Wait times @ Guelph

 Hey Everybody,

    Just wanted to let anyone that is waiting for the referral process to go through that I called today to see if my GP had put the referral through (which she hasn't yet..boo )  to the Guelph Hospital and the lady asked me when my doctor put the referral in, and I said sometime last month, and she said that no they wouldn't have received yet as they have just finished with all of the referrals from last December.  So it looks like it will be a long wait should I decide to go that route.....this just cements the reason why I think I will fund my own surgery abroad.

Tammy

      My originally surgery got post-poned indefinitely due to chest pain I was having during my pre-surgery registration (Long Story and it turned out that it was a pinched nerve).  It was a real bad time, and I thought that I would have to start all over again, and was not offered any information about were I stood or what standing I had for getting the surgery. In hind site I am really glad that this happened because it really made me work on the emotional aspect of getting the surgery and preparing me for the life changes that I would have to make. I don't think I was prepared mentally for my original operation. The first thing they told me on my first visit to the clinic was that only 33% reach their goal and sustain it. Just my two cents but I think the delays that people are experiencing could be used as a opportunity to work on things. In some ways, post surgery is when some of the hard work begins.

 I agree with Mike.

If you decide to go out of country, that's one option. Even though I was frustrated with my long wait (14 months from referral to surgery), it gave me the time to get my head on straight. I had time to learn the lifestyle changes and let them really sink in before surgery.

Whatever way you decide to go, we'll support you, but waiting isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, yes, but not always.

Thanks for your insight on this, and I appreciate your concern. I have dealt with this beast my entire life and I feel like my weight is really not letting me live my life and it is making me a really miserable wife &  mom to my 4 young children  .....long story to that,  but I was involved in a MVA 3 years ago and between living with chronic pain and my weight I feel that I need to take the bull by the horns and take control of my life.  I am still losing weight and I am making some progress however not to the degree I would like to.  For years I have wanted to have the surgery, however, my old GP was unapproachable and very judgemental, I was so thankful the day I found a new GP, she immediately agreed to me doing this and for the first time I did not feel judged.  As an obese person we live with being judged day in and day out, and frankly I am tired of it, I am in a position where I will finally be able to do something about it and I feel that I am definitely worth the expense to me and my family.  

Surgery is the easy part of the entire process.. yup you can get surgery fast by going out of country but the surgery is the tool - where are you in getting the skills to make that tool useful?

- have you made the lifestyle changes you need to make for the surgery
-do you have a GP who will do the testing necessary and who has the knowledge to deal with your medical needs post surgery
-how will you access local bariatric care if you have complications when you are home?
-are you healthy enough for surgery?

Oh and you'll still be judged after surgery - no one isn't - we can be judged for taking the easy way out - heck some even get judged for becoming too thin after. Or for any number of non related reasons. Weight loss doesn't necessarily solve self esteem issues - it can lead to others unless the root issues are dealt with

 I don't consider dieting or surgery the easy part, and while I have been working with a dietition and my GP who is more then willing to take care of me post surgery I feel that this is the right move and so does my GP.  I know several people who have gone through this surgery with it being paid for and they don't succeed at all.  While I would love to have it paid for I do not want to afford the time it will take to go through the system here in Ontario.  For those that do it, I say good for you....but for me, I believe I am making the right choice just as you believe you made the right choice for getting the surgery done here.....either way we are all on our way to a healtheir lifestyle!

Oh i'm in no way questioning that this is the right decision for you - just hoping you have all the necessary supports in place to maximize your success.

Thanks so much, I feel pretty good making this decision, it's been a long year already trying to prepare for this mentally and physically.  Like I said, I have searched for 2 years for a new GP and when I found one that was going to support me in this venture, I knew that I could get the ball rolling.  The dietician was already in place and she is behind me as well.  My GP is also helping me with the decision of which procedure I will go through, so that she knows how to care for me post-surgery, another important part of overall success.

Just make sure you have an avenue to get emergency surgical bariatric care post surgery. Some lately have reported issues. GP's can handle ongoing routine stuff but a stricture or some other complication would need to be addressed. Would that be covered under the inital price if you can scoot across the border? Will your local ontario bariatric centre provide emergency support from their surgeons?