"HAD MY FIRST APPT. WITH SURGEON SCHEDULED FOR MAY 1OTH 2002. I CALLED THEIR OFFICE AND GOT IN TO SEE HIM ON APRIL 17TH. WHEW!!! DID I LUCK OUT OR WHAT?! I SAW DR. MEILAHN AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY IN PHILA PA. HE WAS RECOMMENDED TO ME BY TWO FELLOW EMPLOYEES AT A HOSPITAL I WORK AT IN NEW JERSEY. THEY LOVED HIM AND HAD NOTHING BAD TO SAY ABOUT HIM OR THE HOSPITAL. ONE HAD SLIGHT COMPLICATIONS FROM SGY. (INFECTION AT SITE) AND THE OTHER HAS HAD NO COMPLICATIONS TO DATE. THEY BOTH HAD SGY IN 1/2002AT TEMPLE. MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF THE DR WAS "MAN AM I SCARED ". HE PUT MYSELF AND MY HUSBAND RIGHT AT EASE. AFTER A DISCUSSION WITH HIM ON WHY I WANTED SGY HE DREW ME PICTURES OF THE TWO OPTIONS I HAVE WITH HIM ONE BEING ROUX-N-Y DISTAL/PROXIMAL AND THE OTHER BEING THE NEW LAB BAND PROCEDURE THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE A BYPASS OF YOUR INTESTINES. HE WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH MY DIET HISTORY I TYPED UP AND ASKED IF HE COULD KEEP IT. THE OFFICE IS NOT JUST HIS ALONE IT IS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SGY AT TEMPLE. HE DOES HAVE A WONDERFUL WOMAN NAMED NAYEESHA WHO IS HIS RIGHT HAND GAL. SHE IS GREAT ON THE PHONE AND IN PERSON. WE DID GET INTO IN DEPTH DISCUSSION WITH CHANGES AFTER SGY IN DIET AND EATING. I RECIEVED A BOOKLET OF PAPERS AND PAMPHLET ABOUT THE SGY AND ALL IT ENTAILS. HAHA THEY DON'T REALIZE HOW MUCH TIME I HAVE SPENT ON THE NET READING UP ON WLS. THEY ARE JUST STARTING AN AFTERCARE/SUPPORT GROUP UP FOR THEIR PATIENTS BUT HE DID SAY THAT MOST OF HIS PATIENTS SEEM TO FIND SUPPORT FROM OHTERS LOCALLY IN THEIR HOME TOWNS. HIS GUIDELINES FOR SGY ARE INTENSE... THEY INCLUDE: MEDICAL CLEARANCE LETTER FROM PRIMARY DOCTOR/FAMILY DOCTOR, PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION LETTER OF COMPETENCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF SAID SGY, PULMONARY CONSULT AND SLEEP STUDY TESTING, 2D ECHO AND/OR STRESS TEST, US OF GALLBLADDER/ABD, AN UPPER GI OR EGD, AND ATTENDANCE AT HIS MANDATORY PREOPERATIVE TEACHING CLASS WITH A NURSE PRACTITIONER AND DIETICIAN. THE OFFICE WILL HANDLE ALL OTHER MATTERS REGARDING INSURANCE APPROVAL ONCE THESE GUIDELINES ARE MET AND THEY HAVE RECEIVED COPIES OF SAID STUDIES. AT THAT POINT THEY WILL CONTACT INSURANCE CO FOR APPROVAL AND A SGY DATE WILL BE SCHEDULED. ALOT OF WORK AND I KNOW IT WILL BE WELL WORTH IT. GOD IS WITH ME ON THIS I JUST KNOW HE IS...WILL UPDATE YOU ALL LATER AS TIME PROGRESSES AND TEST ARE COMPLETED. BYE:)"
