New to forum

Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to introduce myself I'm Amy and 24.  I am just outside of Winnipeg, recently my aunt had the VGS surgery and had reccomended it to me, she went all the way to Cuba I believe it was to have hers.  She just recently had a friend have her surgery in Winnipeg, and according to her it is a case study they are doing right now and it is a free surgery.  Does anyone else know anything about this.
I am really considering the surgery as I have been over weight my whole life and now with 2 kids of my own and realizing I am still so young, I would love to take advantage of an oppertunity to get healthy for me but also for my kids.  I am so nervous to go talk to my family doctor to get a referral as I have never really been one to talk about my weight because I am so embarassed and have always believed everyone was judging me.
I guess I was just looking for a little advice, information and support in possibly starting this whole weight loss journey.

Welcome Amy! I just had my surgery in Wpg 1 week ago with Dr. Andrews. I'm recovering nicely and starting to feel a lil more like my ole self again. Anyway to answer a few of your questions: The first thing you need to do is to be open and talk with your family Dr. about your thoughts and this surgery. Get educated on the different types of bariatric surgery and what you think would best suit you. This is your life and future we're talking about and this surgery should in no way be taken lightly so know your stuff.....That's what I did I researched snooped on this forum just to read the posts and get some statistics. Realistically the first thing you need is your re feral from your Dr. The surgery in Wpg is covered completely except for your Dietitian which is 300.00 Psychologist visit 150.00 and your 2 weeks supply of Meditrim which is 187.00. So there are some costs involved, but they are minimal. You've already taken the first step by joining this forum. There is tons of info out there and everyone is real good about answering questions and concerns so ask away.......good luck! and god bless! ~Cheryl

Thank you so very much.  I have been doing research for awhile now on the different types and percentages and all the stuff that goes along with this, as it is something that I have been interested in for quite some time now.  I plan to talk to my doctor about all this stuff first before the referral and do understand that there is some cost to me and personally I feel like 500$ is nothing compared to this life long battle that I have been on so far.  I have read though that one of the criteria for the surgery at the moment is under 47 and well I am above that so before I will even be considered I know I have weight to lose and now have to figure out how to lose this weight on my own. I appreciate the answers.  I hope to eventually be on this recovery journey with the rest of you who have had the surgery.
Thank you again Cheryl :)

Welcome Amy!!
I was in the same 'boat' as you last fall...desperate to do something about my weight. I have tried everything and was ready to throw away thousands of $$ on Herbal magic when i made the smartest move and spoke with my doctor. She was extremely understanding and very supportive about me doing bariatric surgery. She said I was an ideal candidate for a few reasons: My BMI was in the right range, I had already tried so many things on my own (and even if I was successful at losing weight, I put it back on which 95% of people do), I wasn't a smoker or heavy drinker and I wanted to do it for the "right reasons"...which is important. It sounds like you want to do it for the right reasons also...to be healthy and for your kids. Which is also why I want to do it. I've already had one knee surgery and don't want to cost the health care system thousands of more $$ by having more surgeries or diabetes, etc etc etc. Also, my 2 kids depend on me...I want to be there for them and for THEIR kids.
Make an appt with your doc right away and you'll be so happy you did. I was referred in Nov, got my approval letter in Dec and now I'm waiting for "the call". Julie, the receptionist at the Bariatric clinic, told me my surgery would be sometime between July and Oct...and I can't wait!! Good luck and please keep us posted.
Cheers!

I really want to make the appointment to talk to my doctor about the surgery but at the same time there is that whole BMI issue that I am over and above and that just deters me from getting on the wait list (which I know it really shouldn't) it just depresses me a bit to know that before I am even considered for the surgery I have to lose 63 lbs on my own to make me the BMI that is the max accepted (depressing I know)
So I guess I am just at a loss as to whether or not I should still go and talk to my doctor about it and see what she says.
Any advice?

Please don't feel discouraged about the BMI thing. There are lots of women in your situation (even on this forum). You've already made a huge step in wanting to make this change and wanting to talk to your doc about it. This program is a pilot program so the criteria is a bit 'strict' but they'll probably 'loosen up' a bit with the criteria after a bit. Talk to your doc so you know the exact amount of weight you need to loose so you're in the range and then you'll have a goal. I know that some women lost lots of weight on the pre-op diet (the shakes) so maybe look into doing that for awhile? I read that some women lost up to 20 pounds in 2 weeks...of course you can't do that for the 63 pounds, but it might be a good way to start? I'm NOT the person to give any advice about weight loss...otherwise I wouldn't be on this forum in th first place
But yes, I suggest to still go and talk to your doc.

Hey I will take any advice I can get, I have been trying to make sure I get like 1100-1200 calories a day and lots and lots of water and things like that, so i am hoping that will help I haven't had any junk food in almost a week so I am hoping is is going to help so we will see by next week what my weight says and if this is working I might as well stick with it for a little while as summer is coming and its time to get my kids out to start walking again :)

again if this is what your wanting don't worry about your BMI. Get your referral and start working towards lowering it in the mean time. I lost 70 lbs on my own before my referral. I started to regain is why I turned to the surgery for help to maintain my efforts. You can do this! You can! When Dr' Andrews saw that I had lost 70lbs on my own he was pretty impressed. It gives them some hope for some long terms successes too. Which is good for them......you can do this! ~Cheryl

Thank you, as of now I am watching my calorie intake and i have made a promise to myself that no matter what every day I am going to go for a walk hey it is better than nothing and more that I was doing before I guess so we will see what I can accomplis in the process :) thanks for the support

Amy, I am in the same boat as you my BMI is too high, I am sitting at 53. I didn't know about the BMI restriction when my Dr referred me so I got a rejection letter. I put a call into Julie today to see if the criteria may change soon but haven't received a call back yet.
What they did say in the rejection letter was that the criteria is as follows
   Female
  Age of <55
  BMI <47
  Minimal co morbidities

I was told  I was put on a wait list for when they broaden their criteria, and that I should ask my Dr to refer me out of province.
For financial and family reasons this is not a great option for me either. So I am trying to lose the 40 lbs to get into the 47 range.
We can support each other while we wait to be accepted. Good Luck!

Karen