Ajax/Pickering/Whitby/Durham
Contact Nancy 
Web Site: Durham Region WLS Support Group 

Barrie
Third Saturday of the month 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
The Church of the Nazarene (in the chapel)
49 Ferris Lane, behind Ferris Lane Community Daycare
Contact Terry B: 705-890-0135; Sharrol: 705-722-0616

Belleville
Meeting is the last Sunday of the month from 1-3pm
Contact Stephanie at 613-242-5392 or belleville_wls@yahoo.ca  
http://bellevillewls.webs.com/

Brampton
Contact Cathacus

Brockville and Area
Last Wednesday of every month at 7pm
Tim Hortons on Parkdale Ave
Contact Patti

Burlington
Second Tuesday of the month
Contact Laural at (905) 635-7302 or 1cutemom@cogeco.ca

Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo
Last Sunday of the month 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
160 Hillmer Road, Cambridge
Contact Sharon at (519) 489-0538 or sharonmoody@rogers.com
For a long week-end, we meet the Sunday prior.
Please contact Sharon to advise you will be attending.

Cambridge
Meets weekly at 7:00 on Wednesdays
Location:  Cambridge centre mall in the food court.  At a long table by the ice rink.
On HWY 24 and Bishop Street.

Chatham
Meets at the YMCA on the last Monday of the month at 7 pm.

Cornwall
Meetings every first Monday of the month from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Location Chateau Cornwall, Amelia Street
Contact Eileen

Hamilton
Find Your Weight Hamilton Group. 1pm -3:30
Hamilton police services station #20. 2825 King st.

Kitchener Waterloo Coffee Group
Tuesday at 7pm.
Conestoga Mall Food Court (near the Greek place)
Contact Janice at http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jdance/

London
http://www.owlssg.com
The last Sunday of each month.
St. Joseph's Hospital from 2:00pm-4:00pm.  
In addition to the support group meeting we will also have a free clothing donation/exchange, a 50/50 draw etc.

Mississauga
Mississauga Lap-Band Peer Support Group for Surgical Weight Loss Centre Patients
Third Thursday of the month 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Contact Wanda at http://www.obesitysurgery.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4201

Mississauga coffee night  in Mississauga, about once per month.
People can contact Karen via PM here or join the Mississauga Cawfee Talk group:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/MississaugaCawfeeTalk/welco me/

Newmarket
Newarket coffee group meets
every second Monday @ the Tim Hortons in the No Frills Plaza on Leslie.
PM Jan135 on OH for details.  

Niagara
To be held at the New YMCA on Montrose Road. 

North Bay
Contact Natasha

North York
Meets every second wednesday of the month ,
at driftwood community centre.
Contact:  atartaglia36@hotmail.com


Ottawa
Last Sunday of the month 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Tanglewood Community Centre
30 Woodfield Drive, Ottawa
Contact Cindy at cindyloubear@hotmail.com
www.owsg.ca

Ottawa Bariatric Coffee Support Meeting
Held the first Tuesday of the Month at 7:30pm
Location: Margaret Rywak Community Building 68 Knoxdale Road Ottawa, Ontario
Contact: Terry45 on OH for details.

Owen Sound
Grey Bruce Weight Loss Support Group
A support group that meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month for people wanting to lose weight, or have had weight loss surgery. We meet at the United Way in Owen Sound, and the cost is $3.00 to help cover the cost of the meeting room.
Contact information:
Stephanie Fletcher-Jacobus: 519-378-8947
email: sjacobus@hotmail.ca   or  Tracy King: 519-371-7079  tracy_shane@sympatico.ca

Peel Region
First Sunday of every month 1:30 pm
Georgetown
Contact Jean Tapley-Izadpanahi at (289) 891-9276 or jeantapley@gmail.com

Port Hope
Meets every Thursday evening from 7 to 9 pm.
Email:  susanna.555@sympatico.ca

Sarnia
First and Third Wednesday of every month from 7-8:30
River City Vineyard (the old Y)
Contact Kara O.

