Weary of waiting... I don't do patience well...
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IslandSneezerooo
Posts: 268 Member
I started this process November 9th when my doc referred me to my bariatric surgeon. Four months later and so far I've had a 5 min consult with the surgeon, who has now referred me to his bariatric clinic for group orientation, tests, and a consult with their nutritionist, but they haven't scheduled any appts yet, so its just been a whole lot of impatient waiting and that's it... I talked to them more than a month ago and they said I should have an appointment within a month... Left another message today... The surgeon did warn me I wouldn't have a surgery date for at least a year, but I was hoping I'd at least be doing stuff to prepare while waiting... 
I live in BC Canada, and my surgery is covered by provincial funding, and I definitely couldn't afford to do this any other way, so I feel like I'm at the mercy of whatever they decide, whenever they decide... I REALLY wish I had the means to call the shots myself...
What did you do while waiting? Did your doctor put you on a pre- pre-op diet? I'm eating lower cal and exercising more, cutting out the "bad" carbs, getting in more protein, taking supplements... my family doc started me on metformin yesterday to help with PCOS symptoms... I'm anxious to get on with it, but mostly I HATE WAITING!!!!!
I live in BC Canada, and my surgery is covered by provincial funding, and I definitely couldn't afford to do this any other way, so I feel like I'm at the mercy of whatever they decide, whenever they decide... I REALLY wish I had the means to call the shots myself...What did you do while waiting? Did your doctor put you on a pre- pre-op diet? I'm eating lower cal and exercising more, cutting out the "bad" carbs, getting in more protein, taking supplements... my family doc started me on metformin yesterday to help with PCOS symptoms... I'm anxious to get on with it, but mostly I HATE WAITING!!!!!
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Pre-op diet for me started the day after the orientation meeting. They set the pre-op diet as:
1500 calories per day
80-100 grams of protein per day (I went to 100)
64 ounces of water per day
Log everything (that's what got me here)
Start an exercise program
I started eating like I was post surgery, and reaped huge rewards. Every pound you can lose pre-surgey is one you don't have to lose post. In my case, I realized that I had so much to lose that there was no way I would get it done in the honeymoon period, so I had to hit the pre-surgery hard. I ended up being more successful that I imagined I would be, but that math still works.
Don't think of the surgery as the goal as much as the habits and behaviors you will develop. Start those now, and the surgery will come when the surgery comes.
Rob0 -
Thanks, Rob.
All very good advice! I'm getting close to 100 grams of protein everyday, I'm aiming for net calories of 1620/day. The water is the thing I struggle with most. I count any non-caffeinated fluids and come in around 48-56 ounces most days... It's taken 7 weeks to work up to 15 minutes of exercise every day, as I'm able (I have an old injury I'm working around).
And then after ranting about not hearing anything, I just got a call and I have a group orientation on April 9th!! So excited...0 -
I was upset about the wait before my surgery too. But now I'm glad it took so long. It's a big decision and having that time to think about it and learn everything I could about it helped a lot. Take this time to cut back on caffeine, soda and other foods you might not be able to have after.0
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Don't panic! I am in Ontario it took be a year from start to finish. Once you get past orientation things start to move a little faster then them seem to go at break neck speed then comes to dead stop then before you know it is the day of surgery. It is frustrating at times, but like you said most of us could not afford it on our own and it is worth the wait. They want to make sure that all participates will benefit the most from the program and that takes time. I wish you all the best on your journey!0
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I live in California and have an HMO. It sucks. I couldn't get the PPO because at the time I qualified for healthcare through my employer the Affordable Care Act hadn't kicked in covering pre-existing conditions. The only benefit to having an HMO over a PPO is it is costing me less. My guess is that in Canada it costs even less because you guys are smart up there and have universal coverage. Anyway, my first meeting with my doctor was September 13, 2013. So, it's been almost exactly 18 months since I started the process. Tomorrow is my surgery. Barring something terrible happening in the next 14 hours I'll be post-op soon.
Sounds like you're doing great already with the eating and exercise. Just stick to it and be patient. It will happen!0 -
@Aztec4Life the only "extra" cost we have here that I know of so far is travel (my appointments are a 5 hour ferry/drive away round trip) and any supplements. I do pay for medical insurance through income tax and monthly premiums (~$140/month for a family of 3) so health care isn't exactly "free" here like the media likes to portray... LOL Provincial insurance also covers plastic surgery to remove excess sagging skin after the weight is lost, so I'll definitely be taking advantage of that as I already need a breast reduction/lift... I'm a little scared to see what they'll look like after weight loss!
@asia1967 I have a feeling once the orientation is behind me it'll happen much quicker... funny I posted this and then the same afternoon I have my first appointment date! LOL
@bugged53 This has been something I've been discussing with my doctor and researching for the past three years, so I definitely agree it's not something to jump into unprepared. When I first looked into it there was a 5-7 year waiting list in my province, so my family doctor advised me not to do it, said I could lose the weight on my own in that space of time... fast forward three years and I've lost and regained probably 100+ lbs, for an overall gain of 10 lbs since we first started discussing WLS... and now the waitlist is only a year, thank goodness!
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