TracyBar

Do you have a surgery date yet? How are you dealing with what life will be like after surgery? That's where I'm having the most trouble. I don't take care of myself now as far as decent nutrition and time on myself, and I know that it's going to be crucial to do so after surgery. I'm trying to put things in place to set myself up for success after surgery, and it seems that the bariatric team believe I'm going to do fine. Can't help the anxious thoughts though! No turning back once it's done, that's for sure :-) Yes, Dr. Gill will be who I see I understand, although I doubt he/she? knows you as PatientEleventyBillion so saying hello may not work. LOL

I understand walking is key to moving the gas out of your system. Do you manage to get some walking in?

That's perfect! Even if you didn't pack much of a lunch, you have healthy options easily available. Couldn't be better! Your co-worker that was having issues really should have been looking at ways to eat and drink more often - perhaps she has other pre-existing conditions that have made the new lifestyle more difficult for her.

I can see that it could be hard to take the time to eat or drink in your job. But like you say it's a matter of 30 seconds to take a drink, or a bite of cheese or peanut butter. Can you carry a small container of water in your pocket - or a small snack? I guess you'll have to get creative!

Exactly why I'm not telling anyone. Double edge sword for you - on the one hand at least you work with people with a medical background so they understand (well, many I'm sure) why somebody would look at bariatric surgery in the first place. On the other hand they see outcomes, good and bad, and focus on the bad outcomes (as most people would do). There's nobody I know that would think anything but what most typically think - 'it's the easy way out, why don't you just eat less and exercise more'. Even if I were to tell people how much I've struggled with my weight most of my life, they wouldn't get it - how many things I haven't done because of my weight, how many things I regret because of it, how many missed photos there've been (my older kids' high school grads, university grads, any kind of special occasion). My mom passed away recently - I hadn't flown home to see her in 2 years because seeing everyone - family and friends - was just too embarrassing for me. In the end, I had to go back for her funeral and of course saw family anyway. We miss way too much when we feel bad about ourselves. But people who don't suffer from being overweight or obese don't and can't see this. (What sort of bad outcomes are your co-workers referring to btw?)

My plan - tell nobody. Nobody except my husband. In fact, I don't think I'll tell my kids. I would tell the older ones, but they have a girlfriend and boyfriend and I do not want them to know. So - I'll have a dinner and have all over, then say I'm going to get a minor surgery and will be home in a couple of days. If it's the hospital in the far south of the city, maybe that'll be better as so far for them to go. I'm going to get advice from my GP as to what to tell them I had done. Maybe some 'woman ' problem or something :-)

I'm in Alberta too - was at the bariatric clinic today for Dietician appt. I started the program in Aug/Sept. 2016, saw the surgeon a month ago. I'm not sure if I'll see the surgeon again or not. My surgeon is Dr. Mitchell and it takes the longest to get surgery with him, but he apparently has the most experience. Everyone passed me through pretty quickly (Nut, Psychologist, Nurse), and I'm a good candidate for the surgery. Just have an endoscopy I'll have to do in High River in a couple of months. I may see the surgeon for those results. Plus can see anyone I like at least every 3 months. I was down 10 lbs. so going in the right direction! And you gotta love the healthcare system for sure! No cost at all - and I'll also be able to get a tummy tuck if I lose 80-100 lbs. which is also fully paid for. Hospital stay is free as well. We're lucky to not have to worry about medical bills. If I have the surgery in one year from when I saw the surgeon that'll take me to February or so 2018. Bit of a wait, but as I said Dr. Mitchell does other surgeries and is pretty booked up....

Ask for a small pillow and press it to your belly if you need to cough. That should help...hope it has all gone well and you're recovering and happy it's over :-)

I can't even have sugar alcohols or aspartame. Sugar alcohols are bad for my IBS, but even more so, they're poison to me and I found out they caused 75% of my chronic migraines. I went from 18-20 migraine days a month to 4-6 a month and have sustained that for over a year. Fake stuff is terrible for your body!

Anejo for Mexican food in Calgary - they make the guacamole right at your table and it's absolutely the best! That'll be my treat once in a while after my surgery :-) As you probably gathered, I'm in Calgary too. My VSG won't be for another 8-11 months...