Sault Ste. Marie
First Wednesday of each month
Contact Sue at weewilkins@yahoo.ca or (705) 254-3997

Scarborough
Thursday nights at 7:00 pm
Kennedy and 401 at 20 William Kitchen Rd, Starbucks.
Contact Chantelle at Greeneyedgirl_24@hotmail.com

Stratford
Monday nights at 7 pm at Coffee Culture.
ContactAmy

Sudbury/Val Caron/Valley East
Val Caron Co-op, 1845 Main Street
Contact Wendy

Trenton
The 1st Monday of each and every month. 
At Trenton Memorial Hospital.  
The meeting begins at 7:00 pm.

Windsor
First Tuesday of the month 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County
6038 Empress Street
Contact Dawn at diminishingdawn@cogeco.ca
Please contact Dawn to advise you will be attending.

York Region
The following Sundays at 2:00 pm 1/17/10, 2/21/10, 3/21/10, 4/18/10, 5/16/10, 6/20/10, 7/18/10, 8/22/10, 9/19/10, 10/24/10, 11/21/10, 12/12/10.
Upstairs at Loblaws, 301 High Tech Road, Richmond Hill
Contact Andrea at 905-953-0135 or adault@rogers.com

Ont WLS Support Groups
Updated:  August 5th, 2009

Ajax/Pickering/Whitby/Durham
Contact kholcroft@hotmail.com

Barrie (this is a new location effective Jan 17, 2009)
Third Saturday of the month 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Army Navy Club 7 George Street, Barrie
Contact Terry at tbrienesse@rogers.com or Kris 705-437-3430

Brampton
Contact Cathacus

Belleville
Contact Sandra at (613) 968-9849 or sandymay@cogeco.ca

Burlington
Second Tuesday of the month
Contact Laural at (905) 635-7302 or 1cutemom@cogeco.ca

Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo
Last Sunday of the month 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
160 Hillmer Road, Cambridge
Contact Sharon at (519) 489-0538 or sharonmoody@rogers.com
For a long week-end, we meet the Sunday prior.
Please contact Sharon to advise you will be attending.

Chatham
Meets at the YMCA on the last Monday of the month at 7 pm.

Cornwall
Contact Carla at carla_normand@sympatico.ca

Hamilton
Last Sunday of the month 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Sir Allan MacNab Recreation Centre, Community Room
145 Magnolia Dr, Hamilton
Contact Erin at edatwo@yahoo.ca

London
First Sunday of the month 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
St Paul's Presbyterian Church, Lower Hall (elevator available)
56 Thames St. South, Ingersoll
Contact Shirley at shirleyhodder@yahoo.ca or Sue teagrannie48@yahoo.com

London and Area (Shapeshifter)
Third Sunday of the month 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Contact Tova at purplepaige90@hotmail.com or
Jenn at jenandrich@rogers.com

Milton
Third Sunday of the month 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Contact Tammy at tammypatterson@cogeco.ca

Mississauga
Mississauga Lap-Band Peer Support Group for Surgical Weight Loss Centre Patients
Third Thursday of the month 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
For info, go to The Surgical Weight Loss Centre patient support forum and contact
Wanda under the section for support groups.

Niagara
Last Sunday of the month 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
Dorchester and Thorold Stone Road, Niagara Falls
Contact Jen at (905) 328-4911 or jen.bellinger@hotmail.com

Ottawa
Last Sunday of the month 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Tanglewood Community Centre
30 Woodfield Drive, Ottawa
Contact Cindy at cindyloubear@hotmail.com
www.owsg.ca

Ottawa - East
Second Sunday of the month 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Ottawa Public Library North Gloucester
2036 Olgilvie Road, near Blair and Olgilvie
Contact Angus

