Dr. Fares' support group

Last night was my first time to attend the support group run by Dr. Fares at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton. Wow, what a huge group! I can see why they are thinking of splitting it into band and bypass groups. Does anyone on this board go there?

Hi Jac, Yes I was there last night and I have only missed 2 meetings in 18 months. I'm available to talk anytime either on this board, via email or by phone. Was last night too overwhelming? RobinNJ

Hi, Robin, Not too overwhelming, no, although I had kind of a deer-in-the-headlights reaction when I first walked in and saw about three or four times as many people as I expected! (And logically, I don't know why I didn't consider how large the group might be. What, I'm the only person in the area having sugery? I don't think so!) I really enjoyed it and felt like I learned a lot that hadn't really sunk in so far from just reading the materials. I also felt more reassured than ever because it is obvious that the practice really cares about good care for the patients, both before and after the surgery. (I'm still in preop mode, so I hadn't really thought about my followup care much yet -- the meeting really stressed how significant a part of the process it is.) It was good seeing people who had actually been through the process with my own doctor, too, to gauge how it has been for them personally. (I'm still feeling good about reading my pre-op informed consent paperwork and realizing no one has actually died in surgery with them -- that has been Fear #1 up until this point.)