I know of several people that finished all of the required program classes, then phoned the office to let them know that they were all done; they got their first consult within 2 weeks of them letting the office know of their status.  You must also keep a journal of everything that you eat/drink, plus all exercise/activities that you do each day, as well as the amount of weight that may come off while following their program, because you will need to bring these journals to every appointment, to prove that you are serious, and ready for surgery.  The doctors like to so the surgery within 3 months of first consult, as long as you have completed all of the test & specialist appointments within that time.  I had to wait just under 6 months, because I was out of town for 2, periods of 5 weeks, and then came down with pneumonia at the time I should have had surgery, so had to wait a bit longer.  I lost 54 pounds during the time that I was following the program, before surgery, and the weight came of very quickly for the first 6 months, but slowed down a bit after that.  I had Gastric Bypas (RNY) on Oct. 3/11 and have lost almost half of what I started out with.  I am getting fairly close to goal, but I have heard that the last 30 pounds are the slowest/hardest to lose.  GOOD LUCK on your journey.

No, I have no knowledge of support groups but would love to be part of one in the Chilliwack area.  Do you have any info?  Thanks so much.  Had my surgery in Montreal almost 5 years ago.  I have researched on my own through various sites and my Doc is very supportive bit I am her first RNY client.

 Surrey

 Congrats on the loss!!! There are quite a few of us out here, this board just doesn't see a lot of action.  Are you familiar with any of the regional support groups that meet every month? We have them in Vancouver, Burnaby, Langley, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack. 

 Thanks for comment. :)  My Dr. mentioned Mexico if I could self-pay.  I wonder how the costs compare between Mexico and Canada...