TWH - referral to orientation time?

Hi all,

I'm new here. Have been learning so much from all your posts and inspired by your journeys.

I just had my doctor referral last week to TWH. He said I should I should expect a call within a couple of weeks for my orientation, but from what I'm reading here, that doesn't seem to be the process.

also, some people seem to get their orientation quickly (a month) but for most, it seems like a long time. Any tips on how to quicken this step up? Like most here, I'm impatient and eager!!

Thanks to all!

Hi oneatatime.

I went through TWH and it was almost exactly 6 months from the time of referral to my first phone call for orientation.

Friday past I finally received my surgery date, August 22, 2017. I was referred April 5, 2016. A total of 16.5 months. I was very lucky that there were not extra tests need like a sleep study, or any gastric testing. That would have held it up even more.

If you have sleep apnea, go to your family doctor and get a referral for a sleep study NOW, this takes a long time. I think and hopefully someone will correct me if I am wrong that if you haven't had a sleep study done in the last 2 years and you "may" have sleep apnea, TWH will require one.

This is a very long process, but it is for a reason. Your health and safety.

Be patient it will happen

Thanks for the great info and congratulations on getting your surgery date! I haven't had a sleep study done ever... I'll talk to my doctor about it. Good suggestion!

I was 15 months from referral to surgery date. I don't know how you would speed up the time right now. I actually got my orientation date via mail. I am not sure where you would call. Once you have orientation, you will likely get a few scheduled apts. This seems to be where you can take come control. If you have a morning apt., make your afternoon free and ask if anyone is available. I had most of my luck this way. I would also call for cancellations. Even ask day of if you can squeeze it in to your day here and there. It seems to be a bit of luck of the draw. They just book as things come and often it is scattered. Sometimes looking through the quick timelines some people experience actually puts my stoma*****nots. It's upsetting how unfair the system is. I am 1.5 months away now so final stretch. For whatever it is worth I personally believe while the wait is long and there are so many hurdles to jump through everyone should probably take 9 months at least to learn everything and wrap your mind around it. Just my opinion.

Thanks for all the tips. Yes, I agree the timelines seem really inconsistent. I'll take your advice and see about booking more than one thing in a day once I have some control :)

Final stretch. Woot woot!

I was referred September 22 and my orientation was on November 10th. I wasn't called, I received a letter in the mail telling me of the appointment.

Oh, quick! I'll keep checking my mail and hoping mine is quick like yours :). Thx!

You can see from my timeline how my appts went.. I was referred in march...and got my orientation in june.... but I had called TWH the end of april... so I knew my orientation date before I got the paperwork in the mail. It's usually a couple of months before your orientation date.. and they will give you your next 3 appts. Right now TWH only seems backed up on the surgeon appts and surgery dates.. so the rest of your appts should be quicker for you. My time from referral to surgery will be 15 months.... and just about a year from when I had my orientation... (which is what they tell you in orientation your timeline could be) You can call for cancellations to make things quicker as well... but you don't always get them.

Hope this helps. It seems like a long and huge process and it is.. but it does give you to get time to get used to the surgery and the habits/behaviours you need to change.

If you do have sleep apnea... or think you may have it... definitely get the sleep study done... and if you have it... make sure that your last one was within 2 years...or they will make you get an updated test done

Great tips! Thank you. I will call them next week and ask for my date if I don't have my letter by then. And I'll talk to my doc about a sleep study. I've never had one done.

So everyone has to get a sleep study done if they haven't had one?

Thanks!

no.. not everyone needs a sleep study done.. but if you snore..chances are you may have sleep apnea... and they will want a sleep study done. If you wait until they tell you they want it done.. it will add time onto your journey... so it's best to go to your dr and have it done while you are waiting... :)