getting started q's??

HI all,

As a newbie, i'm overwhelmed on where to start..
So i guess i'll start with questions first: 

Are you having surgery covered by OHIP?? 
Which surgeries are covered??

Anyone going out of province or country? 
What made you decide on your type of surgery or location?

Anyone pay for it themselves? Are the costs really around the $30 thou mark?? 

Can anyone recommend a good book about it?

and finally and most importantly,

what are the first steps i should take to insure a better success rate with my doctor (who for the record is an idiot!! lol )

Thanks in advance :) 

M.

Hi there, and welcome to our "family" :)

There are two surgeries currently covered by OHIP.  To qualify you have to meet some specific guidelines.  You have to have a BMI over 35 with co-morbidities (diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc...) or a BMI over 40 with no co-morbidities.  The RNY is the surgery that is performed unless your abdominal anatomy makes it impossible.  Things like stomach or intestinal surgeries or cancers that prevent the RNY may lead to a VSG (vertical sleeve).  OHIP has really restricted the number of surgeries done out of the country because they have overhauled the process here and increased the number of surgeries performed here.  You have to get your doctor to refer you on the bariatric registry and your surgical centre is based on your postal code.  The process can take about a year from the time you are referred to the time of the surgery.  I was referred in April of last year and I have done all of the testing required now and I am waiting for my surgery date.  I will be having the RNY at St. Joe's in Hamilton.

Best of luck to you :)

Thanks

are there specific forms or anything i need for my doctor to refer me? or do i just ask?

I have (briefly) mentioned surgery in the past to him and he tells me he doesnt like dealing with the post op 'crap' and thats as far as it went.. (i wasnt really ready to pu****) 

He has to go to www.bariatricregistry.ca to refer you.  He can get all the information there.  The surgical centre that you go to will deal with the post op "crap" so he doesn't have to worry about that.  If you were to go across the border he would be the one to deal with it but that's not an issue if you stay in Canada.  What city/town do you live in?

If your doctor is online, then he can send the referral to the Bariatric Registry online.   If not then he'll have to call the registry for referral forms.  My doc isnt online and the registry sent him a package for him to fill out for his patients.

Did your doctor tell you specifically what he doesnt like dealing with?  Follow ups are done with the bariatric team.  Your GP likely wont have too much involvement in the process unless you need to see him for another reason [??].

Hi,

Just thought I'd answer a couple of the other questions you asked.

I went out of province all the way to Mexico and I self-paid for my surgery. I chose to do this because of the type of surgery I decided was best for me and the fact that OHIP doesn't cover it. I decided on my location because the surgeon I chose had a combination of an excellent reputation and a decent price. There was a closer surgeon here in Quebec but it would have cost me $7k more. I paid $13k in Mexico. I shopped around a lot and got quotes anywhere from $7500 right up to $30k but most were in the $20k range for the American surgeons. The price is going to depend on what type of surgery you want and where you go for it.

I haven't used it myself but I've seen several people comment in the forums here that The Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies book is an excellent place to start for basic knowledge.

My doctor was also an idiot about WLS. Even went so far as to tell me it wasn't covered 3 years ago when I first enquired about it. Turns out I could have got the surgery I wanted as it was covered back then, but oh well. I still wound up with it in the end. Just would have been nice if it had been paid for. I've actually ended up switching doctors now though. My new doctor isn't familiar with the surgery that I had but that's common for us DS'ers. But at least he isn't against WLS the way my previous dr was.

Good luck in your journey.

Kimme

Thanks

I'm close to Sudbury... and i'm not sure what my doctor doesnt like about the post op 'crap' (his word)..
I Dont know if he is online or not.. but i'm anticipating a struggle for a referral.. he's an idiot.. calls me a F***ing Hippie because i home-birth, co-sleep, breastfeed, delay vaccinations and don't cir****ize my boys... lets just say that visits to him are not on my fun list.. lol...

My BMI is over 50.. i'm 5'6... Im 32... Somethings gotta give, before its my knees..

*sigh*..

If you can, see if you can switch doctors.  I used to live in Sudbury and I went to Dr. S. Sbrocchi.  She was awesome and she was totally for me having the surgery.  Call her office and see if she's taking patients.  It might be worth it in the end.  I moved back close to Barrie before she could get the process started for me but that was over 5 years ago.  She used to be on Falconbridge Rd. if I remember correctly. 

Just my opinion but....you seriously need to find a new doctor.   You need someone who's going to be an advocate for you not fight you on health care.

First, I would look for new GP.  Anyone who treats a patient like that should be reported to the CMA.  He doesn't have the right to say how you should raise your kids unless you are putting them in danger.  Other than that, shut the hell up!  Even if you have to go out of your immediate area, find a new doctor, one that works WITH you, not AGAINST you.  If you can't change, ask for a second opinion.  You have the right to do that, but he also has the right to refuse you as a patient.

Second, I read a really good book called "The Experts Guide to Weight Loss Surgery".  It's written by Dr. Garth Davis, the son of the father/son team from the TLC series "Big Medicine" (which is no longer on the air).  He explains it very well, in layman's terms.

Good luck and welcome.  I hope it all works out for you.