Hi - we just bought one last weekend. We were thinking of buying it, and while at Costco Vitamix was there demonstrating. We got the newest model ($600. Canadian). Before we invested that much $ in it we discussed how much we'd use it and for what. For me, it'll be handy as I cannot have sugar alcohols so will likely be steering away from processed, flavoured protein mixes. I want to try to make my own so I'm getting the vitamins from real food. I also get very nauseous from calcium, and although my clinic insists I MUST take it - being so sick daily isn't a great option. So again, I'll need to get as much as possible from food. My husband and I also think it's a great way to sneak veggies into out 11 year old daughter via smoothies :-)

thank you!

Haha! Well, it's just my daughter I need to fool - and honestly, my husband is a far better eater than I am - thus me being overweight! I was thinking Costco or Amazon - but I'll look at the website too for refurbished as well. thanks!

You are so right! So many great perspectives come out of these boards - I try to think of all the reasons why to do it (and yes, there are many!), but your point was a new one but one I know very, very well! Every single time I have launched a new weight loss program I kept telling myself "stick with this - in a year you can be where you want to be, or you can stay the same as you are now, your choice". And of course, I'm not here now because I was able to stick it out and lose the weight. There is NO fighting the new set-point we arrive at every time we lose weight, gain it back plus more. That's the new set-point and we cannot fight it - no way. I now know that it isn't lack of willpower, lack of desire to be better, lack of time, whatever I might come up. We just can't physiologically fight our body's purpose to get to a new top weight, as it does this for survival. Can't do it. And I am so tired of 'hiding', in more ways than with clothing! Thanks for the boost - I'm a lot closer to feeling good about this decision now :-)

I'm anxious too. See surgeon for first time this week, and I assume I'll get a surgery date at a time shortly after that. They say 3-9 months from date I see surgeon. Since I found out about this surgery (spring 2016) to now, I've been immersed in research like so many others. I believe it was Sept.2016 when I had my first appt. at the Bariatric clinic and several appointments later, here I am finally seeing a surgeon after being approved for surgery. I'm in Canada, so it's paid for, but there are a lot of people wanting this surgery, so I have to wait my turn. I don't have any pre-existing conditions, so I could get bumped further down the line toward the 9 month wait, I don't know. And that seems like a very, very long time away. Nearly a year from now. I don't like the idea of living in this kind of inertia just waiting to get this done and get to a healthy weight. As I see it, a year until actual surgery, then a year after that to get to my goal weight. Sigh.... Is it worth that?? I hope so!

My husband and I just discussed this as I thought perhaps it might be a good purchase since I'll be having VSG. He said he'd heard a lot of good things about the Vitamix and thought we should look into that one as it gives us the ability to use it for more than just smoothies. He loves smoothies and wants to make more, and we want our little daughter to eat better and smoothies are a great way to slip fruit and veg into pre-teens! lol

Hi all! Appointment with surgeon is coming fast! This Friday morning (Feb23). I have some idea for questions but feel I'll miss some good ones if I don't get ideas from all of you. What were some of the best questions you asked and were the answers as you expected? Thank you!

Yes, I suppose I must ask that question! Slightly awkward but necessary :-) I don't have a CPAP, and in fact don't have pre-existing conditions other than slightly elevated cholesterol which was treated with 5mg of Lipitor, and now not on that but will need to go back on (long story). Probably the hardest decision I've made is to do this - I wish I could feel like so many others seem to - and feel committed to the fact it's the right thing to do. I just make the cut for this surgery to be paid for on provincial plan, so I'm definitely big enough to need to lose weight! Thanks for you input :-)

Thank you, great questions - I asked about the drain and sadly, yes, they must use drains in my city. Other cities in my province don't; apparently it's individual to the clinic/city. Strange....

