new and looking for info

 Hello and thank you to everyone for teaching me so much through your posts.  On September 10th I made my first call to Dr. Bell/Duffy and within a week had received my first packet of info.  They do not even set up an appointment with you until your 4 page survey, nutrition and pysch reports are in as well as a detailed report from pcp.  I started making my calls only to discover that nutrionist won't see me without a form from pcp stating that he supports my decision.  Long story short I have already sent in my survey, I have nutritionist and pysch next week and pcp says he should have his paperwork in within two weeks. Can anyone tell me roughly how long it will take to get pysch and nutrition reports in?  When does Dr. contact insurance?  When do I finally get to meet Dr?  Is this moving along slowly or quickly? I greatly appreciate any info.  Thank you

Congratulations! 

 

Since every doctor is different as is every patient and their insurance/self-pay situation; you might want to call his office to see what they say.  His admin will have the best information

Sue Thank you so much for your post.  I appreciate the info.  As a matter of fact I just received a phone call from the nutritionist saying that she was faxing over the report as we speak.  The pyschologist told me that it would definitely be in by next Friday  (October 19th) considering that I made my first phone call on September 10th I am thrilled with the pace so far.  If I can, can you tell me how tall your are?  I am asking because I am trying to find someone with numbers very similar to mine to try to get a rough idea as to the pace.  The day of my first phone call I was at 266 and today at Weigh****chers I was 256.40.  I am 49 years old and I am 5'3'.  Also I am wondering about how your body is reacting now, 2 years out?  Sorry for bombarding you but I would appreciate any info you feel comfortable sharing.

No problem at all.  I'm 43 and 5'6" tall.  I started at 262.5 and I hover in the 150-152 lb. range now and wear a size 8 pant.   My plan was to get to 145, which I could still do if I put the effort into it but I have to say that I'm pretty happy with my size now and haven't really been trying. I lost most of the weight in the 1st year, at my 2nd year appointment I had lost another 5 pounds which Dr. Bell was really happy with.  I would like a tummy tuck just as something for myself...most people don't think I need it at all but then again most people don't see me naked either!!  I really only have a little bit of extra skin on my lower abdomen that you can't tell is there with clothes on so I've really been holding out to build up enough sick time from work ...maybe next year.  Dr. Bell estimated that I would lose about 2 inches off my waist if I did it and I'd get rid of the baby stretch marks which would be a big plus.  Anyway, you will probably dump at least half of your excess weight within the first 6 months and then it will slow down but I found that 2-4 pounds a week, every week adds up really fast.  It all seemed to go by sooooo quickly. As for the surgery itself, you will have 6 tiny incisions that get closed up with superglue...no stiches!   Most of them are so small that once they heal you will never know they were there at all.  They will probably have you up for a walk the day of surgery and you will be able to shower the next day.  I stuck a chair in the shower so I could sit and brought hubby in to hose me down.   I made sure that I told the Anestesiologist and Dr. Bell that the sleeping stuff makes me sick to my stomach so that I would get shots in the IV for nausea.  Oh,  you will also get a prescription for liquid pain narcs at your pre-op visit....make sure you get this filled well before  your surgery....It's a really big bottle so the pharmacy may have to order it.  My biggest advice post op is to walk...every day...even if it's only a block or just down the street, it really makes a difference.  You'll be on a strict liquid diet for 2 weeks post op.  I found that the Carnation premixed instant breakfast in chocolate tasted best.  The absolute worst thing was smelling food for those 2 weeks and not being able to eat it!!!  Food just smells extra good when you can't have it!!! Weaning back onto solids is a little rough ....kind of hit or miss.  Things that you wouldn't think would bother you do and things you think will bother you might not....it's a weird transitional period.   I do remember that my first "real" meal that sent me into a heavenly happy orbit was pot roast with a little gravy on it!!!  Alot of people have trouble with chicken...especially breast meat because it can be dry texture wise so my advice would be to save that for last.  If you try chicken, a thigh would be a better choice.   Now that I'm 2 years out I have to watch myself more now as you'll find out, your appetite will return and you will be able to eat more.  I can pretty much eat anything and not be sick including sugery stuff but I've been told that's unusual.  Once in a while I might get a little queasy or have an emergency run to the potty but no puking or anything.   I do know when I'm full though and I have the control to walk away and stop whereas before surgery I would just have kept on stuffing my face.  Pre-op I just really always felt hungry and was just constantly eating and now I only eat when I'm hungry.  I don't seem to have that inner struggle anymore...now I'm in control. As for the surgeons, you will be able to choose which one you want.  I think there's actually a 3rd one now.  When I went for the big pre-op visit, it was just Dr. Bell and Dr. Duffy.  Only Dr. Bell was there, for some reason Dr. Duffy couldn't be there that day but I really just loved Dr. Bell immediately so I chose him and have absolutely NO regrets  (staring at those baby blue eyes of his doesn't hurt either : ) ).   I would recommend him to anyone who is considering the surgery with no reservations at all.  There will be students who observe and maybe hold the camera ( that's ALL he will let them do) and they will check in with you periodically in the hospital post-op.  They were all really nice and I didn't have a problem with them at all.  I did have hubby run out and get me a fan.... I thought my room was hot as hell so the fan was terrific.  Most of the nurses were great...I did have one bee-ach, however, if Mike is still there, he was the BOMB....best nurse I ever had.  Overall, I'd rate my care (first experience at Yale) a 10.   Here's a few links to info about Dr. Bell, the first one has his pic so you can see what he looks like.   http://www.yalesurgery.org/surgical_spec/faculty/bell.html http://www.yalesurgery.org/surgical_spec/faculty/cv/bell.pdf Any other questions, let me know.  I check in periodically on the boards but I haven't updated my profile in ages. ~Sue

