Over this process already

Okay! Still waiting on referral or response from drs office about referral. I have called all day and left a message on Friday. No call back no answer. I just need to know if the referral was accepted. Because last time she tried, I was denied because my comorbidity was left out, but was accepted into the medical program. Anyway!!! I called the Hamilton centre because that's the medical centre I was previously accepted to and they have no record of anything, so does anyone have a number that can receive calls from patients to tell me if a referral has been submitted? Thanks

I don't believe there is a number. You will have to check with your GP's office. It can take months to hear from The clinic. It took me 6 months to get my letter for orientation when I went through. Some get letter after about 3 months.

I guess I'm just going to assume it wasn't submitted incorrectly again and hopefully just wait and get an orientation date. Thanks for your reply.

Is is possible for you to actually go to your Doctor's office and get the info you require? If they have done the referral you will have been assigned a number. They can give you the number. With that number you can follow your progress.

If they haven't got a number then they haven't done it and you can call them out on it right then and there and get this done properly.

Honestly, this is not a difficult process. I don't understand what is going on in your Doctor's office.

Please don't wait and assume it's been done. Be proactive and get back in there and force them to do it right.

If they would call me back, I would know. I just don't know now if I'm bothering them more than I should be? I just want to know if it was automatically rejected like before. Ugh

I don't know what it is about "us" and worrying about being a bother. This is YOUR life and health. You SHOULD bother!! And if they feel like you are "being" a bother, that's on them.

Take control... do what you have to. They messed up, not you. Go figure this out! Complaining to us is great and helps you vent your frustration, but it doesn't get you to your goal.

Go... be polite... and take control of your process and your health. And, yes... if that means you're a bother, then be a bother; but at least you bother to do something for yourself. :)

Hi Jess,

I'm sorry you are running into problems.

I am in Hamilton as well. I will tell you what I did to make sure I got in.

My bmi was below 40 as well. I had talked to my family doctor about my weight, but she seemed not to know much about wls. I then went to the Wharton clinic. Once I was there they made an appointment for me to get a sleep apnea test done because I was always tired. I had no co-morbidities at the time so I did not qualify for the surgery. Once I got the sleep test done and I showed positive for sleep apnea, then I was able to be referred for the surgery. The doctor at the Wharton clinic asked me if that is what I wanted. I said yes. He clicked the computer a few times and I was in. I was referred in May 2016 and had my orientation in July 2016. I received a letter in the mail. (I had my surgery Sept. 2017).

I know your situation is different, but if worse comes to worse, I would go to the Wharton clinic (I don't think you have to be referred) and get them to proceed with your referral for wls. They do it there all the time and they know what they are doing. There is a location on the StoneyCreek mountain and one downtown as well.

I hope this helps. Good luck. Let me know what happens.

Barb

I came through the Wharton Clinic and unfortunately you do need a referral to get to them.

If you can get to the Wharton Clinic, Smoka is dead on how this works.

Hope you can get some action somehow.

Thank you so much Barb! I have a "good" comorbidity, hypertension and I've been medicated for 6 years for. So I should qualify, but it's really incompetence that's causing the issue. For some reason she doesn't think my weight is serious enough and therefore isn't trying? I'm unsure.

I felt the same way. My family doctor was just clued out and thought I didn't need it either. I thought, enough of this nonsense and went to Wharton where I knew things would get rolling. I guess I did get referred there by my family doctor.(It was so long ago now I forgot). But anyway, once I went there things started moving and they (the Wharton clinic) took my case seriously because I was really serious about it. It's covered by OHIP as well so that was a bonus. I'd look into it if I were you.

Barb