Owen Sound
Contact Alison at owensoundobesitysupport@hotmail.com

Sarnia
Sarnia Bariatric Support Group
 meets : 1st and 3rd Wed of every month from 7pm-8:30 pm
 @ River City Vineyard Mitton St Sarnia Ontario 
 For more information , contact :
 Becky 519-332-4132 rperry4@cogeco.ca
OR Sylvie 519-344-8959 slaframboise4@cogeco.ca

Sault Ste. Marie
First Wednesday of each month
Contact Sue at weewilkins@yahoo.ca or (705) 254-3997

Sudbury/Val Caron/Valley East
Val Caron Co-op, 1845 Main Street
Contact Wendy

Sudbury/Minnow Lake
Every Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm
$10.00 per month
Morning meetings to begin in the New Year
Contact Betty at Bariatric Support & Natural Health
(705) 525-2225 or wls_supportgroup_sudbury@msn.com

Toronto East
For info contact Joyce at joycewilds@yahoo.ca or (647) 669-5099

Thunder Bay
Second Saturday of the month 1:00 pm
Slovak Legion, off Pacific Avenue, Thunder Bay
Contact Verna at amber2oo1@yahoo.com

Windsor
First Tuesday of the month 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County
6038 Empress Street
Contact Dawn at diminishingdawn@cogeco.ca
Please contact Dawn to advise you will be attending.

York Region
The following Sundays at 2:00 pm 1/18, 2/8, 3/8, 4/19, 5/17, 6/14, 7/12, 8/9, 9/13, 10/18, 11/8, 12/3.
Upstairs at Loblaws, 301 High Tech Road, Richmond Hill
Contact Andrea at 905-953-0135 or adault@rogers.com

I talk about it all the time - about how we need to get our heads into this surgery. Lately it seems that it is more and more prevalent - people having surgery that have no intention of changing their ways.  They are headed only for failure even after giving this wonderful chance to change their lives.

There's a lady who I know and met once who has had this surgery. She was quite large as well - probably 350 lbs if I were to guess before surgery and when I met her the first time, I kind of had the feeling that she didn't seem to be in the know about the surgery. I didn't say anything of course because I have to have some understanding that not every one is as fact-oriented and as analytical as myself, right? 

Well sure enough talking to a friend of hers, I hear that she is pretty much just ignoring the rules after surgery completely. One friend ran into her shopping and her cart was loaded with sugar crap, snacky foods and the like.  She is not doing well and she is less than 6 months out.  That's really scary to me.  I've invited her out to the Windsor support group meeting and she has yet to come.

Today while reading the boards, I also came across a post from a 3 week post op who decided to binge last night and ate popcorn, fruit loops and an ice cream sandwich within the course of a half an hour - and is questioning "Gee, how come I don't dump?", "Did I stretch my pouch?". etc.  Okay, I am TRYING to be understanding as I can but I mean REALLY what the HELL is she thinking? 

We are talking THREE WEEKS OUT.

She doesn't seem to have a clue about the permanent damage she could do to herself. There is the story of course about the lady who cheated and had steak and killed herself a few days out of surgery (Theoretically it could be not much more than an urban legend...but I suspect that it is also a possiblity that one could easily stretch out and burst the pouch very early out). I mean I was TERRIFIED to even eat and drink early out and here is someone who is ready not only to undo everything but to possibly kill herself in the process. I'm horrified for her. I'm appalled at her. I'm trying not to judge but it is very, very difficult because this action is beyond stupid to me. 

Again, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR HEAD IS IN THIS SURGERY.

Dawn

#1. At others have said, do not overeat.  I am one who never ever vomits if I eat too much, but I will get an uncomfortable feeling.  I'm pretty sure that's the part where stretching the pouch comes in. If I try to stuff too much in there and it's waaaaay uncomfortable/bordering on painfulness. It happens rarely as I usually know my limits.

