Need Clarification Please.......
I'm seeing the doctor at the bariatric centre on Wednesday which is when I believe I'll find out if I've been approved for surgery. Now, I'm sure that this has been answered previously but I can't find it in my notes. 
I guess I wasn't thinking this far ahead so I apologize if these questions were already answered. I'm not sure about:
1. What is the next step after I'm approved? Is this when my name goes into the famous "yellow book"? Can someone please explain again just exactly what this "yellow book" is & who is in charge of it?
2. Do I tell the bariatric doctor that I'd like to go to Toronto for my
surgery instead of Guelph, if Toronto's wait times are shorter or
is this not even do-able? Can we even choose to go elsewhere?
3. Who determines which surgeon I meet with and/or which surgeon
performs my surgery?
4. How long does it take (roughly****il I go out of town to meet with
the surgeon? Is this when I have my Surgical Education Class?
5. When do I have my PATTS & buy my Optifast? I'm trying to
figure out how many trips I will have to make out of town - I'm
wondering if they combine some of these appointments for the
folks who must travel from other cities.
6. I've heard that from the time you meet the surgeon until you have
your surgery it's roughly about 6 weeks - does that sound right?
I feel like I'm getting to the "home stretch" now. All I have left here
is meet with the bariatric doctor this week, then I just have my meeting with the dietician next week and my 2nd meeting with the SW and that's it. That's the reason why I suddenly seem to have so darn many questions at this point. Any information you can give me will, as always, be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!!!!!!!
Deb
I guess I wasn't thinking this far ahead so I apologize if these questions were already answered. I'm not sure about:1. What is the next step after I'm approved? Is this when my name goes into the famous "yellow book"? Can someone please explain again just exactly what this "yellow book" is & who is in charge of it?
2. Do I tell the bariatric doctor that I'd like to go to Toronto for my
surgery instead of Guelph, if Toronto's wait times are shorter or
is this not even do-able? Can we even choose to go elsewhere?
3. Who determines which surgeon I meet with and/or which surgeon
performs my surgery?
4. How long does it take (roughly****il I go out of town to meet with
the surgeon? Is this when I have my Surgical Education Class?
5. When do I have my PATTS & buy my Optifast? I'm trying to
figure out how many trips I will have to make out of town - I'm
wondering if they combine some of these appointments for the
folks who must travel from other cities.
6. I've heard that from the time you meet the surgeon until you have
your surgery it's roughly about 6 weeks - does that sound right?
I feel like I'm getting to the "home stretch" now. All I have left here
is meet with the bariatric doctor this week, then I just have my meeting with the dietician next week and my 2nd meeting with the SW and that's it. That's the reason why I suddenly seem to have so darn many questions at this point. Any information you can give me will, as always, be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!!!!!!!
Deb
Comments in green
1. What is the next step after I'm approved? Is this when my name goes into the famous "yellow book"? Can someone please explain again just exactly what this "yellow book" is & who is in charge of it?
I think the book is only yellow at some hospitals. I have no idea what colour the book is at humber or if they have one - but the order of things is different.
2. Do I tell the bariatric doctor that I'd like to go to Toronto for my
surgery instead of Guelph, if Toronto's wait times are shorter or
is this not even do-able? Can we even choose to go elsewhere?
You contact the bariatric registry and ask to be transfered. Seems to be best if you "have family" in the centre you are requesting especially if guelph is involved. Doc's don't get involved in moving files around.
3. Who determines which surgeon I meet with and/or which surgeon
performs my surgery?
You can request a particular doctor but mostly its just random chance from what I can figure or the docs at the centre draw straws (unless of course your file indicates that you require someone's particular expertise). I think i've heard that when people request a certain surgeon that they get told their wait will likely be even longer.
4. How long does it take (roughly****il I go out of town to meet with
the surgeon? Is this when I have my Surgical Education Class?
I went to Humber where you meet the doc at the beginning of the process and have the surgical education class near the end of the process. Different centres have different orders.
5. When do I have my PATTS & buy my Optifast? I'm trying to
figure out how many trips I will have to make out of town - I'm
wondering if they combine some of these appointments for the
folks who must travel from other cities.
I had surgery at my local hosptial (though the location that was a few miles further down the road than the closer one). Patts was at the hospital and I got the optifast at the docs's office. I don't know how they do it for people who live remotely.
6. I've heard that from the time you meet the surgeon until you have
your surgery it's roughly about 6 weeks - does that sound right?
I met the surgeon in the summer and had surgery at the end of Dec - but all my visits/nut/bariatric/intern were after the first meeting with the doc.
Okay so i likely was not much help. Sorry.
1. What is the next step after I'm approved? Is this when my name goes into the famous "yellow book"? Can someone please explain again just exactly what this "yellow book" is & who is in charge of it?
