10% pre surgery weight loss? And Red Deer clinic First appointment.

Hello All 

   I was referred to the Red Deer Clinic last month by my family doctor.  I was wondering how long it took for you to hear back from them about appointments?   Also I've been reading a lot about this 10% you need to lose before surgery and I was wondering if that's from your referral weight or if it's from your first appointment weight?  I'm at 300lbs right now and have been able to get it down to 255 and no lower with diet and working out for 5 days a week.  I'm worried about starting to lose weight now if I get to the clinic in lets say 6 months and find I need to lose 10% from that weight and I've already gotten down to close to my flatline, then I'm screwed.   Please let me know.  Thanks

I don't know the current wait time for the clinic but I can tell you that the 10% is from your first appointment with the nurse. So whatever you weigh at your first appointment you will have to loose 10% of that.

I am a post op patient at Red Deer and they are super terrific.  It took me about 5 months to get into a information session and then a month or so for my first appointment.  I think that you should tell them what is going on and see if they will speak with your gp, if you doc has recorded your recent weight loss and lifestyle change maybe they will work with you.  Good luck. 

Have either of you heard about people being turned away after a referral?   I've been trying to get my brain around this and I'm worried once im ready and determined they'll say no.... I'm guessing its unlikely but still something that lingers in the back of my mind

Hi Tara don't want to burst your bubble but I've been weight 6 years lost 10% on different times and got turned down or what they called passed over for someone in more need. Personally I think they went for the cash payees first. At least 2 people in my weight lose class had the cash and they were guaranteed a spot up front.

My new doctor say he is really optimistic and wants to refer me to a bariatric surgeon. I just smiled and thought here's another doctor that doesn't even bother to read a brief history or file on a new patient. I'm investigating Mexico.

good luck, LW

Hey Lucy,

what clinic were you at?   I didn't think there was a pay option for the weight wise clinics or I'm sure many people would have been willing to do that instead if wait.   I just got excepted into the Evolution study from Edmonton so hopefully that will give me an edge into getting in.  I have a meeting with them on Monday 

there are 2 sisters that fgot turned away from red deer cannot remeber there info but they have a blog and another lady named Anne got turned away from edmonton because she lost too much weight pre op and they did not think that there was any value in surgery for her.  if you use your search tool you should find both there stories on here.

Thank you

If you get turned away just go down to Mexico and have it done. There was no hassle, no appointments, and honestly you couldn't be treated any better in canada 

I'm glad I didn't have to go thru all the hassle or 10%

just a 1 week diet and I was good to go

I'd like to go through the program.  Should I get turned away then I might think about something else, like Mexico.  But I think there is a lot of great info and tools to be learned from the clinic. Not just the surgery