A New Canadian

I am a Canadian, from Edmonton Alberta. Our health Care will cover the surgery, but we have a shortage of surgeons and the WLS issue is of very low priority here. I understand that the wait is 6 or more years. I have been in contact with Dr A and my husband and adult daughter are getting to the point of ....total support. They are both close, but they are scared. So am I. I am 48 years old. My husband is retired and will accompany me to Mexico. I am 5'6" and I weigh 260 lbs. I have had a weight problem since I was about 10 or 11 years old. I have had significant weight losses in the past (48 lbs in 1975, 80 lbs in 1981, 63 lbs in 1986, 45 lbs in 1998) as well as periodic 10-15 lb weight losses in between. Each loss has been followed by a weight gain greater than the previous loss. I am as active as I am able to be. I swim and do aquacise. I am bothered GREATLY by arthritis in my knees and feet, which limits my ability to exercise by walking. I am afraid that my mobility will diminish as my age and weight increase. I am looking at an available date with Dr A on June 24th or 25th. I am feeling a little bit off balance. This is so huge. I am quite terrified. Having to pay for everything means that I have to make a cost/benefit analysis because I am going to have to take money from my retiement fund.... but if I don't lose weight, what use would my fund be anyway? I have learned so much from all of you. I am very,very grateful. I avoid most chat/message boards because I am a very private person. This experience has taught me that people need each other. This group of people is very inspiring. I am privileged to be a part of this.

Howdy there Pardner!!!!! I have been to Edmonton and its lovely, cold, but lovely. My mom is from Winnipeg and my father was from Mexico. I was born in Mexico and I never could figure out what I was, Mexican in heart though! Anyway, I am having surgery June 23rd so we will be there at the same time! Six years to wait for WLS. Too long. I am finding it difficult to wait two months. I have been looking into this for three years and now that it is two months away I just can't wait! Oh, forgot to say, I am 50 so if age is bothering you I 'm right there with you. I also had the weight loss yo-yo thing and I always got right back to my normal weight of 300 lbs. I suppose that is my set point! Remember that diet thing, something about your natural set-point. Well, I didn't have to diet to get there. So, we will meet. Done set deal!!!!!! It will be nice to meet you and I speak Spanish so if I can help while you are there let me know. We are all in this together.

Canela, hearing from you was like an omen! When he read your post, my husband said "Do it. Make the booking! This sounds like it was meant to be!". So I e-mailed Dr A and Rosella to ask for June 24th. YIKES!!! Thank you for having perfect timing. I think that knowing someone who was going to be there at the same time as we were was a great relief to Noel (my husband). I know that I was thrilled! And a speaker of Spanish, too! I spent a number of years working with refugees from El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala so my Spanish comprehension is quite good, but my vocabulary was limited to horrible subjects: tortura, ejercito, escuada de muerta, prisionero de politico, desaparecedos. I learned a lot about cruelty and injustice and survival, but I never learned 'normal' conversation in Spanish. I will let you know when I hear from Dr A. If all goes well, we will meet before your surgery, and I'll be waiting for you when you come out. Big hugs from me to you. Let's talk again soon.

Hi Sherry, I am from Calgary and I am not interested in waiting the 6 years either. I leave for Mexico on May 12th. I can't wait. I am so glad to here that someone else in Canada is doing the Mexico thing. Were in Mexico are you going? I am going to Tiguana. I fly to San Diego and someone from the clinic picks me up and drives me the 15 minutes to Mexico. I have also been overweight since the age of 12. I remember being in the 5th grade and weighing 165 lbs. Today I am 5'6 and weigh 240. I researched all the options and have decided on getting the mid-band procedure. Anyway it is nice to finally have someone close by to communicate with.

Hello from Edmonton to Calgary! Congratulations on your decision and the imminent 'date'! I am going to Ensenada to see Dr Alexandro Aquirre for an open RNY. Same plan; we fly to San Diego and the driver picks us up. The surgery requires one pre-op day for tests, a two and a half hour surgery (if everything goes well, God willing),two days in hospital, then three days in the Dr's apartment complex, then home. We estimate that we'll spend about $15,000 (from my RRSP!!!) My husband will come with me. He'll be the one who comes home with a tan! Please tell me about your Dr and procedure. I'd like to keep in touch. We have been isolated by our fat for long enough. I'll be thinking of you as you get busy preparing for your 'date'!!! Big hug.

Hi Sherry, Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. The doctor I have chosen is Dr Sergio Verboonen. I looked at all of them and asked info from about 4 and only Dr Verboonen's office emailed me back so that was how I chose him in the end. I will be paying around $11,000.00. I am going alone even though my daughter is very upset with that idea!! We just finished refinancing our mortgage so I told my husband that I wanted the extra money to have the surgery. He said yes so thats when I started to get really nervous. Now I can't wait!! I have been struggling with my weight all my life and I only hope and pray that this will finally help me to get over the top. I know that I will have to put a lot of work into it and I don't mind that, but I think its important to see results. I believe you are having your surgery in June. Well keep in touch and I will let you know how everything goes.

June - I hope I'm not mistaken, but I do believe you might want to find a new doctor. Search back a page or two or more to find a thread about Dr. Verboonen and you'll see some people who are very unhappy. I know of two who have frequented this forum alone. I thought someone mentioned he was in jail or something...not sure what for. Please look back on the posts, and if it's the same doctor, try someone else. I have heard good things I think about Ortiz. Good luck! Dina

June - Here is the thread I was telling you about with Verboonen: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/south-of-the-border/postdetail/318.html?vc=0 Dina

Sherry - I am so happy you came in to post with us. You won't regret your decision to see Dr. Aguirre. I have heard how hard it is to get in for surgery up there in Canada. It's nice that it's covered by insurance, but 6 years and someone could die from their obesity related problems in that time! Having surgery in Mexico is a different experience than I've had in the US but it was a very positive experience for me. I just quite literally didn't have any pain. And after my shot of "tequila" I was happy as a clam and didn't know much of what was going on around me at all. I have to say that I was more nervous a month before my surgery than I was the day of my surgery. I just knew so much from coming here and talking to others that I knew what to expect. It was wonderful having all these pioneers here to tell their stories. Keep coming back and asking questions - we'll be happy to answer them for you! Dina

Its me again, I am glad my email helped! It was emails and profiles and the experiences of all these wonderful people that helped me make my decision. I have been pondering the issue for a good three years. Anyway, I was given this website by a friend and then I found the "south of the border" part and I was hooked. Now we wait. I think this is the hardest part for me because I decide and do. Oh well, this way I will be well prepared. Have you visited Annette's web page? Go if you haven't and you will be amazed at all the info you get. It sure made me feel better.