OK....now WHERE!!!

OK.....so   Dr B in New Brunswick has a 5 yr waiting list.

Dr Ellsmere has over 1000 referrals at the moment and tries to see 200 patients/ yr..so that is 5yrs.

So....other than going to the US or Mexico...or somewhere.

Where can a girl get a VSG? 

Any clues??   Anyone??

Hey

Chk out the Quebec and Ontario forums and people will let you know where they had their surgery done and also post on the VSG board .

I know that Dr Klassen is at the Halifax clinic as well - I was told when I contacted them last March that they are aiming for 10 surgeries a month- I dont know if they have more OR time yet or are aiming for higher surgery numbers - but the clinic told me that only 21 people had VSG surgery at the clinic in 2008. So the back log of patients waiting will continue to grow at that rate.

It is ridiculous that this new clinic opens up and only 21 people were operated on last year..... sorry  just my personal rant .....

I will give you my surgeons website as I have heard his clinic now offers it but not sure- he is in Montreal

www.weightlosssurgery.ca

I sent you a pm about Halifax support group meetings..

hugs
deb

Oh Dear, you must have been talking to Diana haven't you. I had no idea his list had grown so long so fast. I guess I got in just under the wire. My information session in on Feb 17. Did Diana offer any hope and that maybe you should get on the list anyway just in case.  I am so sorry that this seems so out of reach for you. Perhaps you would have better luck on the New Brunswick lists but they don't do the VSG. Maybe you would be a candidate for the lap band. There are alot of great surgeons Canada wide and maybe MSI will cover some of the cost. Do you have personal insurance that might cover anything. If I can think of anything else, you will be the first to know. Regards, Sugarbear

My personal insurance does not cover anything....already checked that one out.  So now I am scouring the internet like a VSG junkie looking for my ultimate FIX.

Yes I got 2 emails from Diana today...dag gom it !!

Lap band...not an option for me.....I am looking for a long term permanent solution.....and the VSG is it for me.

I will post something if I learn anything else....I am also looking at all the provinces on this site to get any insight that I can.

I also emailed almost all of the listed Dr's in Florida.

What a trip this is really!!

Hmm...wait...if I go back to school....take the specialty.....open my own clinic.....I should be ready just in time to alleviate the back log as it stands TODAY!!  ok.......jumps off my soapbox....rant over with ....lol

Although I was a lucky gal and had my VSG done in December, I wonder if the proposed cutbacks to Capital Health would affect the number of surgeries?  Hopefull not....

I have to say the team and Dr. Ellsmere are a top notch bunch.

I am sure they are, I am just not willing to wait 5 years at least for things to happen for me.

I completely agree...  I was contacting private clinics this past year, but got lucky.   Five years is a long time to wait for anything, especially a new road to a healthy life.

Good luck and message me if you have any questions.

Caroline from Dr. B's office said he was away learning how to do the VSB, and that he would be offering it as a third option. There list is long, but most of his patients get the LapBand, cause it's covered in NB, and it's a quick surgery, so they go through those patients fast. You never know, it's worth a try to at least put your name on the list.

I called Dr B's office today, they can not do anything for me at this stage.  They do not take self pay patients ever.  They only deal with provincial health insurances.

I went to my GP today, again.....to make sure I had all my Dr's stuff ready to go for......someday!! 

This is a toally frustrating experience....I must say.

Jane

UPDATE.......my GP did send in my referral, and did request that I be put on the Feb date for the information session.

Looks like that is not going to happen.

So now.....I am once again, searching for the best options for me.

I called Dr B's office again, he does not do the VSG...so she said.

I am in the process of compiling a spreadsheet of cost and availability....gosh what a time consuming process this is!

Cheers all.......still trying here......Jane