Marie R.

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Well, I started to work on the checklist they sent me by beginning to schedule appointments that I needed.  However, when I went to my Pain Care Specialist last week to have my morphine pump refilled, the PA misinformed me on a few things.  Therefore, I need to speak with my actual doctor and not the physician assistant.  He is currently out of the country and will be returning tomorrow.

It upsets me because the PA told me one thing during my April visit and now when I come back in May, it appears that he doesn't want to stand behind what he told me before.  I would rather speak with my doctor directly anyway and I had already planned on getting the doctor's approval for this surgery, NOT the PA

My depression just pulls me down more because I really want to do this but it seems like maybe the signs I am being shown are telling me otherwise.  To top off all of this, I must send in a $300 administrative fee before 5/28 or I will no longer be a candidate for the program.  It sucks because I can't even see the doctor unless I pay this fee first and the insurance co. won't reimburse you for this.  I even asked, "What if after I see the surgeon and he/she feels that my case is too risky with all of my health problems, can I be reimbursed for the $300 that I won't be able to use at that point?"  They told me no, can you believe that?  I guess that would be my donation for their office lunch program or something of that nature.

I go back to my PCP this Weds. to discuss where things stand and hopefully he will have some answers for me as well. 

Today I received my packet in the mail from Mount Carmel Bariatric Center.  It contains a checklist that I need to complete and at the end of this checklist, I will be scheduled for my surgery.

I can't tell you how excited I am about all of this.  However, I have done some more research and I no longer want to have the Lap-band surgery due to my disease (RSD).  The Lap-band will take so much longer to loose weight and with me, I will be lucky if I loose any because I am not able to get my heart-rate up by exercising.  Therefore, I am going to ask to have the Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass Laporoscopic.  This will allow me to loose weight faster at the beginning and I can still implement my new method of dietary eating.

This is the only thing that I can do at this point.  It's bad enough when people stare at you when your disabled and in a wheelchair but it's even worse when your obese and in a wheelchair. 

4/18/07 - Well, I just got done filling out 16 pages of information that they gave us at the meeting and it was dropped in the mail 2 days ago.  I'm sure it is on someone's desk by now.

Wish me luck because once they review my information, I will know if I have been chosen as a candidate or not........Marie

4/11/07 - Well today was the day that I attended the Bariatric Forum Review at Mount Carmel Hospital.  There was a lot of information to absorb but I was one up on a lot of it due to all of my good friends out there that have provided me with information ahead of time.  I'd like to give a shout out to Jeannie for putting up with all of my emails, thanks Jeannie!!

I picked up my information packet and I am going to get it filled out tonight or tomorrow so that I can send it in right away.  I did ask the doctor about me having RSD as well as having a morphine pump in my stomach.  I showed her where it was located and she said it is fine because she would place the lap-band diagonally from it.  The only thing that she recommended for me was a letter from my Pain Care Specialist stating how to manage my pain during surgery.

My husband and I talked about everything and I am so ready to rock-n-roll, let's get this party started.....;)

I'm so excited.  The forum discussion on Bariatric Surgery that I am scheduled to attend is this Wednesday, April 11, 2007.  I can't wait to get the ball rolling.  I have been doing a lot of homework on the topic and I am finishing up my list of questions for the doctor.  My interest of course is the Lap-Band surgery.  

I know that after this forum, they will schedule me to see the doctor IF they feel that I am a good candidate......I BETTER BE....from everyone I have talked too, my disease should be the deciding factor.  

I wanted to see how long everything takes from application through post op and people told me anywhere from 4 months to 1 yr.    If anyone has any other advice for me, please let me know.

God Bless,
Marie 

I got a call this morning from my Primary Care Physician's medical assistant, Amanda.  She had tried calling Dr. Price to set up an appointment for me after April 11; however they told her to have me call them directly because I would need to answer some questions. 

When I called Dr. Prices' office, I was told that in order to get an appointment with Dr. Price, I would need to attend a seminar first.  I explained that I was already scheduled for one on April 11 and they said that would be fine.  They also told me that at the end of the seminar,  I would be scheduled to see Dr. Price for an appointment.

Well here are a few more items that I have been working on since my last post.

6/4/07 - I meet with a dietician to begin a 3-month diet program as required by my insurance.  I will go back in July, Aug, & finally Sept to meet with the dietician each time to go over where I am at and to see if I have lost any weight.

I also attended my required Bariatric Support Group Meeting tonight in which the subject was "Family Therapy".  This is another one of the items on my "Bariatric Candidate Program Checklist" that I can now check off as being completed.

6/5/07 - I went to my initial surgeon's appointment.  This appt. was scheduled with Dr. Miller even though I had requested Dr. Chopan for my  surgery.  When this appt. was scheduled, the receptionists told me that Dr. Chopan was covering for another surgeon that was out on maternity leave and that I would need to see Dr. Miller for now but Dr. Chopan would still do my surgery.  All I would need to do is explain this to Dr. Miller when I go in to see him.

Well when I went to the appt. and saw Dr. Miller, I explained to him what I was told.  He told me that I should not have even came to his office because even though Dr. Chopan was covering for another surgeon, she is still seeing patients and having her own clinic hours.  He was going to speak with the lady that scheduled me with him because she is his employee.  She wasted his time and mine.  

He then went on to explain to me that the only way I could have bariatric surgery was if my sleep study came back positive OR if my current BMI goes up to 41 or more. 
 
He said that my weight had no affect on my RSD which is NOT true because is does affect my lower back along with my degenerative disk disease.  I even asked the insurance co. @ all of this and they told me that if I did not have one of the main problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc..then my PCP could write a letter to the insurance co. explaining why he/she feels that I would benefit from Gastric Bypass surgery

I still feel like something isn't right.  I had to send in $300 to Mid Ohio Surgical Associates before I was able to see a surgeon.  Now that I have seen one of the surgeons and he is telling me that if my sleep study isn't positive OR my BMI is not at least 41 or more then I am not a candidate for Bariatric Surgery.  So IF this were to happen to me, I am out $300.  

I don't know what to think at this point.  I go back for my sleep study results on June 26.  Till then I will have to wait.