Gorgeous!

I hear ya, it seems like the wait is forever.  I feel as if I have been on a hamster wheel for a long long time.  I personally spent 8 months on a wait list to be seen at my PCN, then I was there on their weight management program ( same as weight wise) from April 2011-May 2012 when my referral came through to weight wise at the Royal Alex.  I have seen numerous people during that time as we all have.

I saw my case manager here on Monday and she told me the wait times had changed to 6-9 mos for surgery.   When I saw them in September the wait was 4-6 mos.  A friend of mine actually got her referral in May and her surgery in Sept. I don't even have my referral yet but I am hoping to have it on Tuesday when I next see Dr. Modi.

I lose my patience often and wonder if I will ever get there with the multitude of appointments and modules, but I know if I sit tight and keep moving forward, I will arrive there. I don't know why some get there more quickly than others but for those of us who seem or feel like we are waitig longer, maybe we just have more time to apply our skills for greater success post op.

Hi Krista,

It sounds like your situation is different than mine because you have already gone through the Weight Management Program to get the band, so you won't have to start from the beginning. That's great news. My situation was quite different since I got the band done in Ontario and had never been through their program. Sorry, I didn't mean to stress you out.

Dr. Birch did took out my band and the surgery was pretty easy. I went home the same day and was just a bit uncomfortable. I think I took two weeks off work.

The bad news (just being honest) is that I did gain quite a bit of weight after I got the band out. I was just so darn happy to be able to eat again that I kind of went overboard. I gain weight really easily, so I'm not that surprised. I think I gained about 40 pounds between when I got the band out in February and when I got the DS in August. BUT, that doesn't have to be you! If I had tried a little harder I'm sure I could have at least maintained my weight. I'm quite a pig if left to my own devices.

The next three months will fly by and then you will be sleeved. I think you'll have much better luck. The first half of my DS is a sleeve and I find that I just get full fast, which is great. And I feel full and satisfied, unlike with the band when I never felt satisfied so I just turned to slider foods. If I didn't have so much weight to lose I would just have gotten the sleeve. I think it is a great surgery.

Good luck and keep me posted with how you are doing.

Jenn

Hi Krista,

I had a lapband done in Ontario in February 2009 and had it taken out in Calgary in February 2012 at about the same weight I started. It was three years of hell...constant vomiting and only able to eat soft (and usually pretty unhealthy) food. When they took the band out they told me I would have to go through the Weight Management Program like everyone else before I could be considered for a sleeve, which would take many months. I'm not sure if things have changed or if perhaps you are already in the program, but I would double check to see if you really are able to get sleeved that quick.

I started the Weight Management Program in Calgary but was not optimistic when they told us there were far more people wanting the surgery than there were surgeries available. They said that people with more co-morbidities would get first consideration, and I had none. Given that I had already failed one surgery, I figured I would be at the bottom of their list.  I decided to take the bull by the horns and went to Mexico and had a DS done in August. Best decision I ever made!

As you can see from my ticker, my weight loss has been phenomenal, and I don't feel like I'm deprived at all. I'm not sure how much weight you have to lose or whether you want something as drastic, but the DS has the best stats for keeping the weight off, and I knew that this was my last chance. I have really had to change how I eat, but it doesn't feel like that big of a deal since I can eat enough to truly feel full (never felt satisfied with the band, only stuffed) and if I want a treat, I can have one.

Don't get too down on yourself. The band sucks. You will feel so much better with that thing out.

Jenn

Update  for me ......the band is coming out Dec 7th.  He was able to get me a surgery date within 3 weeks and so next friday it's coming out.  I have a mixture of feelings ....relieved, frustrated, defeated, scared.  We talked about options and really there is only one option here in calgary .....the sleeve.  They do banding and sleeve and  seeing as the band has failed .... the only option is the sleeve.  He said we'll talk more post-op because he said i'll need 10 weeks to heal after the band is removed.  I asked if he'd do a revision at the same time and he wouldn't do it.  He felt that I need time to heal from the damage from the band and so I will wait!

Doc said the other option is by-pass in Edmonton but I am sure it will be a much longer wait for me than doing something here in Calgary.  I am so sick (literally) from this band and so I just need to get it out.   

I still feel like i've failed but the doctor has tried to be quite reassuring saying the band failed ....not me.  I feel quite down right now  and  so I think the best thing to do is get it removed and look at the options after it is out.  I am really leaning toward the sleeve but I want to think long and hard because I want to make sure that it is right for me.  

I hope all goes well next friday and that  I can keep my weight stable or even dropping, once the band comes out.

Take care.

Krista