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WOOHOO!!!  I am so relieved!  I met with Catherine with the Weight Wise Assessment Team and she was just great!  Very friendly and genuinely seemed to care about her patients!

I worried about my colitis for nothing!  Catherine said that the Lap Band may even improve my colitis symptoms!  YAY!!!

The only thing that MAY be a problem is that I might have an allergy to silicone and that's what the Lap Band is made of!!!  The CPAP mask that caused such a bad rash on my  face was silicone as well!  So I have to get an appointment with an allergy specialist and see if I'm allergic to it or not (or if the mask just caused an irritation on my face because it was rubbing against it and I have such sensitive skin).  So I'll need to call and get a referral from my family doctor tomorrow.

Assuming I'm not actually allergic to silicone (I sure hope not!!!), then I was told that I will find out in March if I'm accepted into the Weight Wise Program or not and, if I am, which specific program (the Adult Weight Managment Program or the Bariatric Surgery Program).  And then the next appointment will likely be in April (so I'll get a call in March for an appointment in April).  Catherine said that she saw no reason that I would be denied acceptance into the Bariatric Surgery Clinic, but of course she can't speak for the whole Assessment Team that still needs to review all my forms.  

But so far, as long as I'm not allergic to silicone, everything is looking good!

Oh and I I lost some weight...I'm 294.8 pounds now.  8 pounds down...YAY!!! (Not on a diet but just eating at home a way more and cutting down on fast food quite a bit).

Anyway, is it March yet?????

I can hardly believe it's finally here!!!  I am so nervous that they won't approve me for the Lap Band because of my Colitis (or for some other reason) or try to make me go through the Adult Weight Management process first (with just nutritionists).

I guess I'll have a better idea tomorrow!  It sounds like I won't for sure know if I'm accepted or not tomorrow, but I might have a good idea (I hope!).

Anyway, just a shout out to my very first friend added to my blog...shortskirt_ky (Pam from Tennessee).  Hello!!! *waves*

WOOHOO!!!  I'm so happy!!!  There was a cancellation and instead of having to wait until April (or May or June!) for an appointment with Dr. Davey's team, I now go for my assessment on January 23rd!!!  I'm so excited!!!

I'm still really confused about the process though!  They said I meet with the Assessment Team first (on the 23rd) to determine if I should go through the Adult Weight Management process and meet with their dieticians, etc. or go through the gastric surgery process (Bariatric Surgery Clinic).  But aside from that, I have no clue what to expect!  I wish I knew someone who went through this process already with Dr. Davey!

I'm desperately hoping and praying that they won't try to get me to lose weight with the dieticians, etc. and not approve me for the Lap Band process at all.  I've waited too long to have my time wasted again.  If I could do this on my own (with or without the help of a dietician), I would have done it by now!!!

I went for a consultation with Dr. Matic and she said that she wouldn't recommend having RNY for at least 2 years after my Colitis goes into remission.  She also thinks the Lap Band is a safer procedure for me, especially since it can be reversed.  So there's really no reason to spend hundreds of dollars to drive to Medicine Hat and pay for a hotel room, etc. for something that I couldn't even have for at least 2 years anyway.  So I'll be cancelling my consultation and instead wait for the consultation with Drs. Davey/Birch.  According to a waiting list update, I should now expect a call sometime in January for spots opening up in April, May and June.  I have to go back in for a scope with Dr. Matic on Tuesday. I hope my Colitis is in remission now, so she'll agree to support the Lap Band procedure right away instead of recommending that I wait 2 years!  Since she works in the same hospital as Davey/Birch, I'm scared if she recommended waiting for a year or two, that they'll for sure make me wait.  I guess I'll have a better idea on Tuesday...

It’s weird though.  It’s been an almost 3 year wait and now I’m going to cancel the consultation. I’m not sad though, especially since it was my “B” plan anyway.  I’m actually kind of relived that we don’t have to drive all the way down to Medicine Hat in the middle of winter.  So now my focus is on the consultation with Drs. Davey/Birch and the Lap Band procedure!

