Just Beginning

Hello out there. I am just at the beginning of this weight loss adventure. I know WLS is what I want/need. I went to the seminar in Billings the beginning of May, and met with my PCP today. He said he would write a referral letter for insurance coverage for me so I was relieved. Anyways, I have heard/ read very negative as well as very positive comments about the program at St. Vincents and I am confused. Is it the program, the surgeons, the staff, the procedure, or what? Would appreciate any input as I want to be very informed. Thanks in advance for any help!

Hello and welcome!! I went throught the program in Billings had my WLS on oct 30 06 I found the program to be a good one. Long process though. I think they do that to see if you are really willing to stick with it. This is a life changing thing. Took me from about may untill sept to get through it all. There is a lady there her name is Ulannie Hartman I think you will meet with her on your second visit very nice lady i was put off by Dr Baskett I thought to my self if I have to see her the whole time I wont make it. They give out lots of inormation. I have a friend who chose to go to great falls and she has not really had any education at all. Her WLS is soon and she is scarred and not sure what to do. I give the program a thums up hope this helps!! Augusta

If your friend is scared and not sure what to do she really needs to contact the GF Clinic and ask for help. There is no reason at all for her to feel she has to do this alone nor that there isn't help for her there. I was provided with tons of information along with emails and phone numbers for any questions I had. Feel free to send her the link to my profile or this post if she has questions and maybe I can help point her in a direction. Felicia =0)

Congrats to you on your choice! How exciting it is to be on the journey to a new life!!! I have very little good to say about the program in Billings. The poster above stated its a long process and she is correct. I learned very little through their long process except the fact that I had an insurance that would pay there fore my process was longer then others. The classes are not helpful in learning anything about how you will be living after surgery as I learned 3 times what was taught just by reading all I could find online. The support groups are not supportive nor are they informative. Its also extremely expensive with a $500 program fee that in the end only seemed to cover a 3 ring binder, a water bottle and a bag. Then of course there is the 10% you are required to lose before you can even TALK to a surgeon. I will also agree with the above poster as the Great Falls program is very minimal but for what I paid and suffered through at the Billings clinic, Great Falls was a MUCH better program with a VERY VERY VERY experienced surgeon. No matter the program you choose you should do it based on the Surgeon and their experience. Before and After care are great but in the end its getting thru the surgery that is the most important part. There is VERY LITTLE you can not learn from the internet and for that matter this site. With that, its like buying a car.. If you have a good experience some place you are going to support it. If you have a bad experience your not going to support it. In the end its where you feel comfortable. I switched to Great Falls after suffering thru 95% of the Billings Program and it was the BEST choice I have ever made. I do have to say that the Dr. that does the psych test here in Billings is AWESOME!!! He was truly the only good part of the whole process. My recommendation is not which clinic you should use but is to learn as much as you can about ALL your choices. Best wishes to you on your WLS Journey!! Felicia * My 2 cents of course...

Thank you so much for the response. One thing that concerns me if I choose Great Falls is the distance. I just feel more secure being in the same town as the surgeon/ staff. I know many people do not have this luxury and all works out fine. Maybe I am just being silly. Again thanks and look foward to being "one of the club"!

I say go with what makes you feel comfortable. =0) Its not like its in stone so if you start here in Billings and it doesn't work out for you, you can always change later. Or for that matter maybe Billings will work out just fine for you and the worry will be all for not. Keep us posted on how your journey goes!! Best of luck and wishes to you!! Felicia =0)

I haven't heard anything about St. Vincents, but have heard horror stories about Great Falls - mainly that their post-op care and follow up leaves a LOT to be desired. I did a lot of research and finally decided on Missoula, even though Great Falls was closer. I had RNY in Missoula at St. Pat's in 2005 and they were great. It seemed like all of the nurses in the Bariatric Clinic had WLS and were very understanding. Almost two years out, I can e-mail the clinic with any questions and get a fast response. I know it's a long distance, but they do have St. Pat's House for patients to stay at after surgery. I went to my first informational meeting in August 2005 and had my surgery in October 2005, plus they handled all of the insurance hassles for me. I agree with the other posting - don't rely on anyone to give you information about WLS - it's all on the internet for the reading. Best of luck!! Marcee

I just wanted to say that I couldn't disagree more with Felicia about the Weight Managment Clinic in Billings! The support and knowledge that I gained from Misty and her staff have helped me SO much post-op!!! They were there and still are to educate, nuture, and most importantly support me every step of the way!!!!