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Hi All - I live in Brooks, Alberta. I originally had a lapband in July 2007 and a revision to a VSG in Sept 2009. Make sure that you get your out of country doctor to fill out a form for you that you can get from the Alberta Health Care website - submit it and your detailed receipt to Alberta Health Care - it takes about 12 weeks but the will reimburse you some of your expenses. I received $1280.00 for my lapband and $1926.00 for my revision - the rest of the expenses can be claimed on your income tax under medical expenses.

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OOOOOOOOOOOOHHH I sooooooooo wish I lived anywhere else than Quebec!!!! The only thing I can hope for is a bit on the income taxes!!!

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Hello fellow Canadians,

Well, I'm back from Mexico, was sleeved by Dr Aceves on 15th of July. What an awesome experience....top notch!

So far, everything is going great, a real breeze for me!! Hope you're all doing well...and those of you that are scheduled to be sleeved soon, I'll be thinking of you!

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excellent! glad you are doing well!! Keep us posted ok?

If you have any tips on what to bring ect, bring em on!!! I am getting ready for my turn in september!:thumbup:

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As far as I know, there are no physicians in Vancouver doing this work or else I would have gone myself. There is a surgeon in Victoria but his wait-list is 3-5 years long.

I went to Puget Sound Surgical Centre in Edmonds, WA.

Google their site .. tons of information there

Are there any doctors doing the vertical sleeve in Vancouver bc or Washington state?

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As far as I know, there are no physicians in Vancouver doing this work or else I would have gone myself. There is a surgeon in Victoria but his wait-list is 3-5 years long.

I went to Puget Sound Surgical Centre in Edmonds, WA.

Google their site .. tons of information there

when I called them in victoria they told me 5 - 7 yrs wait :)

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Hello my fellow Canadians...

I, like Miss Lili am from Montreal,Quebec and as she stated we like to do things differently here...lol

Waiting time is ridiculous!! With one surgeon I have been on a waiting list for 3 years so far for a consult and I called them this week and was told it would be 2 more years until I'd have a consultation with the surgeon. So 5 years in total waiting for a CONSULT!!

But Last December I was very fortunate to get a consult with another excellent surgeon in Montreal and I was told this week that I'm about 8 months more until my actual surgery.

I was very lucky but I also researched like crazy to stay in Quebec and have my province's healthcare system pay for it.We pay enough in taxes to warrant good service at home!

Good luck to all who are having surgeries and keep us posted.

Take care,

Ada

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Hi everyone,

It has been a long time since I posted, but I thought I would check in.

Here is my story:

Overweight almost my whole life. I lost over 100 pounds (twice) and gained it all back + each time.

In July 2009 my Dr. referred me to Halifax NS for a VSG. I was waiting for an invitation to an info. session.

Back in Oct. my spouse accepted a promotion in Ottawa (we were living in PEI). He moved in Nov. I stayed behind to sell the house and look after our 2 boys while they finished school. In May I sold the house (a 15 day closing period), packed everything up and moved the boys and I into a friends place.

I came to Ottawa to buy a house only to be told by my (now) ex-spouse that he thought we should buy our own houses.......

So I bought a house and moved my kids and I from PEI. You see by then I had already quit my job, sold my house, started a new job in Ottawa so there was no going back.

All during this time I was waiting to hear about an info. session for the surgery in NS. I seriously thought about going to Mexico but my family begged me not to. My Mom has loaned me money to allow me to pay for VSG. If I waited another 18 months or so I could get the RNY paid for by the Ontario Gov't but I don't want to wait that long and I don't really want the RNY.

So, 2 weeks from today on Oct 4th I will have a VSG done by Dr. Michel Gagner in Montreal, Quebec. He is doing surgery at 2 or 3 places, I will have mine at a 17 bed surgery centre at a cost of 15,000 total.

So move over all you post surgery Cdn's, I'm waiting anxiously to get on the losers bench.

Nancy

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wow! that is fabulous! and a really good price too.. the others in Montreal are un in the 20-22k range!

good luck then!!! you will be right following me!!!

let s keep in touch!!!

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Well I had my surgery as scheduled on Oct 4th and everything went well.

Dr. Gagner used a 34 French Bougie and he oversews to about a 32. He said I had a long J shaped stomach so it was hard to say what percent of my stomach he actually removed.

I have been on mushies since the 2nd day post op - started in the hospital.

Not sure how much I have lost as I don't have a scale but I will see a Dr. on Tuesday and get weighed. I had lost 10 pounds between pre-op testing and the morning of surgery which gwas a good start.

I'm not getting in my fluids or Protein yet.....everyday I tell myself I can do better, but 'm not sure I accomplish that!

I'm enjoying my seat on the bench!

Nancy

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
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    • Doughgurl

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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