Orientation in Victoria

Hello everyone,

I'll be seeing Carla and Dr. Zetner at the end of July for orientation and then separate meetings the day after. For those of you that have had orientation and meeting with both, please tell me what I can expect. And how long after your meetings did you have surgery? Were you required to lose weight? Thank you!!

Hello! This was my experience,  other people's will be different. You'll be given blood work requisitions and be referred for sleep tests. Once all that is in, Carla will call you to let you know she is putting through the referral to the surgeon. My appointment with Dr. Malick is in July and then I'll find out a surgery date. Dr. Zentner has not required me to lose weight though she does have me meal tracking and walking, but Dr. Malick might? I've joined TOPS to help with slow and steady weight loss ahead of surgery, and since I don't know Dr. Malick and I've heard he's a bit strict (see other posts here) to show him I'm serious. Do pick up the book Carla refers to in the orientation, it helps. I got it at Chapters. I've done some research now and people with best outcomes start moving and exercise ahead of surgery, have support in place and have meal tracking as part of their routine. Good luck and keep in touch here!

What book does Carla recommend?  Orientation coming up the first week of October 2015 for me

I should also say that Dr. Zentner has me not drinking pop or fizzy water of any kind and first no sugar in my coffee and then decaf. From all my reading bubbly drinks of any kind are bad for sleeves/pouches and caffeine is too. This has been slow and steady, not cold turkey. I LOVED me some pop so that had been hardest but I'm not drinking it anymore. I can't do black coffee so I am switched to decaf teas (except for weekend mornings!)

Hi, I started seeing Dr. Zentner as a referral from my family doctor last August. Dr. Zentner started me on my weight loss journey walking, no pop, cut back on sugar, low fat...etc. She put in my referral from Dr. Malik in Victoria in October. I continued to see dr. Zentner and losing weight. Then I got the call in January that I was being scheduled to go to the orientation in March, also to see Carla, and first visit with Dr. Malik. Orientation was 2 hours long with about 10 other people. It is facilitated by Carla (lovely lady) then I meet with Carla one on one the next day and we just chatted and she looked over my food diary and we made some long term goals. Then my visit with Dr. Malik he was very direct but kind told me that I needed to continue to work on losing weight and that if I gained the weight back before surgery he would not do my surgery...YIKES. Then I got a requisition to have blood work done, sleep study, EKG and waited. I still continued to see Dr. Zentner monthly. I then got a call from Dr. Malik's office and Carla telling me that I had been cleared for surgery this was in May and they would let me know a surgery date. I got a call at the beginning of June that my surgery is scheduled for August 12th and then I spoke to Sherry Dr. Malik's assistant and she emailed me the Pre and Post Op information and said that she would set up a phone consult with Dr. Malik to save me a trip to Victoria. So I had that last week on Wednesday and he asked me which procedure I would like and why and we discussed that I would like the Gastric Sleeve. He was honest about the dangers of surgery and what can happen. He was also honest about my success being based greatly on my commitment to lifestyle change. I have to go over to Victoria two days earlier because I have to have a consult with the anesthesiologist. I will be doing a protein shake diet for 1 month pre op.