The nutrition report gets put in pretty quickly.  Depends with the psych report, may take a week or two. I can't remember how long it was before the first meeting with Dr. Bell after all the paperwork was in.... maybe 2-4 weeks at most and then another month or so for the surgery.  What will happen is that you will be called to come in for a 2-3 hour meeting with the surgeon.  You will be with a group of people, maybe about 20 or so who are going to be scheduled for surgery. During that meeting, Dr. Bell will explain the surgery in detail and you will be able to ask all the questions you want of him.  He's very open and will explain things a hundred times and draw pictures if you need him to.  After he's done with his presentation and answers questions, you will then sit with the nurse to thoroughly go over all post op eating instructions.  It will be explained how long you will be on liquids and how your eating will progress.  You will then get to choose which Dr. you prefer and schedule your surgery date.   I chose Dr. Bell and couldn't have been happier with my choice.  I think he's an amazingly skilled surgeon with the bedside manor of an angel.  He does all of his surgeries laproscopically (total plus).  The only exception is if he runs into bad scar tissue from previous abdominal surgeries that gets in the way.  His largest lap patient was 600+ pounds.  While he says the lap surgery is harder when a patient is that extremely morbidly obese, that it is still possible, it just takes longer and is more difficult but it can be done.   Anyway, congratulations on beginning your journey.  You are in the best of hands. ~Sue 262/150 laprny 7/25/05

Oh... one more quick FYI... Dr. Bell does NOT require that you lose any more weight before surgery and you will NOT have to do a pre-op liquid diet. You will get to eat normal meals pre-op up until 3 days before surgery where you will have to eat lite meals, ie; soup & salads so at least you won't be going in starving to death ! I just checked your profile..... you're not all that big so you will do really well with the surgery.  It will be easy for Dr. Bell and will go very quickly for him.

Susan thank you so mucn for all of your details it is helpjng me immensely to hear from someone in a similar situation who has already been there.  As for Dr. Bell he looks 12.  But his credentials look amazing.  Again thank you for sharing, if it is ok I would like to add you to my friends list.

  Sure, of course you can add me to your friends list.  That cute little surgeons hat hides the hair loss....  I'm not really sure but I'm guessing he's in his forties. I started looking into getting the surgery about 4 years before I actually had it done.  I started with Dr. Arronow but when I got his packet info it quite frankly scared the crap out of me.  The whole thought of being cut open just didn't sit well at all and at that time he had a huge waiting list. Then I met one of my husbands's friends  wives who is a nurse and had the surgery herself...she turned me on to Dr. Bell and the rest it history.  I can't figure out why anyone would ever choose to have the open surgery over the lap surgery when it's an available choice but to each his own I guess.   Anyway,  you'll be in for your first appointment before you know it.  Let me know how it goes. ~Sue

If I had to go back and do it all over again. I would have waited 2 years for Dr.Bell. He is awesome. I have switched over to him for my yearly postop checkups. Hes also going to repair my hernia when I am ready since the other idiot didnt think it was necessary to do.. Ok I wont vent, its hard,but I wont. Best of luck to you though. You have chosen a real genuine gem to be your surgeon ~Michele