#2. Eat slowly.  I've talked in our weight loss group how sometimes if you eat too fast - say cereal with milk, after a while that uncomfortable feeling comes in which I *think* would probably be the stretching.  What happens with certain foods - especially grains, pastas and so forth, is that once they get wet, they expand right? Well, if you eat too fast, you'll eat more than you probably should thinking it fits...once it starts expanding you'll get that *very* uncomfortable feeling of having eaten too much.  Of course, you might also just be one of those people that vomits too if you eat too much.

#3.  Some people are hard core measurers.  There are guidelines typically from your surgeon (or available from the internet) about roughly what you should be eating at certain points. I know of people that measure their portions like crazy. I know that at two years out, I am getting back into that "clean your plate" club -- so I highly suggest that people measure their foods- not so much early out, but just watching that they don't eat too much, too soon.

#4. Always remember in your head "EAT TIL SATIATED, NOT STUFFED".  This is huge as we are stuffers.  You need to always eat til you feel satisfied, not stuffed. Do not expect to get that "full" feeling for quite some time, so when you are eating, eat til you feel that you are not hungry anymore (if you have physical hunger) and not til you feel that "I'm going to explode" stuffed kind of feeling.

Just my two cents,

Dawn

Here are my philosophies when posting on OH and well, about surgery in general.

1) I would never tell you what surgery to have.  I believe that everyone must make their own decision based on their needs, lifestyle and level of comfort. I don't think there is a "one size fits all" when it comes to surgery.  You might feel comfortable with a surgery that has little reconfiguration of your body parts, you might not want to permanently change your body parts, you might not want to worry about this or that.  So I would never even remotely tell you what to consider. This is YOUR body and you need to make your own decision. There is no perfect surgery.  What we choose and what we put into the surgery (following rules, being compliant with supplementation etc) is what matters.  OHIP currently covers roux en y, duodenal switch, vertical sleeve gastrectomy and mini gastric bypass. I know success people who have had all these surgeries. Another option is Lapband (and other surgeries too) but you will have to pay totally out of your pocket.

2) I would always encourage you to do  your research.  If you have done lots of research and you are still not convinced, then to me you haven't done enough research.  Until you are 100% comfortable with your choice and even with having surgery in the first place, do not enter into a surgical intervention.  This is a procedure of last resort.  People that go in with blinders on, not having done their research or not having researched life post op enough are often given into moods of depression after surgery. Your head must be ready for surgery as well.

3) I suggest that you pick your surgeon well.  I know that I was very, very picky about picking my surgeon.  I read the stats about a doctor not being proficient with this surgery until they had 150+ surgeries under his belt. I am a worry wart and was very, very adamant that since I could choose whatever surgeon that I wanted, that I was going to pick someone with a crapload of experience.  My surgeon was not the closest one to my house. In fact out of the 5 or so different places I was looking at, my surgeon was the furthest of all three.  Well worth the extra time. Remember you are honestly putting your life into this surgeon's hands. Make sure you have done your research!  Oh and if you don't feel really satisfied with your surgeon at a consult, how do you think you will feel the day before surgery? Honestly, be sure about this.  Be comfortable on who you pick and never let anyone else (your own doctor included) pick your surgeon - you have the choice.  Use it well.

4) I don't believe in drama.  I am here to support people on OH and on the boards I visit frequently. If you notice, whenever drama comes up on the board (it does from time to time) or there is a "surgery battle", I am not there. I believe in freedom of choice.  I believe in giving people information, pointing them to different sources of information but  letting them choose for themselves.  We make decisions for us and no one else about our religion, our lifestyle etc.  so no one else should even attempt to make decisions for us (not even your surgeon!).  If I can help you in anyway, let me know...but as for the drama...I won't be there continuing the thread. I believe in moving on as quick as possible and not putting time and energy into fights, name calling or drama of any kind.  I think there is enough negative in the world that we don't need to fight about our surgeries. I believe in support. 

Email me anytime if you wish to chat!

Dawn