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I had the RNY. I picked the RNY because of the amount of weight that I needed to lose. I started the program at a BMI of 76... The BMI chart doesn't work for me because I am so short so my "ideal" weight is 125lbs at the max. Well that is NEVER going to happen. I knew the RNY was right for me and I haven't regretted it. I did talk to my surgeon and the lap-band was never an option for me. One because I am so short and two because of how much weight that I wanted/needed to lose.
Like Kee said, in Edmonton you have three options and it is up to you to pick. Alberta Health will cover all of them. Your surgeon can recommend what he thinks is best but it is ultimately up to you to decide.
Hello - I had my RNY surgery done in Medicine Hat. Dr. Nohr is a very competent surgeon and had done many RNY surgeries over the years. I had no co-mobilities regarding my weight before surgery except foot and back pain. I was at a 42 BMI. I had my surgery the end of October 2011.
I was referred by my doctor the summer of 2010. Then in April 2011, I was called to attend a half day dietician course at the Med Hat hospital. Later on in the afternoon that same day was my consult appointment with Dr. Nohr. He approved me for laproscopic RNY then and there and I was able to get an appointment date of Dec 2012. I asked to be placed on the cancellation list and ended up having my surgery over a year earlier than my initial date. It is important to ask to be placed on cancellation lists for both the consult appointment and the surgery. I would say the one negative is Dr. Nohr does not offer any real pre/post-care program. Beforehand I needed lab work done but that is about it. After the surgery he and the dieticians are always available for you to contact but there is no real post-care program. He requires a gastroscopy done approximately 5 weeks after surgery to make sure all is okay. He requires lab work to be done every 3 months for the first year and then yearly after that. You'll see him at 6 months and then a year for follow-up. More afterwards if you need to.
My experience was great and I haven't had any complications at all. I have lost about 115 lbs and have been sitting at 150 lbs now for the last few months. All is great. I totally recommend Dr. Nohr in Medicine Hat.
I should mention that I think you need to be 100 lbs overweight minimum for Dr. Nohr to approve you for surgery.
Giselle
I would love to meet you :-). Let's move this conversation to PM
LINDA
Ht: 5'2" | HW 225, BMI 41.2 | CW 115, BMI 21.0
Thats unfortunate, I have met from off this site before, it was very good!
If your ever interested I'm free after this Thursday right thru holidays! I'd love to meet up
It seems that the need/will isn't there right now because no one showed up! Maybe that's how things go when people don't actually know each other, so in light of that, I haven't made any plans for another get together. Too bad, but that's where things are at right now.
LINDA
Ht: 5'2" | HW 225, BMI 41.2 | CW 115, BMI 21.0
So sorry I couldn't make it, ended up my daughters Christmas concert at same time.
Will you ge booking another get together?
on 12/17/12 1:04 am - calgary, Canada
Hi Monica.
I went through the Weight Management program in Calgary and found it to absolutely wonderful. However, I waited 7 years for my referral to go through. :( I have heard that wait times aren't that long anymore but I am not certain. Your family doctor is the best place to start. I had lap band done here in Calgary but it was not a good experience for me ( though it was for many others here in the program). I was vomitting for almost 20 months and had to have it removed last week. :( I am looking into the options for a revision surgery and am leaning towards the sleeve because I believe it will offer me what the band was supposed to (minus the constant vomitting!) = restriction of food intake and therefore weightloss. I see the surgeon again just after new year's and we are going to discuss options at that appointment. He told me that at this point in Calgary the only options are the sleeve of the lap band but elsewhere in the province there is also option of by-pass. I don't know the waiting times but I know it's LONG.
I would agree that getting a referral to both programs in Calgary and Edmonton would be a great idea. As well, I know from my experience in Calgary that unless you had some co-morbidities ( high blood pressure, asthma, high cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis, sleep apnea, etc...), you would likely not be a candidate for surgery covered by AHS. I totally agree that is unfair that people have to wait until they have significant health issues until they would be eligible for surgery. I had a similar experience with our insurance company ....they will cover high blood pressure med, diabetes meds, inhalers, cholesterol meds BUT would not cover ANY weightloss medications. I found it frustrating that they would treat the symptoms of the obesity but not the obesity itself.
I also would agree with the having your doctor do a pelvic/abdominal ultrasound and check your ovaries, liver, etc... As well, I discovered that I had severe sleep apnea and had no idea. A sleep study done through the Foothills determined that I had Obstructive Sleep Apnea and that is one of the helpful things that allowed me to get my surgery ( after a LONG wait in the line!).
Get on the lists as soon as you can. If you change your mind or decide to do surgery elsewhere, you can always remove it at a later date.
Feel free to message me if you'd like more info regarding my experience with the referral and process in Calgary.
Good luck to you on this journey. It's a long road but there are many here walking it. :)
Congrats, isn't it an amazing feeling.
Kee.
HW:274 SW:238 CW: 150.0 1St goal: 199.8 2nd goal:174 (100 pound lost)
My Persoanl Goal: (HIgh)150 (Low)140
1st goal acheived December 27th/2010. 1 week after my 3rd month surgery anniversary.
2nd goal acheived June 4th/2011. 2 weeks after my 8th Month Surgiversary.
Gall Bladder surgery April 12,2012
You can either believe it will happen.....or believe it won't. Both are self fulfilled prophesies. For Me it has happened. My Surgery was September 21/2010
I don't have any insight regarding Calgary and there type of programs but I have lots when it comes to the weight wise Program Edmonton has to offer. I have met people through this clinic from all over Alberta, British Colombia and Winnipeg. I personal give Thanks for the Weight Wise clinic and the new life I have due to my sleeve surgery.
Start off by discussing your options with your doctor. Get referred to the Calgary clinic and the Weight Wise Edmonton Clinic. See which one calls your first and go from there.
Have your family doctor do a medical, blood work and ultra sound of your pelvis and liver. Most of use overweight healthy people actually have underlying medical conditions that we are not aware of such as fatty livers, Poly cystic ovarian syndrome, elevated A1C (insulin) and achy joints due to the weight we carry. It doesn't have to be life threaten, I had pcos and was able to get surgery because it's considered a metabolic disease. which makes weight loss nearly impossible due to being insulin resistant. Obesity causes pcos and pcos causes obesity.
To my knowledge AHS does cover the sleeve surgery, at least in Edmonton. Weight wise offers it as one of it's 3 three choice, along with RNY and Lap-Band.I was given a choice of lap-band or sleeve and for personal reasons I opted for the sleeve. The lap-band required too much maintaining for my liking and if I was opting for surgery I wanted it to be permanent, allow me success which the sleeve has. Plus never being hungry due to the grehlin gland being removed sounded like heaven to me.I didn't want all the absorption issue that rny offered and didn't like the fact that my bowels would be rerouted. In the end it wasn't an option but I was grateful that I had done my research and made the choice I did.
Good Luck and I do home your family Dr is able to point you in the right direction. Weight Wise also had modules which are awesome tools for learning and future success.
Kee.
HW:274 SW:238 CW: 150.0 1St goal: 199.8 2nd goal:174 (100 pound lost)
My Persoanl Goal: (HIgh)150 (Low)140
1st goal acheived December 27th/2010. 1 week after my 3rd month surgery anniversary.
2nd goal acheived June 4th/2011. 2 weeks after my 8th Month Surgiversary.
Gall Bladder surgery April 12,2012
You can either believe it will happen.....or believe it won't. Both are self fulfilled prophesies. For Me it has happened. My Surgery was September 21/2010
Kathy S. · 0 replies · 944 views
