Lallylocks

Saskatchewan does have some WLS surgery available...I think only in Regina. I was referred to the program when I moved there two years ago. I never heard anything and had already put in two years in BC, so followed up in March of this year with the team I started with in Victoria. Things happened quickly after that and I got my surgery date in August. I only just got the call from my referral to Regina a few days after that!

Interesting. I'm totally happy with the removal of my "old" stomach, though. ????

I'm from rural SE Saskatchewan. Sleeved September 24 (one month ago) in Victoria BC. I've lost 22 pounds since surgery. I'm a 35 year old RN. Height of 5'8", highest known weight of 374, presently 305.8.

Endoscopic? I had my VSG done laparoscopically. 7 stab sites.

Fit into a few of my mom's cast-offs...a 1x tee pre-op and some XL tanks post-op. Feeling kind of excited and hopeful about buying clothes again. Bought a few activewear tanks the other day...2x... But whatever. Yay!

5'8". Highest weight was 374. Surgery day weight 327. Postop day 10...not sure of current weight as no scale at home I'm recouping in...yet.

So ridiculously excited. My mom is discarding some clothes that are too big for her and has insisted I try them on. I fit into a 1X t-shirt pre-op that she was insistent on, and today fit into an XL cami. That was exciting. I have been wearing 4X, sometimes 3X, forever! Yay! Also bought a couple of 2X activewear tanks.

So hard to take enough fluids...sleeved on 9/24. Managing sips...I'm sure way below what I should. Had a half cup of broth and a few spoonfuls of jello and was done. I get so gassy! The jello was seriously the most delicious thing I've had in weeks.

How does one do that in our condition? Crikey. I struggled to eat a yogurt portion and take in just 100ml of protein supplement.

Get to home today. A little scary...but I'm sure it will be fine. Just trying to take my vitamins and couple of meds is overwhelming. I still haven't had anything more than water. Am waiting for a full fluid tray. Eek!

6 or so hours post-op. A little nauseated and a bit more sore than I expected on waking. Feeling not too shabby now. Did 6 laps around my ward at supper time. Haven't peed yet, but my bladder scan showed only 180ml. Sleepy. Crazy dry mouth. Saw my mom and dad, and a very dear friend and his wife and baby just left.

Surgery in about 1 hour!

Still not confident enough to buy anything small...but my mom has some smaller discards from her closet that she is too small for now. They might fit soon. I got the shock of my life today when she gave me a 1X t-shirt to try on and insisted I try it right then. It fit! Surgery is in 2 days.

Made it to my hometown. My surgery is in the city about an hour away. 3 more sleeps! My mom hasn't seen me in about 3 weeks and says I look different already...I guess I can thank my month long water and Glucerna pre-op meal plan.

I did have some smaller clothes I held onto for a loooong time, but I have so many clothes and it seemed like I wouldn't fit them until they were out of style...so I donated about 5 garbage bags full to Salvation Army. There are some items I wish I had kept!

I have 6 days till my surgery, and I have a cold trying to settle in. I can't believe it. I even made my man sleep in the guest bed while he was sick! This is seriously pissing me off. In the meantime, I'm fighting it! Sinus rinses, saline gargles, zinc lozenges, cold FX...fluids, exercise, rest, probiotics. Seriously hoping it buggers off so I don't have my procedure cancelled.