I think the book is only yellow at some hospitals. I have no idea what colour the book is at humber or if they have one - but the order of things is different.
2. Do I tell the bariatric doctor that I'd like to go to Toronto for my
surgery instead of Guelph, if Toronto's wait times are shorter or
is this not even do-able? Can we even choose to go elsewhere?
You contact the bariatric registry and ask to be transfered. Seems to be best if you "have family" in the centre you are requesting especially if guelph is involved. Doc's don't get involved in moving files around.
3. Who determines which surgeon I meet with and/or which surgeon
performs my surgery?
You can request a particular doctor but mostly its just random chance from what I can figure or the docs at the centre draw straws (unless of course your file indicates that you require someone's particular expertise). I think i've heard that when people request a certain surgeon that they get told their wait will likely be even longer.
4. How long does it take (roughly****il I go out of town to meet with
the surgeon? Is this when I have my Surgical Education Class?
I went to Humber where you meet the doc at the beginning of the process and have the surgical education class near the end of the process. Different centres have different orders.
5. When do I have my PATTS & buy my Optifast? I'm trying to
figure out how many trips I will have to make out of town - I'm
wondering if they combine some of these appointments for the
folks who must travel from other cities.
I had surgery at my local hosptial (though the location that was a few miles further down the road than the closer one). Patts was at the hospital and I got the optifast at the docs's office. I don't know how they do it for people who live remotely.
6. I've heard that from the time you meet the surgeon until you have
your surgery it's roughly about 6 weeks - does that sound right?
I met the surgeon in the summer and had surgery at the end of Dec - but all my visits/nut/bariatric/intern were after the first meeting with the doc.
Okay so i likely was not much help. Sorry.
Sometimes the best support you can get isn't all purple puddles and pink rainbows.
I think most of your questions have already been answered. For the out of town question: I found that at HRRH that the appointments were made through my doc's office. The receptionists were great at coordinating appointments that I could come in, get everything done in one long day and go home with everything I needed. Unfortunately, in my case somethings ended up needing to be rearranged but for the most part they try to coordinate. I got my Optifast from the Doctor's office and I just stopped in, no appointment needed, to pick it up before my appointments at the hospital. Hope that helps.
Katie ♥
Hi Deb,
This is my journey, I know we are all different so please keep this in mind.
I went to my surgeon visit for approval (in Windsor)
I was told by Dr. Wilson that the wait times in Guelph were until Sept-Oct and did I want to change my mind about going to Guelph/ SURE DID.
The following were scheduled:
Seminar for pre and post op - May 12th I believe.
After the seminar and photocopying My file (along with all of those that went to the seminar were sent out on June 1st.
On June 6th I received a call from TWH and given a date of June 9th to see the surgeon.
On June 9th I saw the surgeon and was given a pre-op appointment for June 22. Also on June 22nd I will start 2 weeks of optifast. My surgery date of July 6th
was also given to me. Things are going really fast.
If I were you I'd call your clinic and ask about changing location for surgery....not to change the location of your clinic.
Please don't hesitate to mail if you have any other questions
Laurie
JUSTJENN is my
This is my journey, I know we are all different so please keep this in mind.
I went to my surgeon visit for approval (in Windsor)
I was told by Dr. Wilson that the wait times in Guelph were until Sept-Oct and did I want to change my mind about going to Guelph/ SURE DID.
The following were scheduled:
Seminar for pre and post op - May 12th I believe.
After the seminar and photocopying My file (along with all of those that went to the seminar were sent out on June 1st.
On June 6th I received a call from TWH and given a date of June 9th to see the surgeon.
On June 9th I saw the surgeon and was given a pre-op appointment for June 22. Also on June 22nd I will start 2 weeks of optifast. My surgery date of July 6th
was also given to me. Things are going really fast. If I were you I'd call your clinic and ask about changing location for surgery....not to change the location of your clinic.
Please don't hesitate to mail if you have any other questions
Laurie
JUSTJENN is my
Hi Deb,
Windsor works a bit different than most of the other centres since they don't perform the surgeries there.
1. What is the next step after I'm approved? Is this when my name goes into the famous "yellow book"? Can someone please explain again just exactly what this "yellow book" is & who is in charge of it?
You will choose which centre you want to go to - Toronto or Guelph and then I believe tthey will book you for a surgical seminar based on which centre to want to go to. I didn't get that far with Windsor because I was given the choice earlier on, so I went to Guelph as it was a shorter drive than Windsor. The Yellow book is the order of patients to be called for surgeries in Guelph. That is just their list of patients that are ready to go for surgery, and who are waiting to see the surgeon. If you go through Guelph right from the beginning, your yellow book date is is the first time you are weighed in at that centre. I'm not sure what the criteria is when you have finished everything in Windsor though as I transferred early from Windsor. I know that Laurie G went through Toronto and she got her call to see the surgeon within a week of them sending her file to Toronto. The wait is substantially longer in Guelph... months..
