Coverage in Canada!!! YES!!!

I am sorry to be sticking my nose in on your forum but I wanted to see where people from the other provinces are going for the Gastric bypass or the DS switch. Now I see that you have not been informed on ways to get around the lack of surgeons in Canada. I live in London Ontario and we have a support group here Led by Shirley Hodder and I am a co-moderator of it. For at least 4 years we have been being sent to the States to have out surgeries because there is more than 2 years waiting list here. There are also other reasons to go out of country like being over 50 or more than 350 pounds. If any of these are the problem there you can be sent out of country to have your surgery. Check into the Obesity Help Forum for Ontario or come on over and join us in our support group and learn how to fill out the paper work to go out of country. We begin by making a list of all the surgeons in our area who do the RNY gastric bypass or the DS switch and then call them and see what the waiting list is. If it is more then 2 years you fill out the out of country forms for your province with the name of a surgeon in the states and you can be sent out. You will have to wait for the approval and then when you get it you are on the way. We are in the same Canada if it works in our province it will work in yours as well. Check it out and see what you can find. They do not fund the Lap band surgery because they consider it still experimental. The only two they fund is RNY gastric bypass, and the DS Switch. Let me know if I can be of any help. It takes a bit of jumping through hoops but it is worth it in the long run. Melanie ALL THINGS ARE BEARABLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF FRIENDS! http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/london_wls_support_group/

They also cover the MGB (Mini Gastric Bypass) for those in Ontario. They may do the same for BC residents too! ~Dawn~

...these comments bring up important questions What is causing the wait to be so long? Is it possible that some people with BMI over 40 are being additionally discriminated against in Health Care Research, which exacerbates lengthy waits requiring Out-Of-Country Surgeries? FYI: Homosexuality, health & social services 2007 Gay and lesbian seniors face service shortfall Gay and lesbian seniors do not always receive the same level of health and social-service support as heterosexual seniors, according to a new CIHR-supported study. Researchers interviewed 90 gay and lesbian seniors, their caregivers and service delivery providers in Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver. They make several recommendations for combating institutionalized homophobia and "heterosexism", including training and sensitivity programs for professionals and gay- and lesbian-specific curricula in universities.

Hi Rosanne I don`t understand your postings ? I must be reading it wrong , because to me it sounds like we are waiting because we are gay or lesbian ? I believe the wait is because of money and the fact the goverment does not understand the life and death of the obese person. Since the application does not ask are sexual orintation , why would they think we were gay or lebian ? Could you please clarify your statments. Thank you Sharon