Hi dawnpop - I'm waiting to hear about my surgeon appt. (Calgary). I've been going through the process since about Sept. I find after all, that the time is much needed, especially for me. I'm still on the fence. Perhaps an interview with the surgeon will make me decide what to do, one way or another. If you get a referral from your doctor and you meet the BMI requirement, you can go through provincial healthcare. Honestly, the wait isn't even as long as it is for knee replacement, etc. Early October 2016 was my first appt. I may see a surgeon in February and surgery could be 6-8 months away. I have no pre-existing/co-morbidities so it could possibly take longer if they need to push other patients up with poor health. So if it does turn out to be 8 months from Feb then it takes me to a 1 year wait from 1st appt. or thereabouts. If you're 100% positive this surgery is for you, and you've done a TON of research, then self-pay may be the way to go for you. That was my initial route. As for places in Mexico - there is a Canadian affiliated clinic there - it used to be WLF (Weight Loss Forever), but I believe they've changed their name. You can google WLF and it should go to the new website. My quoted cost was $13,500, which is the same price as I was quoted from the doctor in Montreal that does it via self-pay. My research turned up nothing in Alberta for self-pay options - other than SmartShape and I think it was considerably more $ and they don't seem to do many VSG surgeries. The Bariatric Clinic, at least in Calgary, no longer performs Lapband surgery as there are too many complications. Thanks for the reply, Tracy! Yeah, problem is SmartShape for VSG in Alberta is $19,000 and public wait times seem long especially when I haven't even been referred yet. I went to my doctor in Edmonton last year around Spring and she flat out said no because she felt I haven't tried hard enough to lose weight on my own. I'm too nervous to bring it up with my current doctor here in Bonnyville. I have heard that going publicly in Alberta could be 2-5 years in waiting time so I knew that wouldn't work for me. I have an appointment coming up soon, maybe I'll try to work up the courage to talk to my doctor about it. I just have a lot of fears of being rejected at different stages in the process. I'm a bit edgy about the surgery still, but as I said the wait turned out to be a good thing for me for many reasons. Although I'll talk to my doctor about everything at some point, other than getting the referral from her, I haven't talked about it yet. Honestly, she doesn't know much and when I mentioned to the psychologist about seeing my GP to discuss it, she warned that very few doctors know much about the surgery. I know mine didn't when I got the referral, but she may have done some reading up by now. You need/want a referral - so make sure the doctor knows how many times you've tried. She/he is missing the point entirely. You may or may not have tried hard enough, but you tried and failed and gained it back no doubt. That's the pattern. Talk to her again and emphasize that you feel you have done a lot of work to lose weight and it isn't working. The AMA just declared obesity a disease - this will make it easier for you :-)

Hi dawnpop - I'm waiting to hear about my surgeon appt. (Calgary). I've been going through the process since about Sept. I find after all, that the time is much needed, especially for me. I'm still on the fence. Perhaps an interview with the surgeon will make me decide what to do, one way or another. If you get a referral from your doctor and you meet the BMI requirement, you can go through provincial healthcare. Honestly, the wait isn't even as long as it is for knee replacement, etc. Early October 2016 was my first appt. I may see a surgeon in February and surgery could be 6-8 months away. I have no pre-existing/co-morbidities so it could possibly take longer if they need to push other patients up with poor health. So if it does turn out to be 8 months from Feb then it takes me to a 1 year wait from 1st appt. or thereabouts. If you're 100% positive this surgery is for you, and you've done a TON of research, then self-pay may be the way to go for you. That was my initial route. As for places in Mexico - there is a Canadian affiliated clinic there - it used to be WLF (Weight Loss Forever), but I believe they've changed their name. You can google WLF and it should go to the new website. My quoted cost was $13,500, which is the same price as I was quoted from the doctor in Montreal that does it via self-pay. My research turned up nothing in Alberta for self-pay options - other than SmartShape and I think it was considerably more $ and they don't seem to do many VSG surgeries. The Bariatric Clinic, at least in Calgary, no longer performs Lapband surgery as there are too many complications.

Thanks! I haven't had surgery yet, but I wondered if I could take a stool softener every day - and, I've been tempted to buy that squatty potty - now I will since you've recommended it :-)

I can't have it either - particularly sugar alcohols (sorbitol, manitol, xylitol, etc.) Nausea an chronic migraines. I'm also concerned about my options after

what part of the journey are you on? Pre-surgery?

It's difficult for me to see how much some of you have to go through with your insurance in order to have this (sometimes) life saving surgery. I'm in Canada and this surgery is available to me at no cost, and I'm not required to provide months of dieting, gym records - nothing like that. I've seen the intake nurse, dietician, and Psychologist. The dietician just wants to know that I'm eating regularly (which I never do) in order to approve me for surgery. According to the Psychologist, I won't have an issue getting approved. Really, as far as I can see, as long as I tell her I'm eating regularly, paying attention to portion size, etc. I'm o.k. Trouble is - I'm not sure I can do this! That's another story. I wish you all the best. I do see that the insurance companies want to make sure that if they spend the money on you, you will adhere and be a good risk for them. I work in insurance - I understand risk. Best of luck to you -