Why is my date so far away??

I've been paying attention to peoples timelines in their signatures.  For some reason my Orientation to Surgery date seems so much longer then everyone elses?  I did orientation at TWH the end of March and I just got my surgery date for February 5, 2013.  Why so long?  I'm in the GTA and did not have to postpone any of my appointments.  I guess no one can really answer that....I just want to GET THE PARTY STARTED!  LOL

www.youtube.com/watch 

Very amusing Ian! 

 Hmmm?  I don't consider it that long.  My orientation was January 30th 2012 and my first appointment was May 30th..  I had to wait an entire year just to get the orientation point.  I honestly think we all need this time to really think about the changes, the surgery and ask questions.  You have a lot to cover between now and your surgery date.  Good luck.  It really isn't that far away.  

Jodi the date thing can be really frustrating for some... One person I know got her date in September but isn't booked till the end of January.

Reality is at this particular time of year... Surgeries are going to be more commonly booked in the new year.

Each facility is allotted X amount of Surgeries (HRRH is 550 this year - up from 500), for all bariatric surgeries that are OHIP funded, and spread across the entire team.

Each surgeon gets X amount of Surgery Time for any given month. Priority is given to Critical Paitients, but they try to book in the times they are given.

Each surgery typicaly has a secondary (assisting) Doctor and the "team" (anathesiologist, nurses, etc.) so for a procedure like these... They want THEIR team. Not just a random OR team.

10.5 months Orientation - Surgery at TWH seems about average.
HRRH is trying to move things in 6 months Orientation - Surgery for as many as possible.

I think we are forunate to get in and done in under a year. Think of those who wait 1-3 years.

These are just things i know about surgeries, and what I have noticed.

Everyone's journey is so individual, even people going through the same centre. Don't drive yourself nuts thinking about it. I know it can be frustrating. You have your date now so that's the important thing!

When I got my date it was quite far out at the time as well which was kinda disappointing, but the day came and went. Time will pass for you too!

I know that I and quite a few others who went through TWH called for cancellations quite frequently.  I had almost all of my appointments moved up this way (just calling every few days to see if anyone had cancelled and they could fit me in).  I was done all of my screening appointments by May 1st, but then there was some time lag between that and meeting the surgeon (the one appointment I wasn't able to get moved up!).  I really think that this helped me.

As to why there's 4 months between your surgeon date and your actual surgery, it might have something to do with the holidays - I know things really seemed to slow down over the summer for vacations and such.

Congrats on getting a date!

Technically, I've been waiting since March of 2008. I've been forgotten about 4 times. Twice by my former hospital (Henry Ford Hospital - Warren Campus in the states. Severe lack of communication between them and my former family doctor's office.), once by my current one (Toronto Western Hospital - I asked to be switch to this one and have been dealing with them since April of 2011. They just claimed that my file "slipped through the cracks") and once by the sleep study place in Espanola. They literally left me stranded alone all night with bears wandering around until about 1:30am when a friend of a friend came and got me and let me crash on their couch for the night. So trust me, I feel your pain with regards to waiting. I still don't have a surgery date yet, nor have I even met my surgeon. Yes, it's very frustrating indeed.

That must be SO frustrating! I didn't get a call for my surgeons appointment for a LONG time (last appointment was July) so one day I called TWH and acted "dumb" like I wasn't sure if I was supposed to call them! Its a good thing I did cause my surgeon's appointment was a week later and the lady had NO clue why I hadn't been contacted yet! Sometimes you gotta act dumb! Most of the time I sit back and assume people know what they're doing and I don't want to be one of those "annoying" people, but sometimes you have to be your own advocate! Scratch that....you ALWAYS have to or you do fall through the cracks. Darn cracks!

Just remember it could always be worse... I was referred in 2010 ...orientation 2011.... Surgery 14 moths later in June 2012