DO NOT GO TO DR.BRAD RAY IN BLOOMINGTON INDIANA!!!

THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE HATEFUL POST BUT, I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THAT THIS SURGEON HAD ASKED ME TO DO FOR "INSURENCE" PURPOSES. NEVER ONCE DID YOU SAY THAT I HAD TO LOSE ANY WEIGHT MY WEIGHT WAS SURGERY ACCEPTABLE.... WELL AFTER A YEAR OF DOING ALL THIS STUFF SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DOCTOR, NURSES, AND DIETIANS.... NEVER MIND I HAD TO TRAVEL 3 HOURS THERE AND 3 HOURS BACK... HE CALLS TO TELL ME THAT HE WILL NOT DO THE SURGEY UNTIL I LOSE 100LBS OR MORE... MY WEIGHT NOW IS LESS THEN WHEN I SEEN HIM FOR MY FIRST APPT.???? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS AT ALL HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANY OF YOU? GOD I HOPE NOT! IF IT HAS... UHOH I JUST SO DANG MAD. I HAVE CALLED SEVERAL DOCTORS AND I CAN GO TO THEM BUT I HAVE TO START THE INSURENCE PROCESS OVER. BUT IF I WEIGHT TO LOSE THE 100LBS ALL THE TEST I HAVE DONE WILL BE OUT DATED ANYWAY RIGHT IT COULD TAKE ME MORE THEN A YEAR TO LOSE THE WEIGHT. WELL TY FOR LISTENING TO ME ME ***** ... GOOD LUCK TO THE REST OF YOU OUT THERE TRYING TO HAVE THE SURGERY. MY WEIGHT AT MY FIRST VISIT WAS 500 MY WEIGHT NOW IT 469. JUST SO WILL KNOW...

Find another DR.......if you could loose 100lbs on your own.....YOU WOULDN'T BE GETTING THE SURGERY!!!!!!!!!!! How about some common sense on the DR's end...GOOD LORD

I am so sorry that happened to you. This is the first time that I have heard anything like this. What was his reasoning?

he is nuts. first it shouldn't have taken a year for all the paperwork and tests, 2nd he is very unrealistic about weight loss if he thinks you can just drop a hundred pounds on you own TO BE ABLE TO GET WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY!!!!! i only needed to loose 94 to be at goal according to the doctors chart. i could not do that without the surgery, i tried. and why would he choose this area of practice if he is not sympathetic to obese patients. he needs a pschy. eval and a change of careers

Thanks for all your reply's, He said the hospital wouldn't allow it because i would not fit in the cat-scan machine i really dont understad what a cat scan has to do with my surgery at all.... the way i understood it they did x-rays to see the placing of the port? I'am i correct because this his what he told me when i went for my first consult??? I don't know i thought the same if i could lose a 100lbs on my own to hell with the surgery i would lose the rest on my own to...

No, xray is not needed to place the port...can't think of one reason why that would be needed. You need to find a surgeon experienced in higher-BMI patients...sounds like this surgeon isn't one of them. It can require some larger equipment and longer trocars, but any surgeon who has a clue about higher BMI patients would KNOW that. Call your insurance company and see if the approval can be transferred to another surgeon... Nancy 394/284/180

Thanks Nancy my next question is I told my father about all of this bs and he is insisting i write them a letter asking to be compensated for my out-of-pocket expenses to and from all the doctors appointments and testing... has anyone heard of this.... i kinda of agree because never once did any thing come up about me loseing any amount of weight until now??? Just wondering??

Well, depends...if your testing and approval can be transferred to another surgeon, there would be no need for reimbursement...that's something to check out... But absolutely, he should've told you he wouldn't operate on you at your current weight right up front... I think the first call that needs to be made is to your insurance company...I had to have my EKG repeated (the 3 months it was good for expired before my surgery) and I had to pay out of pocket for the 2nd one, so time is of the essence... Nancy

Marlena, GET THEE TO ANOTHER DOCTOR!!!! Try and find one that has good credentials, and is from a Bariatric Clinic, and that's what they specialize in. They seem to have a better clue! It took you 3 hrs. to get there, Look on our Doctors board here, Maybe Fort Wayne, or Indy, you'd find someone. I know there are some in South Bend, but that's way north. Keep us posted. Sharon

Marlena, If you are not too far from Georgetown Bariatrics in Kentucky give them a call. They will work with you on approval and would not turn you away because of your size. Georgetown hospital has plenty of equipment to handle bariatric patiences, and if a hospital does not, they should not be doing the surgery's. This group specializes in Bariatrics and have a great support system. They do all of their surgery's laproscopically no matter what size you are too. I am sorry you had to experience this but maybe it is for the better. To find a better surgeon that is more compassionate to their patience. Here is their website. http://www.georgetownbariatrics.com/ Also, here is the groups message board that is monitored by the nurses. So, you can even ask them on here if you have questions. http://groups.msn.com/TheBariatricCenteratGeorgetown/general.msnw?&pps=k Good luck,and keep fighting, you WILL get there. Pat Lapband, 9/13/04 -40 dr weiss