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Hi everyone. Sorry in advance for my long post. 

I am 4 months post-takedown. So far so great. I have a question: I had surgery and check-ups in my home country (Belgium), but now I am back in Montreal, Canada. My surgeon in Belgium said I should take an annual check-up appointment with her, but obviously I am not going to fly over the ocean every year for a 30 min check-up, so I was wondering how people in this group who moved to another state/province/country did for follow-up? Did you look for a colorectal surgeon or a gastroenterologist? Is the annual check-up mandatory if there is nothing wrong with you? 

Is there anybody here living in Montreal or Quebec generally speaking? What should I do to get a GI specialist in this terrible healthcare system? I called 2 hospitals and they basically said I should get lost because depending on the case it could take up to 3 years to actually be taken care of). I am either considering to consult with a doctor in Ontario (what about healthcare in Toronto? but I am not even sure the provincial insurance system will accept to cover medical care from another province), or waiting for something bad to happen to me to run to the ER to be able to see someone within 24 hours (if I am lucky), that's what I did twice to see a specialist (and needless to say I don't want to see those guys. Never. Again). 

Thanks in advance

Original Post

Oooooh, I feel your pain!

 

First: if you can get  coverage in Ontario covered, my surgical specialist in Kingston at KGH (closer than Toronto) was Dr. MacDonald and he is FABULOUS. No hesitation recommending him.

 

Second: having moved from Kingston to an area closer to your home country (the Netherlands), and previously having moved from the US to Canada, my experience each time has been that the huisarts/family doctor/GP is the key to great care. Ask around for recommendations and work to get into a practice where the doctor actually listens to you. Then he/she can go to bat, lining up a GI specialist. A direct referral from your doctor should (hopefully!) get you in sooner rather than later, and ensure appropriate follow-up.

 

Hope you get this sorted soon,

Gin

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