updated some photos on my profile

Hi everyone, I updated some photos onto my profile. I added 2 picture of me after losing over 80 pounds since WLS on June 26/07 and I have lost a total of 96 pounds since March- 57.5 inches off my body, yahoo!! Life is great!!! Take care, Sim : thumbsup: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead HW: 323 lbs; SW: 313 lbs CW: 227 lbs; GW: 150 June 26, 07- RNY, Seattle, WA Surgeon: Dr. J. Hunter

I saw your photos, Sim. You look fabulous. Ruby

Wow, Sim, you are looking good! That is an amazing difference. You must feel so great. I am so happy for you! Laurel

Hi Sim, I spoke to you some time last year with regards to the Dr. Meneghetti issue. I've been away from this website for a while. I know if I look back in old posts I'd find my answer but how did you manage to get your surgery done in Seattle and how do I go about applying to do the same? I was reading some posts on Dr. Amson's website and it seems very discouraging regarding the length of time people are waiting for their surgery.

Dear Leanne, It was so nice to hear from you. Here are the details on how to go about applying for out of country. I am also giving you some info on how I got there as well. 1) Go onto goggle and get the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority's website, you need the form HLTH 2810- Out of Country Application. 2) You need to have a surgeon or a specialist fill out your out of country application 3) Send in all your tests that were ever done focusing on the co-morbidities that have been linked to obesity or a direct cause from obesity. 4) I would write a compelling letter and send photos, etc. It can't hurt that's for sure. You want to stand out from the crowd. 5) On the bottom of the first page of the application, you need to pick a surgeon and where you want to go. As you know I went to Virginia Mason in Seattle. Dr. Hunter was my surgeon. This place has been working in partnership with MSP and they have made a deal to offer a lower price so that would be an ideal place to put on your application. It is also a very good place and provides excellent care; Virginia Mason hospital is a non profit private hospital and they have a few clinics around Seattle . They have been awarded center of excellence and they have lots of depts. for many ailments. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about them. This place is a non profit, private hospital and they have a few clinics around Seattle. His office is located at Federal Way, WA. I did not had to pay for anything other than hotel, gas, food, and liquid pain medication ($30) MSP will pay for the surgery and hospital stay and there were no hidden charges. Because I did not have anywhere to stay we booked a suite at the Virginia Mason Hotel which is connected to the hospital. Many people stay there for short and long term treatments and they gave decent rates. My husband, mom and I stayed in a large suite for $159 US a night and I was in the hospital for 3 nights so we just went down 2 days before to get last minute pre-op tests and meet with the surgeon, etc. and then when they discharged me we left the same day and drove back to Vancouver. We made sure to stop every hour so I could walk a little to lessen the chances of blood clots. My wait was only 2 weeks from the time I received the approval letter from MSP. They opened up the calendar and said when would you like to do the WLS? I decided to wait almost a month as I wanted to wrap up work stuff so they worked around my schedule. I had been waiting since summer of 2005 (for my first consult) with Dr. Amson in Victoria as he is the only surgeon in BC who does the WLS of course. Who knows how long after that he would have been able to do the surgery? This was the best thing I could have done for my health. I am very lucky and thank God every day for the 2nd lease of life. I am most fortunate and I will not forget this gift that has been given to me. One of the things I like to do is help others to look at other options as I believe that one should not put their eggs in one basket so to speak. As you know Dr. Amson has a waitlist of over 800 patients and most people wait anywhere from 2-4 years to see him for all the pre-op tests, and requirements before they eventually get the nod for the surgery. This is the hardest part as many people are sick or in pain due to their weight so it takes its toll on them physically and mentally. IMPORTANT: Remember, you need to have a surgeon or specialist to fill out the form; it CAN NOT be done by your regular GP doctor. Or the application will be sent back. Have Dr. M. sign your application. You will need to also pay them $50 for that and make sure you have all your pre-op tests done, you can't send your application until you do. Or it will just be a waste of time. This is a little complicated to say the least and it is hard to explain everything over the email. I will send you a personal email with my number so you can call me. The bad news is that you need to have a high BMI with a few co-morbidities or a lower BMI with several co-morbidities. At least that is what I heard. Of course they probably look at each case individually. What is your BMI? Do you have any co-morbidities? Sorry for all these questions but these are important as they will be a huge indicator whether you will get the approval or not? I have helped 4 people get their approval to go to Seattle too. Please keep us posted and I would encourage you to post on Dr. Amson's message board as much as you can as there is a wealth of knowledge on there. For some reason it is pretty quiet on here, I am not sure why as it used to be more active before. Take care, Sim _______________________________________________________________________ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead HW: 323 lbs; SW: 313 lbs CW: 203 lbs; GW: 150 June 26, 07- RNY, Seattle, WA Surgeon: Dr. J. Hunter