Weight Loss Surgery.

Hi there;
My name is Kelli and I am new to this site. I have recently started to think about getting weight loss surgery. I have tried exercise and it's just not working out and I have a problem with controlling my hunger. Anyone have any advice about weight loss surgery... How much does it cost if you aren't covered?
Thanks.

Hello

A bypass is covered if recommened by a doctor.  You usually have to have a BMI between 35 and 55 to qualify.  The wait lists vary by doctor and can be 2 to 5 years.

Hi Kelli,

Most of us here on the Alberta forum have all attended the Weight Wise Clinic in Edmonton. You can talk to your family Doctor about getting a referral. There is about a year+ wait to get into the clinic but it'll go by so fast.
Once you are in there you will have a team of a Dr, Nurse, Nutritionist and Psycholigist. They are all wonderful and so comforting. They will all help in the process of figuring out why you are over weight and what they can do to help ou loose weight. With that said not all people who go to the clinic get surgery. I guess some dont' need it in the end or just don't qualify for different reasons. It's one of the best choices year to date that I have ever made for myself.

Kee.

Weightloss surgery in AB is covered by healthcare and there are 3 types-- lapband, gastric sleeve and rny ( gastric bypass). You need to be referred to a baraitric surgeon ( medicine hat, red deer and calgary  and wait  ) or to the weight wise clinic in Edmonton like Kee posted above where the wait it about a yr. My time frame from approval letter for acceptance to Weight Wise and to approval for surgery was 14 months and that was longer as I was pregnant when the letter came and couldn't go until I had the baby. Started at the clinic august 2009 and approved for gastric sleeve on May 3rd. I'm supposedly waiting for September but that could change based on cancellations.

You go through a rigorous program and then are approved or denied. It's a lengthy process but very thorough and it's a necessity to succeed. We need to know why we eat the way we do and how to combat this prior to introducing a tool that will ultimate fail if we are not mentally & emotionally ready.

Good luck on your search.

All the ladies have given u excellent information and advice and I would like to add a couple of more things....
 - get a good support system in place before you begin because of the emotional highs and lows of being in the program and with any type of weight loss in general.
- be prepared to work hard at what the program offers.  Whatever they suggest you have to at least try it before you can say whether it works or not.
- don't expect things to move really fast as the wheels of progress are not fast
-make sure that you do all the investigative work in deciding what you really want as the outcome..surgery is not for everyone.  It's the biggest change in your life that you will ever make and one that you will have to live with forever.

I had the surgery in Feb 2010 and have definately not regretted the decision but I went into it with my eyes wide open.  I researched all the types of surgery and then asked many questions before I made my final decision.  The road was not easy sometimes and the waiting for the actual surgery to be done once I was approved by the surgeon just about drove me nuts but I stuck with it and am glad I did.  Now I get the opportunity to be a mentor to a couple of friends that are in the program and help them with their journey.

Good luck with your journey.  :)