone have someone like that at their surgery center? Am I just nuts?

I guess at least we have each other!

Well. She's just wrong. We have a monthly group that does just that, and it's been enormously helpful, besides meeting some new people.

She has also asked us (me) to contribute monthly recipe adaptations for our weekly newsletter.

I find you a nice mix of compassionate and pragmatic.

[jerzeygirl]

Actually, at the bariatric surgery center where I work, I developed a program where a post-op patient and her sister, who is her support person and lost 70 pounds on her own; visit the patients every Wednesday afternoon! We round on the patients and share some tips, let them ask questions and actually walk the halls with the patient. We "coach" them with the drinking process if they're up to that stage and it's been very successful We have lots of patients who now want to volunteer but this program is a "pilot' and we'll revisit soon.
We call them the "Bariatric Angels" and even though their title got a little push-back that's what they're known as. Feedback from patients and staff is nothing but favorable!

Our center is very robust and we did over 500 surgeries last year alone!

[jerzeygirl]

Ann, I'm sure you're a bigger inspiration than you ever know, but do agree with your sentiment. We are seeing more and more revisions and they come with their own set of issues. The staff will always ask, "how did that person pass the evaluation." That evaluation is, in most cases, a checklist and not actually a very reliable tool or determining long term success. That comes from the patient and no matter what or how much you offer some people, i.e, information, activities/support groups, will make the difference if the patients' don't continued to work the program. I've heard all kinds of "excuses" and some very valid reasons, but after a while you just want to say, "Just do it."
Oh, if it was just that easy though and I wish I had the answer to give them.

[jerzeygirl]

srabaer, my 25 years as a special education teacher comes in very handy when I'm rounding on patients and trying to teach them about behavior modification which is an powerful tool for positive change. We fix the belly of the patient, but not the "head."

[Jen43]

I would have LOVED to talk to someone in person who had experience what I was about to have. Not just to talk to before but after.

[DHB]

In my humble--and perhaps biased--opinion, some bariatric surgery practices are really about making money from the surgery and are not all that concerned about long term results. They have a nutritionist on staff so they can check the box for insurance. I sat in pre-op classes with people who ate every meal at fast-food drive thrus and actually asked how soon they could drink a McD's milkshake after surgery. Yes, they were approved for surgery.
So all of that's to say I'm not sure some want volunteers involved. They want to control the business of bariatric surgery.Forgive me if I'm projecting, but volunteers are hard to control and may be too honest. Bariatric centers make their money from selling the dream.

[Christie13]

I am definitely of the belief that speaking to someone who has been there, done that can be beneficial. I personally would have enjoyed that. I was lucky because I already knew a lot as my sister had gone through the surgery 5 years before I did. So I actually would text her all the time when I was going through the approval process with my thoughts and questions. (She lives in England.) I don't know that you would "shame" people but I could see how someone who is struggling with the process may feel "inadequate" by your success. BUT...I think more people would be hopeful to see how you have lost the weight and kept it off. And I also agree with what Dale said about being in the business of making money. A lot of companies are like that. I actually don't think that my surgeon's office is like this as they are all so nice and helpful. They take the pre op requirements very seriously.

[sraebaer]

In my humble--and perhaps biased--opinion, some bariatric surgery practices are really about making money from the surgery and are not all that concerned about long term results. They have a nutritionist on staff so they can check the box for insurance. I sat in pre-op classes with people who ate every meal at fast-food drive thrus and actually asked how soon they could drink a McD's milkshake after surgery. Yes, they were approved for surgery.
So all of that's to say I'm not sure some want volunteers involved. They want to control the business of bariatric surgery.Forgive me if I'm projecting, but volunteers are hard to control and may be too honest. Bariatric centers make their money from selling the dream.

You could be right, which is sad. They may just be looking at this as a business and all the money they are bringing in. I would hope they care about long-term results, but maybe that's not the case.

[jerzeygirl]

Our hospital offers free fitness classes and 2 free support groups to our patients and we welcome others from any other hospitals. We are very patient centered and this may be due in part to the fact my manager, who is the coordinator, is 14 years post op .

[DHB]

You could be right, which is sad. They may just be looking at this as a business and all the money they are bringing in. I would hope they care about long-term results, but maybe that's not the case.

I chose my surgeon (who was excellent) before I realized she was part of a suburban hospital recently purchased by a larger hospital system under great pressure to create profit centers. I'll be fine, partially because I found this site and all of you great mentors. But honestly, when I think of the people who were in my pre-op class (all were cleared for surgery in less than a month) and were still eating fast food and gallons of ice cream, I wonder how they will possibly succeed. It's like Ann was saying, some people may simply not have the basic tools, and if a practice is more interested in adding numbers of patients than making sure every patient succeeds, that just makes things worse. The bottom line for many practices is the number of patients who had the surgery and the insurance payout to the hospital, surgeon, etc. not the long term success rate. I'm sure having volunteers who have had successful wls would help the latter. But is anyone really keeping an eye on that?
As far as I'm concerned, your posts here, sraeber and ann2 and others, are a huge help to so many of us. Please don't underestimate the impact. I couldn't do it without you! Thanks.

[tinman]

I’ll never forget my second day in TJ. Truffles can verify this story. We were all in the van on our way to the clinic to get our IV liquids. The van was about to pull away when it stopped and this woman got on. Let me tell you.....she was fully HAWT!!! She looked to be in 30’s but was actually in her 40’s. Built just like Sofia Vergara. We were all wondering why the hell she was in our van, so me being me, I asked her. She said she was on her way to the clinic for a little nip tuck. She had been sleeved five years previously, and had been steadily getting plastics done here and there. She said the only part of her body she didn’t worry about was her sleeve. You could just feel the tension in the van go right out the window. At that poin, I knew this was going to work for me too.

Since then, I’ve mentored at least 10 folks who wanted help getting sleeved. I too have wondered about volunteering at a hospital. I even went as far as to contact one but was turned down.

So, yes....I 5ink it would be a great idea to find a place that would let you mentor....especially you sraebaer.

[sraebaer]

I’ll never forget my second day in TJ. Truffles can verify this story. We were all in the van on our way to the clinic to get our IV liquids. The van was about to pull away when it stopped and this woman got on. Let me tell you.....she was fully HAWT!!! She looked to be in 30’s but was actually in her 40’s. Built just like Sofia Vergara. We were all wondering why the hell she was in our van, so me being me, I asked her. She said she was on her way to the clinic for a little nip tuck. She had been sleeved five years previously, and had been steadily getting plastics done here and there. She said the only part of her body she didn’t worry about was her sleeve. You could just feel the tension in the van go right out the window. At that poin, I knew this was going to work for me too.




Since then, I’ve mentored at least 10 folks who wanted help getting sleeved. I too have wondered about volunteering at a hospital. I even went as far as to contact one but was turned down. I wrote the doctor but I am sure they don't want me. I'm too honest.

So, yes....I 5ink it would be a great idea to find a place that would let you mentor....especially you sraebaer.

Thanks, but I don't think they want me. They don't understand the difference between some one who has had the surgery and my adorable, 20 something , 100 pound nutritionist. I could not relate to her, despite the fact she has all the expertise.