New to this

I am from Kingston. My referral went in on February 14, 2013 and I am still waiting for surgery in Ottawa. Now I am just waiting for a date. So it takes well over a year to get there. I qualified with a bmi of less than 40 but over 35 with a co-morbidity of high blood pressure. They dont do the surgery in Kingston, its Ottawa or Toronto. OPTI is about $300.00 and you can get it covered if you have the health care spending account. I think 4-6 weeks off work is what you need bit I haven't had surgery yet. Good luck with you first appointment :)

In Ottawa, we were all told "three weeks on Opti prior to surgery," and that is exactly what I did for a cost of $295. Not covered, of course.

And in Ottawa, we are told 4 weeks off work is the standard. If you need more because of complications, or because you have a job that requires physical strength/activity (e.g., lifting), then you should be aware of that.

Good luck!