What should I expect?

Hi all,

I'm very new to all of this, and I'm wondering what to expect? I have my orientation booked for March 4, 2013, and my first appointment for March 19, 2013. My location is Red Deer, Alberta.....any help would be greatly appreciated. :)

Hi!  I have gone through the Red Deer program, just had my surgery 4 weeks ago...I'll give you a run down of what you can expect.

Your first appointment is a group orientation where the nurses will go over the different procedures they do there and explain how the program works.  At the end of the appointment, they'll schedule people for their first nurse visit, which for me was about a month later.  

At your first nurses visit, you'll be weighed, photographed (just for your file, so they know who you are by face instead of just by name), and from there you'll be expected to lose 10% of your body weight before you can qualify for the surgery.  You'll be told about the one cup diet...meaning that at every meal, you'll be allowed to eat no more than one cup of food, and you'll have to journal all of the food you eat.

From there, the program varies from person to person, the order of appointments is different...you'll have to be there monthly for appointments, meeting with a dietician, a psychologist, there will be a psychiatric appointment, another group appointment to see a video about the surgeries...once you've lost the 10% you'll meet with a surgeon who would be the one to give you the go ahead to be put on the waiting list for surgery.  You'll also have to me with an anesthesiologist.  During the waiting period after you've been approved for surgery, you'll still have to go there for monthly visits, either with the nurse or the dietician.  

They told me last year during the orientation that the time from your first appointment to actual surgery is anywhere from 8-16 months...it all depends on how quickly you lose your 10%.  I had my first appointment in April of last year, lost my 10% and met with my surgeon in August, and got the call for surgery at the end of November...I had requested to be put on a short notice list, and only got a week notice before my surgery.  

They have a good group of people there, and I've been happy with everything, although I did find it frustrating to have to go for monthly appointments during the "waiting for a surgery date" simply because I had to travel from Calgary, but that's not their fault!

Good luck on your journey!  

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the detailed response! :)

Anytime.  :)  If you have any other questions, please let me know.

When did  your doctor refer you and how long did it take to get your orientation date?  I was referred on Dec 9 and anxious to get started. 

Hi Mika123,

My doctor referred me around August 25, 2013, and normally (I'm told), it takes 6-7 months to get the first call to schedule a group orientation. I decided to be part of the 'Evolution Study' through the U of A, and I've already been booked in for my group orientation as well as my first nurse appointment, both scheduled in March.

What is the Evolution Study?

The Evolution Study is designed to help understand what type of materials and tools would best assist people with weight loss. There are three focus groups in which participants are randomly placed. One group attends in person sessions (10 in 3 months), the second group is asked to complete online modules, and the third group is asked to read printed material. You can't start any weight loss plan with the exception of what you learn in the focus group you are placed in. 

Participating in the study ensured a quicker turn around time, as they book your appointment for three months ahead. For example, I met with the Study Coordinator on December 16th, and I was able to book in for the orientation in 3 months time (March), instead of waiting to only be called in March.

Hope this explains it a bit - please let me know if you have more questions about it. I'm just at the beginning, but I'm happy to share what I know.

How does a person get involved with this. When my Dr referred me to the Red Deer clinic he did tell them I would be willing to participate in a study....

They contacted me based on my referral. If the referral from your doctor said you were willing to participate in the study, I'm thinking they might contact you directly. It was three months after my referral when they contacted me about participating.