Orientation in Hamilton!

Good Afternoon everyone!! I'm just starting my journey and I am SO EXCITED!!  I've been reading through the topics and you guys have been so helpful already! I've noticed it seems to be very Toronto centered, so there's not much info on the St. Joe's in Hamilton program. Has anyone here had experience with them? I have my orientation November 28th there and it cannot come fast enough!! 

Hi, I am just starting also. I got my notification of orientation in Guelph yesterday.  I go on the 17th. Nice to meet someone else who is just starting this. 

I still haven't technically gotten my letter! lol I hadn't heard from St Joe's 6 weeks after my referral was put in (which thanks to reading this site, I knew that didn't seem right),  so I called them myself. They called me back to let me know I was scheduled for orientation, good thing I called or I still wouldn't know!!

Welcome Zombiegirl85

Yes there are a few of us Hamilton patients kicking around ....not many though!!!!!

The wait was excruciating at that time, not sure what wait times are these days, but they were fine to deal with otherwise.  However trying to get someone on the phone for questions or appts was near impossible.

Thanks!! My friend had her surgery done in Toronto so I'm hoping her 10 month time frame will be close to what I'm looking at. I had to call to get my orientation date because I still haven't received my letter, and I had to leave a voicemail. I did get a call the next morning so it wasn't too bad luckily. I'm just so excited to get the whole process started any wait time feels excruciating right now lol

There is a Facebook group set up for Hamilton bariatric patients:

Dr. Scott Gmora/ Dr. Mehran Anvari/ Dr Dennis Hong

It's a closed group, so you will have to apply for membership to read the posts, but it is very active and has a lot of information about the program, clinic, and food & vitamin questions.

Just a PSA for anyone interested.

Thank you! I will definitely look into the group!!

I just went through the program in Hamilton. I had my surgery a month ago. Everyone I have dealt with has been kind and helpful. The wait time is pretty long. For me it took a year and a half from orientation to surgery. But you are in good hands. 

Thanks! That's incredibly reassuring to know! What was the reason for the long wait? Was it the appointments or just the way their program works?

It took a year from orientation until I got my first appointment to meet with a nurse. It did take six months from that point, but that was mostly because I had to wait a long time to get an appointment for a gastroscopy.