Question:
i need help for Rochester,Ny area
I am 6'2" and 380lbs+ I have not seen a doctor regulary in 12 yrs since i never had insurance now my with my job i have blue cross select and i need to find a pcp that will help me get myself on track to start looking into having wls it is was i believe the only way i can get my health on track to live a long long time. I have a bead knee on one leg and a very bad achilles tendon on the other so i am kinda a sitting duck exercise is just to much for my legs to deal with and i need help.If someone can help me get my self going i would be so greatful.. — William B. (posted on May 25, 2003)
May 25, 2003
Dear William: I know what you mean about exercise being too much... I have
arthritis in my feet, ankles, knees and low back, and simply am not able to
exercise. I'm sorry I don't live in New York, but for me the first step in
this journey was to contact my insurance to see what the requirements for
surgery are, if it was even covered. Then, since with my insurance I don't
need a referral, I made an appointment with the St. Vincent Bariatric
Center in Carmel, Indiana. They sent me a large packet with tons of stuff
to fill out, and I gave it to them when I went for my first consultation.
After my consultation with my surgeon, she had a letter dictated for me
stating what surgery she would be doing and the codes that would be used
and why it was felt that this surgery was necessary for me.
I also got a letter from my family doctor as well. The surgeon's office
sent the letter directly to me so that I was the one to be responsible for
sending it to insurance. I found out on May 15th that I'm approved for
surgery (YEAH!) and am now just waiting on a date from the surgeon's office
and for them to tell me what else I need to do. I hope this
information helps you somewhat. If you have any other questions I can
answer, please feel free to e-mail me. Good Luck and God Bless!
— Moysa B.
May 25, 2003
I think your very first step should be to get to a doctor ASAP to begin a
"supervised" diet...most insurance companies require a certain
length of supervised dieting to approve wls....as for which primary doc to
see- there is a yahoo group called WLSnetworkofWNY....all WLS patients from
Rochester area... I'm sure the members would give you some idea of who is a
really supportive Primary Doc. (not to mention it's a really nice support
group)... as for surgeons, I"ve heard good things about O'Malley, Sax,
and Iannoli... (I"m seeing O'Malley- I've heard he does very well with
higher risk, and higher weight patients)...Best of luck, and hope you can
get started right away... as for exercise...have you tried water areobics??
I did that when I had problems with hip pain....good workout, with no
stress on the joints... it's not as good as walking or working out, but
it's a very good way for an out-of-shape person to work their way into
exercising....and most classes consist of either older people, or heavier
people, because it's great exercise for arthritis.. so everyone is wrinkly
or fat!.. you don't need to feel self-conscious about how you look in a
suit. Good luck!
— Kelly B.
May 25, 2003
I live around 45 miles from Rochester however I too had Dr. William
O'Malley for my RNY. I've had alot of surgeries in my life (14 so far) and
have had complications from many of them. I was sure I was going to have
some from the RNY. lol I got lucky. Dr. O'Malley did a great job! :) As far
as a PCP, mine is in Rushville (and I get whoever is on duty at the
clinic). Perhaps someone on this board who is alittle more local to you can
give you some ideas. Best of luck.
— Danmark
May 26, 2003
I have a friend who lives in Rochester who had his surgery about 6 months
ago - however, he does not belong to Obesityhelp. I cut, pasted, and
forwarded your post to him and asked that he email you with his PCP and
surgeons name. If you hear from someone named Mike in Rochester - you'll
know where it came from. Good luck!!
— MissKimberly
May 26, 2003
Many people from Ontario Canada who can't wait the 2-3 years it takes here
to get wls go to Dr. O'Mally and pay for it themselves. His costs are
reasonable too, lower than Michigan wls surgeons. His Ontario patients on
our Toronto ossg board are doing very well. Good luck to you.
— mary ann T.
May 26, 2003
Hi. There is a support group in Rochester. I belong to it. We are on Yahoo
as well. Email me at [email protected] I woll give you the info.
— nicole79
June 3, 2003
I had surgery with Dr. William O'Malley at Highland Hospital on 9/26/00.
I've since moved to Florida, but when I lived in Rochester, my insurance
was Blue Choice Select and they approved me in under 24 hours and paid for
the surgery in full. If you haven't already found them, there's a support
group in Rochester that meets at Park Ridge Hospital on the first Wednesday
and 3rd Tuesday of each month. The people in the group are wonderful and I
get together with many of them every time i'm back in Rochester. Email me
if you're interested and I'll give you the contact info for the group
(don't know if I can post it here or not).
— Terry M.
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