How to get a referral to the bariatric clinic??

Hello. First time poster. Long time reader. I went to a walk in clinic to get a referral for the bariatric clinic. They said it was beyond their scope.

I havent done a medically supervised weight loss program. I did pay a personal trainer thousands and lost 1% (almost nothing) body fat in 6 months. My BMI is 45 and I am 30 years old. I havent even really been able to give any diet a real chance. I get hopeless and give up. I actually enjoy exercise but now I am so big I dont enjoy anything really. I know for certain after the surgery I will need to really work on my relationship with food and eat healthier. I enjoy fruits and veggies in all forms a great deal. I also enjoy almost every protein. I am sure the surgery will help me although it will be work and is hard and not an easy way out.

I have an appointment with my new family doctor on Tuesday. What can I say or do to get him to refer me?

Long story short, can I get a referral without having attempted a medically supervised weight loss clinic? And never meeting with a dietician?

You should definitely be able to get a referral from your family doctor, although sometimes people have to fight for it. It is really up to the bariatric clinic to assess you to determine if you will be successful post-op.

It is also helpful if you have a counselor/psychologist/etc. who can support you and speak to your ability to succeed. During the process I was asked to get some questions filled out by my counselor who I had been working with for quite some time (about all different things). Especially if you don't have a long history with your family doc. Although they have to also be willing to follow up with you post-op :) My family doc retired while I was in the process and I was very concerned that the doctor taking over for him wouldn't be supportive, but I've been pleasantly surprised.

Thanks so much for taking the time to write a reply. I really appreciated it . I haven't been seeing any type of professional. Guess I will just hope for the best. I wish I had 20 grand to do it private but that wont be happening

I feel like it is better to go through the clinic process because they support you and follow up with you. My aunt paid privately for lap band a while ago and I feel like it's been harder for her to get support, especially now so many years later. I've heard this about people who go to other countries as well. Also, the time in the process allows you to adjust and make changes that will help you be successful long term :)

Make sure you make a list of whatever diet plans you followed even if it wasn't an official one.

They will look at what attempts you have made even if not successful long term. They will want to see that you have been trying. Gastric bypass is just a tool which is why they want you to demonstrate that you having been trying even if not successful. It happened to all of us. YOYO dieting has been a problem for all of us.

Ask your GP for a referral to a Dietician to help you just eat healthier and attempt to break old eating habits. Anything you do know will make it easier to succeed after.

Try upping exercise even if it only walking to the house next door.

Keep track of everything. Start food logging. All this will help. Depending on which centre you get referred to you will have a wait.

Good luck in your journey

You need to see a family doc , walk in if they dont know you cant send you for surgery. I was asking my doc for 3 years she first send me for different diets There is a couple covered by ohip. After that I had a back problem and the diets always had a yo-yo effect. So finally she gave me a referral for bariatric network. It's not an easy referral either you can't just fax it, it's an online form doctor have to fill out. Then wait for few months. But let me tell you it's worth the wait and doing it through ohip saves you a lot of stress. Anything wrong, any questions, you got your team at family doc and bariatric clinic and you only have to show your health cart. When you do it private you will pay for every follow up and they will charge you if there are complications.
Through the network you could be a candidate for a surgery or medical diet. They will send you to see dieticians, social worker, maybe psychologist, maybe different specialist for sure internist for sleep study. Many appointments from the orientation session until you finally see a surgeon. It goes fast though. Good luck.

Thanks so much for the replies ladies! So I went exactly two weeks ago. I printed off the 17 page instruction booklet Ontario provides doctors on how to do the referral. I also wrote out two pages with dates and details of my weight loss struggles. On the top of both those pages I noted my current weight, current BMI, my health card information including date of birth and anything else he would need for the referral.

He agreed to refer me right away. He kept the paperwork and said he would be done in a couple of days and he had done a bariatric referral once before. Couple of days pass and he asks for an additional week. I gave him a week and called yesterday. No call back. Will have to call again today to see what's up.

I really dislike waiting. Once I decide on something I like to go get it done, check it off my to do list. But I know I will have a lot of waiting to do in this process and it is good for me. I am just so anxious to reach my goals and change my life. If anyone has any advice for me I am very interested in reading it!!

Update: 5 weeks less a day and the receptionist called to let me know the referral was (finally) submitted today. I am sure orientations are on hold due to covid-19 so I am a little bummed out. I firmly believe and trust in social distancing and all the precautions Canada and Ontario have taken but still, it is disappointing the wait time is going to be even longer. The receptionist said that my doctor said to call and check with the bariatric clinic in 3 days. I have never heard of that but I guess I will do it. I have to figure out what hospital I was referred to first though.