 

 

 

 

Wow...I get to see Dr. Nohr in about 2 1/2 weeks!  The 3 year wait oddly enough went faster than I thought it would.  Well this year went fast at least! 

I sure wish Dr. Davey/Birch's office would have called first to schedule me in so I didn't have to drive all the way down to Medicine Hat.  It's at least a 7-8 hour drive!  Ugh.  Oh well, I don't have much of a choice though since there is a possibility that Dr. Davey won't accept a Colitis patient.  Some surgeons take Colitis patients on a case by case basis, and some won't take them at all! 

Mind you, there is also the possibility that Dr. Nohr won't either.  I did call his office and ask if he would accept a Colitis patient, and he said it's on a case by case basis and wants my doctor to fax him information on my condition.  So once I see the specialist next week, we'll fax him the info to confirm if the trip is even a go!  Hopefully the specialist will say my Colitis is NOT Crohn's!  I highly doubt he'd accept a Crohn's patient!  Guess I'll find out soon!

I've been reading more about RNY on Colitis/Crohn's Disease patients (which I just recently found out I had!)...and it looks like most surgeons won't do gastric bypass on someone with inflammatory bowel disease.  But they might do Lap Band since it's reversable and they could always remove the Band if my Colitis gets worse down the road.

It's probably a good thing though, since the Lap Band procedure is much less invasive and there is no risk of malabsorption.  But weight loss IS slower with the Band, which is a definite drawback.  But for me, it definitely looks like the best route to go!

YAY!!! I actually heard back from someone about the Dr. Davey/Dr. Birch appointment! According to my family doctor, I am supposed to expect a call sometime in February for a consultation that will be held likely in April 2007! That means only 6 more months to wait for my consultation!!! WOOHOO!!!

Then I've heard the surgery itself isn't for about another year after that since they want you to do their pre-op preparations (talks with their nutritionists...and whatever else they have us do). So surgery might not be until early 2008...but that's okay...at least things are (slowly) moving along now!

Dr. Davey's office sent over a form for more information to my family doctor, so at least they haven't forgotten about me! We filled in the information today and it'll be sent on it's way. I told my doctor that I would be fine with either Dr. Davey or Dr. Birch, so whichever doctor can see me first is the one I'll go with. Dr. Sabir also sent a separate letter to Dr. Birch, hopefully that'll help as well! I'm 303 now (and 5'4 1/2").

I just hope they can see me before my Dec. 12th appointment with Dr. Nohr. I've made up my mind that I want to go with the doctors here in Edmonton instead (mainly because they do a LAP procedure and have a great pre-op and follow up program), but I'm scared to cancel my appointment with Dr. Nohr until I find out for sure if Dr. Davey or Dr. Birch will accept me into their program. I'd hate to have to drive all the way down to Medicine Hat and end up wasting Dr. Nohr's time and my own time (as well as my family who'd be driving me there)! But until I hear something back, I have to hang on to my consultation date with Dr. Nohr. I would like to be able to give up my time slot to another patient waiting desperately to see him too, so I sure hope I get news from Dr. Davey/Dr. Birch very soon!

It's been over a year since my last log entry and I'm STILL waiting for my consultation. Looks like I'm not going to be one of the lucky ones that gets my consultation moved forward. :(

I also went on Dr. Davey's waiting list as well (the referral was sent in December 2005 I *think*). He's in Edmonton and can do LAP instead of open. Plus he does great preparation and follow-up support services. Dr. Nohr does none. The biggest drawback for going with Dr. Davey though is that I'll have even longer to wait for my surgery! And he doesn't do a free tummy tuck like Dr. Nohr does. But I like that I'll have less scaring and a less invasive surgery with Dr. Davey. Lots to think about...

Ugh...it's been over 9 months since my consultation has been booked and and still no cancellations! Another year and a half to wait for my new life to begin! :(

My weight is up to 303 pounds now. *sigh*

At least a support group started up in Edmonton. I'm very happy about that! I'll be attending my first meeting at the end of this month!