Questions about the Weight Wise Program In edmonton

Hey ladies,

I was wondering if anyone has experiance with the weight wise program in edmonton and if you could tell me what your wait time was before you got into the clinic. my doctor just submitted the referral. I have completed four of the moduals already and booked for the rest over the next couple months. I noticed a lot of people on here are going out of the country for surgery is there a reason for this? Anyways hope everyones have a wonderful day

hello  i guess  once my  referral went in and i waited about 2 months before i got my appointment day  which took  maybe 3 weeks ,  i go to my second appointment with weight wise  on the 7th of sept  ,  my first appointment was with  a nurse who went over my paperwork  and chatted about my history and such  you are weighted  on your first and from that your giving other appointments for your next visit  ,   my first visit with the nurse was julty 17th  ,   im not from edmonton  so its just almost 2 months from my first appointment to my second  , i do my journaling  my steps and my modules as well .....   i hope this helps

Hello,  I've never posted on here before ,but wanted to give you what info I had from the Calgary Weight Wise program.  I was referred in late December 2012,  and got my letter inviting me to the information class in March.   Classes started in April and ran 10 weeks, weekly,  so they were the equivalent of the modules that you are talking about.    We were told that there weren't nearly as many surgeries as they first thought,  so in the end in Calgary this time around only 18 out 90 or more people were picked.   I was told that I was picked sometime in July and just had my surgery last Thursday,   Aug 23 .    So all in all it took about 81/2 months for me,  but like I said , I know that the Edmonton program is  different than the Calgary.

I'm one of the ones that went to Mexico and I have experience with the WW clinic, so I suppose I should answer.

The clinic has lots of good things, starting with the people, who are truly wonderful, hard-working, dedicated professionals. I thought the modules were really good and I learned a LOT.

The negative? Timeline.

In my particular case, I asked my Dr to refer me a couple of years ago and started taking the modules. It took about a year before I got into the actual clinic. (it's faster now) I spent the next few months going to appointments and following diet I was put on fanatically. I finally to to decision time, and was refused surgery because I'd done too well - I'd lot a total of 45# and was managing to live on 1400 calories without going nuts. I was told that even with surgery I was unlikely to lose much more. I cried on and off for months. I was ravenous, but managed to stick with the diet and keep the weight off for the next 6 months.

At about 6 months I had a fall in the back yard - tore intercostal muscles and ripped the base of my left thumb open on a stump of our cherry bush. So - no aquasize, a great deal of pain, boredom - still ravenous. I gained back 12# and spent the next 6 months desperately trying to relose it.

I finally accepted that I couldn't do it on my own and called my nurse from the clinic to ask if I could go back. She said of course - to get my Dr to send in a new referral - I should be back in the clinic within a month. My Dr sent in the referral that afternoon and I went back to journaling and using my pedometer.

I called the clinic a month later (beginning of June) and was told that I could have an intake appointment 3 months later. I can do basic arithmetic - 3 months, plus 2-3 months before being (hopefully, but no guarantee) approved, plus 2-3 or more months until surgery... With our first grand baby due in January, and my daughter wanting me to fly out for a month then the timeline wasn't encouraging. And - what if they said no again?

At that point I took a look at our savings account and started looking for a self-pay option. I'd been reading the forums on here for a couple of years so had read a lot about the surgeons in Mexico - always with Dr Aceves and Dr Alvarez at the top of the ratings. My husband favoured Dr Cirangle. I emailed all 3 for information - Dr Aceves' coordinator wrote back within a couple of hours. He could do my surgery 3 weeks later - Dr Alvarez not until August. I didn't hear from Dr Cirangle's office until after I got back from Mexicali.

We talked to our GP about aftercare, checked our calendars and booked surgery - the rest is history.

 Kelly-Anne you are an inspiration.  I was going through the WW program around the same time as you, waiting to meet the surgeon and finding out if I would get the surgery.  I was so shocked to hear that you were turned down.  My heart just broke for you.  I am so happy to see that you took life by the horns and made things happen.  Your Grandchildren will only know the healthy, happy and active you.....how wonderful!!!

Thanks Deb.

Although I have a lot of respect for what the WW program does, I was devastated when I was turned down the first time. Both my husband and I knew that going through it a second time would be unbelievably difficult, and there was no guarantee it wouldn't happen.

Going self pay kicked a hole in our savings, but it was SO worth it to do it on my own terms. If anything I'm more fanatical about journaling, eating on plan, taking my supplements and exercising than when I was in the clinic, but there's a difference. I'm doing it for ME. I'm healthier than I've been since my 20s, and it just keeps getting better.

 I got into the program in the fall of 2010 (a couple of months  after my doctor sent in my referral).  I had my surgery 7 months later.  Everything went very quickly for me.....back then most people had to wait years.  The timeline now is even faster.  I just had my plastics.  I feel truly lucky and blessed to have participated in the Weight Wise program.  It was a life changer for me.

Thanks everyone I really appricate the information youve given me. I hope that this path is quick even though if i had to wait a yr i would still think its well worth the wait. I really need this to work out as my health concerns seem to be growing yearly. D0es anyone know how many people the actually turn down and why are they turning people away who need this?

I was refered 2008 first meeting was 2009 asked for meeteing with surgeon dec 2009  saw surgeon 2010 feb approved surgery april 2010.. It took me a short time but i also wasnt 100 precent wanting surgery when i started my journey. i was over 400 when i started and 328 at OR time.. ( ididnt get this way over night and i knew i had to be patient.) sometimes i had to remind myself what got me here.. I also had only 2 modules to do when i started that kinda helped with the { process) they saw i was doing what i needed to.. Have faith it will come..

 Hello
I was refered by my doctor in Feb/12 I had 4 modules completed....I started at the WW clininc In Edmonton in April/12..... seen everyone so far except the surgeon (hoping to see him in Nov/12 at latest)


I have kinda got the run around there I feel..... my psycologist was just a fill in for a mat leave, so she left and the original girl returned with is fine cause I like her better, but then my Nurse quit before I could get a sign off for surgery and took the last 2 months to get into see a new nurse..... So I am feeling frustrated lately which is making it hard to follow my eating plan
Dr modi the internal medicine doc I have seen twice......the second time she was to refer me to the surgeon but because I had no psycologist and no nurse I had to wait....... I was to see her 4 wks later but she had no openeings until 10wks later......after taking to a few nurses they told me it was a misunderstanding and Dr modi meant the next available appt...... so instead of seeing the surgeon on Oct 2/12 I get to see Dr Modi again...... and I hope I get to see the surgeon in Nov at latest..... if they bump me again I will be pissed

I had a delay of 1 year initially because my doctor told me she would refer me and it would take 12-18 mos to hear form the clininc,  and when I looked on the website I did not realize I had to do the modules first.... so I waited a year for nothing.... kinda annoying but they were so backed up then that I would only be maybe 6 mos ahead of where I am at now.

Wondering if anyone whos had surgery recently can tell me how long it took to see the surgeon after referred and then how long you waited for surgery after seeing the surgeon for the first time.