Thanks for the comments everyone. I believe the facebook group is invite only so if someone could add me it would be great. Kayla Eddy and my profile picture is my dogs. I will also email the nurse. Thanks. 

As for Mexico it was an overall good experience. I had first rate care and my surgeon was Dr. Rumbaut. I chose him based on his record and the fact that I had a friend have the operation with him 5 years ago with success. Everything was taken care of by the doctors office right from sending someone to get me at the airport to the hotel arrangements. I had no complications with the surgery and there was nothing shady or anything less than first rate. The cost was 12 grand. That included everything but air fare and personal spending. The hospital stay was 2 nights and then I went to a very nice hotel for 9 days (only 7 was required but it was cheaper for me to fly later.) 

Anyway any more questions please email me, kaylaeddy@hotmail.com. I am an open book. I understand the stress that this can cause. I am only home since Saturday night. 

Kayla

Congrats on your appt and also for a very informative post. I'm sure there are many "waitiers" out there who will be happy to read this information.

I also wanted to say how happy I was to learn from you that there will be a research study done to determine the effect Bariatric surgery has on medical problems and number of doctors visits. Kudos to the research team.

Maerry Christmas to you and your date for surgery will be here before you know it!

HI K, are you a part of the facebook group?  https://www.facebook.com/groups/bariatricsurgerysupportNL/

The other support group(face to face) has been set up by the bariatric team kara.slade@easternhealth.ca drop her an email and see if you are allowed to join.  

The facebook group of us do get together from time to time!

Wow! 21/2 hours for one appointment! After my two week liquid diet, I met with the Dietician and the Bariatric Nurse as well as a very nice research student from MUN. I met with the Dietician first and she weighed me, took my height and asked a lot about the two week diet. I had my sleep study done a week prior, but it apparently takes 3 weeks to get the results back so we couldn't really discuss that. Sleep is not really a problem of mine, I much prefer it to most activities as it is rare and forgotten in my household.

They took a thorough family history and asked me a kazillion questions about my health. I had to bring all my medications including vitamins so that the nurse could go through them. I didn't have any issues there but I can't help but wonder how in the name of Jamison does anyone take a pill or vitamin after this surgery if it doesn't come in liquid or chewable form?

At one point, a MUN student came in and asked if I would cooperate in a study they were working on. She went through all the information and told me that I didn't have to make my decision then, that she would see me at my next appointment. The breakdown of this study if I decide to participate is: MUN is trying to gather medical information for the government to determine if a patient who undergoes bariatric surgery has less medical problems and less doctor's visits after surgery compared to before surgery.

If I decide to say yes to this program, then I sign a consent form at my next visit saying that I give them access to all my medical records for the past 3 years and that they will follow through my every appointment with the bariatric doctor to ask questions and follow-up with me. I do believe by signing, you also give them access to your medical records for 3 years following the surgery as well. But it is all confidential. You are just a number that matches up with another number in the medical system they use. No one can be identified.

I think this research will do good for this province and for the Bariatric team. Most everybody will have better health after surgery, am I right? This research will show the government how less they are spending on our health care after the procedure and in turn show them how much they are saving. Hopefully they will then increase the Bariatric team as it is now a 5 YEAR WAITING LIST for a gastric sleeve. The nurse said it back at the information session in October and I confirmed it with her again last week. That just blows my mind!

There are 3 surgeons on the team and they do 1 surgery each every Monday except for holidays. (They would pick Mondays...the one day of the week with the most holidays!) So that's approximately 9 surgeries a month and one would think 108 surgeries a year, however at the info session on Oct. 12, 2012, the nurse told us that they had only performed 78 surgeries in total in almost two years. For the longest time, it was only Dr. Pace doing these surgeries but now there are two more surgeons on the team. Let's hope they get at least 108 surgeries a year because with a 5 year waiting list the Yanks will have to watch the borders more carefully as I'd be heading to Mexico to pay $5000 for the surgery down there.

All in all, the appointment went very well. She told me that I would be looking at the Spring for my surgery and that my next step would be to meet with the doctor to sign my consent forms. I've waited two years....what 4 more months! In the meantime, I've got a trip planned for down south next month. I haven't had a picture taken of me in years but I plan to take lots down there so I can look at them and shake my head AFTER the surgery...lol. Maybe I won't get them developed until 6 months post-op..lol.

Hi There,

There is a Bariatric Support Group in place. Actually, there are several around the province! Ask the Bariatric Nurse about it. She sent me out some info on them and I do recall them looking for more people to start up support groups. Maybe something you are interested in.

Hi there bbw33;

Once you have your referal sent in the next step is the wait for the invite to the orientation. The surgical team will not invite you to this orientation unless they know that they can do your surgery with in a year from orientation. After the orientation they then will meet with you. You will have to do the liquid diet trial, tests meet with Dr. Pace and then the wait for the surgery call.

I'm pretty sure you have to be invited by the Bariatric team as there is a very long waitlist. The nurse told us at the meeting that there is now a five year waiting list for this surgery.

http://www.facebook.com/lynn.davis.31542841?ref=tn_tnmn

Would someone mind "friending" me on facebook and inviting/adding me to the group please. You can unfriend me after. I have my referral in (long ago) and should "fingers crossed" have a date in January. The link is to my FB profile.

Hi there - GREAT JOB!!!! And I do agree with you - counselors are needed. I just noticed the Bariatric Program in Thunder Bay is advertising for a Nurse Practitioner. Perhaps the St. John's program should have a NP who could fill multiple roles with the program in St. John's - counseling being one of them. Congrats to you TDR on your success!!

Hi Safetyman,

There is a team at Eastern Health now performing the Vertical Sleeve gastric surgery - referrals from your family physician would go to Dr. David Pace at the Health Sciences Centre.

The wait list, as I understand it, is now about a 4-5 year wait, so I don't recommend delaying. :)

For more information, you can contact the nurse practitioner who coordinates the program at Eastern Health, Kara Slade, at Kara.Slade@easternhealth.ca.

All the best!

Jenn