Help! I live in Calgary.....

 Hello. I have been on a waiting list since 2007 for bariatric surgery here in Calgary ... but my name never sems to come up. I don't know what to do. My family doctor says that they have sent my referral form in and I just have to "wait" . Is it really this long of wait to have heard absolutely nothing or should I have heard something by now? Please ...if anyone has any suggestions of what I should do to help myself move further along ... I would appreciate it so much.

Krista

Krista,

I was referred to the Weight Wise Clinic in Edmonton by my family doctor in April of 2008 and had my first consultation in June of 2009.
I haven't heard of anyone waiting that long. Maybe you should try and find out the Clinic number and call yourself or see if you can get a referral to the clinic here in Edmonton. I know it'll be a little drive if you do but I also drive 2.5 hours to go and I don't mind it. The outcome in the end will be worth all the traveling.
Good Luck.

Kee.

I was referred in March 2008 and didn't get an assessment appointment until Feb 2010.  I would recommend the clinic though to anyone who was looking for WLS.

 Which clinic .... in calgary or edmonton? Have you had surgery yet? Thank you for your help.

 Thank you for your reply.  I have talked personally to the clinic here in Calgary and all they can confirm to me is that they have had my referral since October 2007 and that I will be contacted when my name comes up! So frustrating.   The reason is the same every time I call .... no funding ... so no surgeries. They say the number they have funding for each year is minimal and so many people on the list. Maybe Edmonton is given more funding? 

Do you happen to have any contact info for the clinic in Edmonton? I would absolutely drive to Edmonton if need be. I kind of assumed it was the same wait all over the province but it seems like maybe i might have more luck in edmonton.

Thank you so much for your help.  

Krista

My family doc sent my referal into the Weight Wise Clinic in Feb 08. I was excepted to the program in March 2009 and started after my son was born in August 2009. I have already seen a surgeon and am now just awaiting the call for a date to get VSG.

I think hearing nothing by now is insane and no doubt very upsetting and frustrating. Call first thing tomorrow and find what the problem is and maybe see what the odds of getting into the Edmonton clinic are ASAP.

Wishing you many answers and much success!

 Thank you for your reply.  Now that I know that things are happening in a more timely fashion elsewhere in the province ... maybe there is hope for me, too.  Do you have any contact info for the Edmonton clinic?  I will ask my doc to send a referral to them as well. My only concern is that I will be starting from scratch up in Edmonton and will likely have a long wait up there too. However,  I guess nothing seems to be happening here in Calgary and so  that would be better than what is happening here!

Silly question .... when you say you were "accepted into the program" ... is the program anything more than simply having a consultation and then waiting your turn for surgery? Do they offer other resources through the clinic ...ie) dietician or exercise?   

Thank you so much for all  your help.

Krista

If you google weight wise edmonton it will bring you to the website and I got the referral form from here and took it to my doctor to fill. By acceptance most of us mean just getting the first assessment appointment.  Through the weight wise they also offer different modules on weight loss to help with the journey.  I have found them helpful.  They do expect you to attend some of these.  I am not sure how many but the more you do the better.  These you can book through the alberta health services link line  here is the toll free number 1 866 408 5465 and these can be done anytime with or without the referral.
Hope this helps.
Karen

Hi Krista,

I would ask your doctor for a referral to Dr Nohr out in Medicine Hat. He does have a lengthy wait list, BUT, you can also call into his office once your referral has been received and ask for cancellation dates for your consult date. My original referral was sent into Dr Nohr in November 2006, but the office never got it cause my family doctor had it faxed to the wrong number. I never found that out until October 2007. I then had another referral sent in November 2007, they got it that time, but it was two BLACK pages. I then asked for another referral in July 2008, which was sent in again. I then changed family docs in September 2008, and in March 2009, I asked my new doc for a referral to Dr Nohr and I got it. I called Dr Nohr's office in April 2009 and asked if they had my referral, they said yes, and that I had a consult date of January 2011! I kept calling the office asking about cancellations, and I finally got one in May 2009 for a consult date of June 2, 2009. I was happy about that. So...... went to my consult and was given a date for surgery for April 26, 2010. YAY!!!! I called the office asking about cancellations for the surgery, and nothing was coming up. Then..... on March 1, I got a phone call asking if I would be willing to swap dates with another patient. Her date was for March 29, 2010. I took the date. 

Waiting for Dr Nohr was the best thing I ever did. I had my surgery and everything went well. My surgery took 1 hour and there were no complications. 

I would definitely ask your doc for a referral to Dr Nohr. 

Hope this helps!

*hugs*

Hi,  I live in Carstairs and work in Calgary.  I joined the surgery program in Calgary a few years back and found it to be a joke...very unorganized, not helpful and extremely under funded.  I think they get something like 500-800 people on there wait list per year and only do 10-30 surgeries per year. 

A friend of my Step Mom attended the WW clinic in Edmonton while living in the NWT so I ask my Doctor to send in a referral...it was the best decision I ever made!  The support and kindness your receive from the staff at the WW Clinic is amazing.  They have helped me understand how I became so obese and mentally prepare me for the changes after my surgery.  Don't get me wrong, it has been a struggle and hard work traveling back and forth to Edmonton for all my appointments but Calgary has NO comparison to the support given by the staff at the WW Clinic.

Good Luck with your journey.

Katrina