Patient Support Groups

Bariatric Surgery Support Groups

Support group meetings are offered once a month and designed to assist in the lifetime journey of post-surgery weight loss. Each meeting will offer an educational topic followed by an opportunity for patients to share their success and pitfalls with fellow attendees.

Those welcome to attend our bariatric support groups:

• Bariatric surgery investigators seeking information and the “real-story”
• Pre-op patients waiting for bariatric surgery
• Early post-op patients or “newbies”
• Long-term veteran patients to support others and just checking in
• Back on trackers seeking to re-lose pounds
• Friends or family members
• Professionals-medical or other

Our support group meetings are intended for post-surgical weight loss patients of the UF Health Bariatric Surgery Center; however, anyone new to the Gainesville area who is receiving or considering care with us is welcome to attend. There is no charge for attending the meeting and parking vouchers are available if needed. Reservations are not required.

Upcoming meeting dates and times

Time

• 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., every third Thursday of the month.

Location

• UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital (unless otherwise noted in schedule below)
  1515 SW Archer Road, Room 1205 1st floor conference room
  Gainesville, FL 32608

2018 Schedule

• 11/15/18
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  NO MEETING THIS WEEK
• 12/20/18
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  Weight Regain

2019 Schedule

• 11/17/19
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  Dieting, Pouch Reset and Medications after WLS
• 2/21/19
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  What I didn’t know before weight loss surgery
• 3/21/19
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  Walk with the docs
• 4/18/19
  Location change: Dilliards OAKS Mall
  Time TBD
  Dillards RSVP event
• 5/16/19
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  Managing Emotions, Relationships and Stress after WLS
• 6/20/19
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  Modifying meals and recipe tips from the dietitian
• 7/18/19
  Location change: -Walmart North Butler Plaza Gainesville
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  Dieting, Pouch Reset and Medications after WLS
• 8/15/19
  Thursday, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  How Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Saved My Life
• 9/19/19
  Location change: Dilliards OAKS Mall
  Time TBD
  Dillards RSVP event
• 10/17/18
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  Exercise! Let's do it! 
• 11/21/19
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  Dining with the dietician
• 12/19/19
  Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  10 Succesfsful Tips 

Please contact Gwen Crispell, RN,MSN, CBN, UF Health bariatric coordinator, for further questions, concerns or topics of interest at hasseg@shands.ufl.edu or 352.265.0111 x29634.