2. Do I tell the bariatric doctor that I'd like to go to Toronto for my
surgery instead of Guelph, if Toronto's wait times are shorter or
is this not even do-able? Can we even choose to go elsewhere?
Windsor gives you the choice of Guelph or Toronto. You do not need to go through the Bariatric Registry to choose one of those hospitals as Windsor does not do surgeries - you have to choose one of those. Totally your choice. I was told you can choose a different centre than Toronto or Guelph, but that it is much more difficult.
3. Who determines which surgeon I meet with and/or which surgeon
performs my surgery?
The hospital in Toronto determines that.
4. How long does it take (roughly****il I go out of town to meet with
the surgeon? Is this when I have my Surgical Education Class?
The surgical education class is held in Windsor I believe. How long it will take depends on the centre you choose.
5. When do I have my PATTS & buy my Optifast? I'm trying to
figure out how many trips I will have to make out of town - I'm
wondering if they combine some of these appointments for the
folks who must travel from other cities.
You buy your optifast right after your first appointment with the surgeon I'm told. PATTS is done at the hospital you are having your surgery in and I believe it is usually done a week or 2 before surger and takes a full day as there are a few different appointments thrown in there.
6. I've heard that from the time you meet the surgeon until you have
your surgery it's roughly about 6 weeks - does that sound right?
That is what most people say, but that can vary.
Hope that helps! :)
Windsor works a bit different than most of the other centres since they don't perform the surgeries there.
1. What is the next step after I'm approved? Is this when my name goes into the famous "yellow book"? Can someone please explain again just exactly what this "yellow book" is & who is in charge of it?
You will choose which centre you want to go to - Toronto or Guelph and then I believe tthey will book you for a surgical seminar based on which centre to want to go to. I didn't get that far with Windsor because I was given the choice earlier on, so I went to Guelph as it was a shorter drive than Windsor. The Yellow book is the order of patients to be called for surgeries in Guelph. That is just their list of patients that are ready to go for surgery, and who are waiting to see the surgeon. If you go through Guelph right from the beginning, your yellow book date is is the first time you are weighed in at that centre. I'm not sure what the criteria is when you have finished everything in Windsor though as I transferred early from Windsor. I know that Laurie G went through Toronto and she got her call to see the surgeon within a week of them sending her file to Toronto. The wait is substantially longer in Guelph... months..
2. Do I tell the bariatric doctor that I'd like to go to Toronto for my
surgery instead of Guelph, if Toronto's wait times are shorter or
is this not even do-able? Can we even choose to go elsewhere?
Windsor gives you the choice of Guelph or Toronto. You do not need to go through the Bariatric Registry to choose one of those hospitals as Windsor does not do surgeries - you have to choose one of those. Totally your choice. I was told you can choose a different centre than Toronto or Guelph, but that it is much more difficult.
3. Who determines which surgeon I meet with and/or which surgeon
performs my surgery?
The hospital in Toronto determines that.
4. How long does it take (roughly****il I go out of town to meet with
the surgeon? Is this when I have my Surgical Education Class?
The surgical education class is held in Windsor I believe. How long it will take depends on the centre you choose.
5. When do I have my PATTS & buy my Optifast? I'm trying to
figure out how many trips I will have to make out of town - I'm
wondering if they combine some of these appointments for the
folks who must travel from other cities.
You buy your optifast right after your first appointment with the surgeon I'm told. PATTS is done at the hospital you are having your surgery in and I believe it is usually done a week or 2 before surger and takes a full day as there are a few different appointments thrown in there.
6. I've heard that from the time you meet the surgeon until you have
your surgery it's roughly about 6 weeks - does that sound right?
That is what most people say, but that can vary.
Hope that helps! :)
Hi again,
I just would like to clarify.....I went to Windsor clinic and from thebegining 1st weigh in I told them that I wanted to go to Guelph for surgery. At the last doctor visit Dr. Wilson asked if I wanted to make a surgery location change because of the wait time. Yes I did. At TWH you pay for your optifast on your surgeon visit and it's delivered to your door two - three days later. Hope this helps. All the trips get so expensive....$28.00 for parking at TWH
Laurie
I just would like to clarify.....I went to Windsor clinic and from thebegining 1st weigh in I told them that I wanted to go to Guelph for surgery. At the last doctor visit Dr. Wilson asked if I wanted to make a surgery location change because of the wait time. Yes I did. At TWH you pay for your optifast on your surgeon visit and it's delivered to your door two - three days later. Hope this helps. All the trips get so expensive....$28.00 for parking at TWH
Laurie
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