Good morning everyone

Hello there fellow posters and lurkers. I have had a good night's sleep...aside from the car alarm at 12:30am, and am awake and ready to do what has to be done. Last night it all seemed abit much but this morning, no problem. I can fill out forms and send emails and write letters. I will help you with any forms you need filled out. Sarah, thanks for the info about the OOCountry form. I will gather all my info about oocountry and post it here. If everyone else would like to share whatever info they have gathered, I think we would all really appreciate that. Sarah, I am interested in talking to one or both of the women who had oocountry surgery. Would you ask them if they would email me or phone me? Or come on here and post about the process they went thru with MSP? For all of you who have not checked out the Ontario forums, they have lots of great info about applying ooc. Gotta go get ready for work. Chin up everybody. Janice

Hi Janice, Well, I got an email from Marlene this morning. She saw Dr. Amson Sept. 05. She applied for OOC in mid March of 06 and had surgery in Spokane on May 12/06. Her family Dr. did the forms. Sarah

Morning Sarah, Do you know who her surgeon was? J

And did she tell you how much she got dinged after her surgery from MSP I believe?? Seems if you go and pay yourself you don't run into these...."after the surgery costs"....cause you pay upfront. Marlene is a friend of mine...HA!!

Hi Shelley, I hadn't realized Marlene had to extra pay. I know someone else who did, this must have happened in the last month or so. There had been a conversation at the last meeting in Sept. The other person had Canadian Medical Services tslking to the surgeon about the extra charges. Sarah

Hi everyone, Well, unlike Janice I did not get a good nights sleep as I tossed and turned all night. My husband said I was fighting with several people and talking outloud in my dreams. I guess I am preparing myself to go to war, ha ha. All I can say is that they picked on the wrong person and I am going to do whatever it takes to get some action. Yes, it would be helpful to talk to some people who applied oocountry and look into it. I am interested in talking to the women who had the surgery. A phone contact or an email would be great. Post on the Ontario forums, and ask questions, there are lots of people who have been thru the approval process as Janice mentioned. But the system over there may be a little different than here , I'm not sure. Talk to you soon. Sim

I pray that my research is wrong on this one, but after reading on the various groups, it seems the well of OOC claims dried up in the summer this year. Apparently, the reasoning was because they expected Vancouver based doctors to enter the bariatric surgery realm. How ironic.

LOL That's what I expected too. Since Dr. M doesn't think that will be happening anytime soon I think it's time to write the Coastal Health Authority and ask them when it will be coming up on their agenda. oooppps lunch time is over for me...tty later Janice

Hello Lasy night Iwas really upset. I wrote an email to Coastal Health Authority. Im to mad to really remember what I said LOL!! I also wrote an email to the editor of the province newspaper It will be interesting to know if someone would contact me. It seems to me if you get the media invoved you get answers alot quicker than if you try your self. I did not use Dr M. name .I only said there are Doctors in Vancouver who are willing to do the surgery and people are added to the list daily. Im getting upset again so Iwill say goodby for now Sharon

Hello Sharon, It's nice to meet another of Dr M.'s patients. I have also emailed VCH Authority asking them to provide me with the date that they will be approving bariatric surgery at Vancouver General and I did state that I was a patient of Dr. M's. I will let you know what their answer is. Thanks for posting. Hope to hear more from you. Janice