Hi all... I'm 10 days away from VSG. I've waited over 4 years for this. I considered it for a long time before pursuing it. At 31 I decided I was tired of feeling like an old lady and worrying more and more about the impact on my health. I have a strong family history, on both sides, of heart disease, diabetes, and cancers. Considering the weight I was at, my diet, and sedentary lifestyle I was really tempting fate. Luckily, I have had few complications to this point. I was always taller, and bigger than my peers in childhood, but not overweight. Kids can be cruel though, singling out those who are different. Boy, was I different! I was intelligent, imaginative, didn't like the things other kids liked, and started adolescence very early. In my tweens we moved to live with my granny and keep an eye on her...we left an area where I was able to bike to all my friends, and to a new rural location. food was always something I liked, but I was active, and my mom watched what I ate. My granny spoiled us with treats, and I became less active. I was teased all the time. If you get told bad things about yourself long enough you start to believe them. In my late teens I barely fit misses' sizes, and was starting to wear plus sizes. My weight took off from that point on. In my 20's I was in the high 200's. Before I started nursing school I started exercising and lost about 50 pounds. When I started school I had a new boyfriend. The relationship wasn't a good one. All that weight came right back, and then some. I passed the 300 mark. Near the midway point in my degree I met a new guy, who seemed great. We married when I was done school. In a matter of months I moved out of my parents' home, started a career and was married. The change was major. After a while it became obvious the relationship was a mistake. I struggled with stress. We fought. I was glad when it all fell apart after 3 and a hlaf years. The divorce was not pretty. I had turned 30 months earlier. I decided I had to do something different, or I was going to die before my parents. I had looked after super-obese patients in my career and knew what was in store for me. I was afraid. I asked my doc for a referral (for the second time) to Dr. B. Amson for bariatric surgery. I was seeing someone new who just sort of came into my life, and was pretty amazing. He came with me to that first appointment, and has been through the process with me. I read the books, I went to a group, I contacted other patients, I was screened for OSA... Not surprisingly, I had severe OSA. I've snored like a buzzsaw since I was a small child. In my teens friends at sleepovers told me I stopped breathing at times. I've been on antidepressants since I was 23 to help with my irritability and moodiness. I've had chronic recurrent lower back pain/sciatica since halfway through nursing school. Last fall after years of erratic periods I was diagnosed with PCOS. I'm now being treated for that. At my heaviest I was a shade of 370, at 5'8". At that time, two years ago, I left the job I had held for 4 years and hated. I moved away from the town and province I was born and raised in, leaving behind friends and family. My partner supported me and together we moved to Saskatchewan. I hadn't made enough progress for Dr. Amson to deem me ready for surgery. I wasn't sure if I should stay with Dr. Amson, or see someone here. I asked for a referral to the program in this province. I tried to get a recommendation from Amson to speed the process here. I heard nothing. This spring I contacted Amson's office ahead of a visit home to see my mother and father. I made an appointment to see him. It was an interesting visit, and a productive one. Suddenly I was scheduled for appointments with his nutritionist, an internist at the urgent medical assessment clinic, overnight oximetry to test my CPAP, and an upper GI. I was told it could happen this year. I hardly dared believe it. I had lost almost 10 pounds since I was last at his office...which I attribute to working in a fast-paced environment, andlimited access to the junk food and fast food I had been living on before. I started eating smarter after that visit, and exercising. I lost about 25 pounds. I'm now 2 and a half weeks in to my pre-op liquid diet, and am down another 15. My workouts are easier. I still miss "normal" food, but I'm ready. I want this. I'm looking forward to having more energy, being able to do more...less aches and pains. I can't wait to fit in one airplane seat and see the world. I am excited to ride roller coasters again. I'm also really stoked about having more clothing choices with better prices! I've been very open about it. Some people have tried to dissuade me from this surgery. I understand that they mean well. I take no offense. I'm doing this for me, to get a bit of a rolling start. I know it won't be easy, but I am ready to work. Good luck to everyone waiting for their surgery!

I've honestly considered it, but am afraid that I won't get to wear them.

I've never taken mine out for any surgery. It depends on the anesthesiologist and surgeon. If there are oral or nasal pircings they will want those out for sure because they will intubate you while you are under. I would imagine navel and genital piercings would be a no-no too as those are both areas that will be worked on (surgical site, catheter). There is a risk of burning with electrocautery, but I was fine. If they needed to perform CPR and defibrillate, the risk is the same. At the end of the day, you can ask, and they may let you tape up, but if they want them out be ready.

Hi there! A fellow Canadian from Saskatchewan, heading to Victoria BC for my VSG. Started my journey there 4 years ago and my surgery date is also the 24th! I'm so excited to finally be at this point. Good luck to you.

Hi people! Just two weeks until I go for my sleeve...after a 4 year wait. I've found some great resources, but am wondering if anyone knows if the recipes from the Hungry Girl series are acceptable once I get to the appropriate diet phase? I ask because I really like that so many of the recipes are single serving. Thanks!

Lots of low cal, low carb, high Protein goodies. Tried to compare with a WLS cookbook...hard to decide. Yes...4 years...very few surgeons who do it in Canada...only some regions do it, and they're only allotted so much OR time...lots of ppl want it...it is funded by our medical system in many cases. So that takes awhile. Then you have some surgeons, like mine, who only take you when they feel you are ready. I did move far away 2 years ago...that may have slowed it down some. But it took two years to get a call back from the referral I had sent into the nearest center to my new home...by which time I had my OR date.