Newly Accepted/Victoria Waitlist

Hi everyone.

I just did my orientation in Richmond in early June after waiting just over 2 years. It did seem like a long time to wait and I've only done the orientation and the initial 8 vials of blood tests but the next set of appointments are set up - bone density, abdominal ultrasound, dietition and social worker, all in July.

They told us at the orientation that wait time until surgery was individual but if all looked good, we were probably looking at 6 to 8 months from the orientation. But again, each person's case is different.

Now that I've done the orientation, I think the next stretch of waiting is good as there is a lot to do, a lot of changes we have to make and they aren't easy but they will be lifelong, no matter how much smaller the stomach will be after the surgery. Everything will be turned upside down and I know I need time to really process this so I am ready.

So I think the hardest wait is the first 2 years waiting for the orientation..then it starts to move along.

One suggestion while waiting is to look into the diet programs that might be available in your area. Call the bariatric program you are waitlisted for and ask if they can suggest anything in your area. We had one women in our group who had already been participating this this type of program for a number of months before the orientation and barring anything else surfacing, she will most likely get her surgery date sooner than the rest of us.

Hi there....how long exactly did you wait for orientation? I have been waiting for a call since March 2016.....last time I talked to my Dr he said they told him they would give me a call in May or June but still nothing.....I hate the waiting too so just wanted to see how long you have been waiting.... thanks!

I was on the waitlist since March of 2016 as well and got the call for the orientation meeting sometime at the beginning of May. So just over 2 years. Then the first available orientation was early June.

I don't know how different the wait time between Victoria and Richmond would be but hopefully you will hear soon and honestly, it feels like it's starting to move now.

They told us at the orientation that they only have about 200 surgeries times available per year but the demand is considerably higher than that..thus the long waitlist.

Good luck though and I think you will hear soon!

Thanks...i just want to get the call already.. I'm always afraid I'm going to get lost between the cracks because I've switched family doctors twice since the referral went in. I guess the orientation is the first "appointment" then? I'm so nervous and excited to start this...im just tired of waiting haha.

Hi Carla,

I have just had my orientation recently after waiting just over 2 years so am just in the beginning stages but one of the things I have found is that our GPs and other doctors really don't know much about this program so you basically end up doing the research yourself.

Read everything you can on the process and the surgeries so you have a really good idea of what you are heading into as this is going to turn your life upside down. One of the women in our orientation had already been participating in a weight loss program so she was ahead of us in that one area as far as prospective actual surgery dates, but then it would still depend on everything else. Calling to ask where you are on the waitlist won't do you much good I'm afraid, but calling to ask if there is weight management program that they will recognize in your area that you could participate in would give you something to work at and focus on while you wait.

Someone mentioned the Weightloss Surgery for Dummies book..I think this will answer most of your questions so it's definately a book to get your hands on.

I don't think registering for both programs is going to slow anyone else up as they will simply move on to the next person if you were accepted into the other. The only issue I would see with this is that there are a number of appointments and sessions after the orientation so convenience of getting to those would be an issue for me if I tried to go from the mainland to Victoria or vise versa.

So had I realized what was coming after the orientation, I would have done a lot more reading, found a weight management program to get into ahead of the orientation so that I was more prepared going in..though now that I am in and starting the process, I need to time to process the changes that will be coming.

Best!

Thank you for your insight....I think I will call and ask about weight management program, as I conceivably have 1.5 years to go....also will purchase that book you mentioned.

Thanks again and happy for you to be moving forward. I am sure the 2 year waiting period will sneak up on me quickly as life has a way of moving fast these days.

Carla

Do call. You don't want to find out a year later (or worse, longer!) that the referral didn't go through and the waiting time (this was Richmond) is now a year longer than it was when you requested the referral. (Ask me how I know to offer this caution...) And feel free to ask questions. It's the receptionists' job to answer them, and in my experience, they are friendly and helpful.

And yes, there are programs you can do in the meantime. Dr. Lyons in Coquitlam has one, and he works with anybody in the province, even if you can't get in to Coquitlam for all aspects of the program.

And track your food. They like that. (At least for the Victoria program.)

I believe that it is about the same for Richmond. But I do know that compliance with your CPAP therapy if you have sleep apnea including keeping a record, logging what you put into your mouth, exercising regularly, and making some lifestyle changes like slowly stopping with smoking, alcohol etc. and also seeing a obesity counselor, or something like this MAY help with some of this. They need to see that you're starting to do the process. Prior to the orientation session, you can be doing this, so when they see you at your first individual follow up appointment, they can see that you have been dedicated at following through, and then it will take you a bit shorter. Compliance is a big issue with how you're able to adapt to the changes that are necessary after the weight loss surgery! The weight loss surgery is just a tool. It is not a miracle fix, so you need to have an effective support network, and practice lifestyle changes BEFORE you have surgery.

There are 200 surgeries each allotted to Richmond and Victoria per year. Wait times depend on surgeons holidays, patients readiness for surgery medically, physically and psychologically. They now have to sign a waiver that they commit to being drug and alcohol free. They are testing. It has been proven that Bariatric patients are vulnerable to addictive behaviours and those that make the necessary changes pre surgery have the best outcome. As this surgery has a 50% success rate it is in the patients best interests too.

This was the same when I took the program. They don't test everyone. I didn't get tested for drugs, alcohol etc. They only test the ones where there is higher risk of them going onto this from ones that are known for food. So no it is not everyone! At least I can talk on about the Richmond Program, but don't know what is happening with the Victoria program.