Feel a bit of a fraud for being here now...

[staypositive]

Hi Gerry

Just been reading through your thread - poor thing sounds like you are havin a bit of a time of it!!!

I too am hoping to have bypass surgery and I get my funding decision on Friday !!!

I understand how you feel when phone calls etc do not get returned - and my only advice on that is - phone them - again and again and again so they cannot ignore you.

I too have been in very bleak places over the years but now I find myself with fire in my belly - I will not give up this fight without a battle - don't let the b******s grind you down chick!!!

Write as many letters and make as many phone calls as you possible can - don't let anybody forget who you are and how much you want this surgery. So far my path has been fairly straightforward but I have still written letters to - my doc, the pct, the director of finance at the pct, my MP, the media and my regional director of health.

The panel are meeting on Thursday to discuss my funding decision on Thursday, but if they think I am gonna wait till they have written to my doc, then my doc to write to me - no chance. I have already asked the pct director of finance if it is ok for me to ring him Friday morning for their decision.

Good Luck with everything hon and if I can be any help let me know.

:flowers:

 

[Gerry]

Thanks for your kind words Caroline. I might just do what you are doing and phone the guy at the PCT who I spoke to and find out if I have got it or not.

Stupid as it may sound, I was sitting in bed in the early hours last night, wondering how many more christmases I have left if I do and how many more christmases I have left if I don't :sigh: Not nice thoughts. I know which I'd prefer though.

I think it gets to you like that after a while, and it makes you wonder who gives them the right to play God over whether you live or die.

Good luck for Friday, keeping everything crossed for you.



Gerry

 

[staypositive]

Hey Hon,

You need to get those thoughts out of your head right now - dig down really deep and find that fight - it is in there somewhere DO NOT give up - you are worth too much to people - especially your kiddies !!!!!

See if you can find out the name of the director of finance at your local PCT - give them a ring and ask them when the next panel meeting is and find out if your name is on the list.

I did just that on Monday morning and found out the meeting is on thursday but my name WASN'T on the list. I asked why and the guy told me that he needed to contact my doc as the referral letter he had sent stated that - yes I met the NICE criteria - but he hadn't specifically stated that my BMI was over 40.

I got straight on the phone to my doc who sent the finance director an e-mail to clarify things.

That one missing sentence could have lost me weeks.

How glad am I that I phoned!!!!!!!

Keep that chin up (or in my case "chins" :giggle

 

[Nic318]

Hiya Gerry hun

How you doing?

Always thinking of you and keeping fingers crossed for you too xxx

 

[Gerry]

Well, as many of you know, I was told that the panel hearing for deciding if I would get funding was today. I'd told my kids, husband, close friends etc and have been having butterflies in my tummy all day. I called a little while ago to see how it went, only to find out that the two people who could tell me were both out .

One of them just phoned me back and said casually "oh, your hearing isn't until 25th June (a Wednesday), and even then we won't know the answer until a few days later so don't phone until Monday of the following week .

Feeling rather deflated again now. Was really hoping that by tonight I would have had some good news.

Oh well, no change from the normal course of events I guess - one botch after another.

Sorry to sound rather dismal, but I wish they'd not raised my hopes like that.

Hope everyone else is doing ok.

Gerry

 

[mandy-1975]

Keep fighting

Hi Hun,

Have been wondering how you were doing for a while now!!!

Sorry to hear things aren't going to well, the other way to look at it is, at least you have now been told a definate date, and you make sure you keep phoning them and show them you are not about to take this lying down....... it is alreight for them none of them have a clue to how you feel and what affect this has on your life or anyones life who are big!!!

We are all here for you, no matter what!!!!! Keep saying you deserve this just as much as anyone of us!!! It is your right.........

Keep you chin up, we are all routing for you, if you want to email you can on [email protected]

Thinking of you and sending you positive thoughts

xxxxxxxxx

 

[Nic318]

Oh Gerry

It's disgraceful the way you are being treated, I agree they shouldn't set your expectations and then change their plans, I'm sure they don't realise what an affect it has on us.

So sorry your still going through it hun xxx

 

[alliecat]

Chin up Gerry -think of the hare and the tortoise - who won out in the end??

 

[shelbell]

gosh what a nightmare you've been through!

I had to attend a lifestyle and weight management to get put through to panel, but mine was for 12 months! I asked my GP about WLS 18 months ago now, so it shows that not everyone gets a referral within a matter of weeks!

Will keep everything crossed for the 25th for you.

 

[Gerry]

Thanks everyone. I'm kind of 'floating along' with it all at the moment. I'm not well (again) anyway, so kind of not fussed with it at the moment. My enthusiasm has rather dwindled, which I expect is only normal given the circumstances.

Shellbell, that's what they wanted me to do too, but the person running it and severl others have all said it wouldn't be right for me because of my disabilities. Also I doubt (with all my other problems) that I would be able to attend every class, even if I didn't have the 'group phobia' thing that I'd have to overcome first.

If I were a horse they'd have shot me by now

Thanks again to all who have responded. Sorry I'm not here much at the moment but really not feeling so good.

Gerry
xx

 

[shelbell]

Gerry I'm the same, a physical mess lol. unfortunately I couldn't get out of it, my GP was adamant that i had to go through it! Luckily though I met the bariatric co-ordinator through it and she got to know me really well before putting the funding application in and really fought my corner.

She did say though that I was the only person who'd ever been through her weight management programme and actually gained weight!

Its only a week now till the hearing for you, which will fly by! Hope you feel better soon.

 

[mandy-1975]

Hi Gerry

Hope you are ok, Thinking of you, wont be long before you here something......

 

[alliecat]

one day at a time Gerry hun, keep at it, we are thinking of you x

 

[georgina]

hi gerry well hun u have been through some crap il say that 4 u but ur still here, i did send u an e mail the other day hope u got it, il look forward to see what they say on the 25th so im keeping my fingers crossed 4u hun, take care and keep ur chin up xxxx

 

[Nic318]

Thinking of you Gerry and hoping you get the answer you deserve on the 25th xxx

 

[Gerry]

Just popping by (more dragging than popping really) to say hi and thank you to all for the messages Really not good at the moment. Barely able to sit up let alone stand. Desperate to wash my hair but can't use the shower or even bend over the bath. Very hormonal, all my joints & ligaments have gone very lax and can barely support myself. Even keeping my eyes open is a struggle. Very weepy too which is probably hormones again. Roll on the menopause.

Funding thing tomorrow, but probably won't hear till next week. Right now I don't have the strength to fuss about it.

Not forgetting you all, just wanted to nip on and say hi.

Gerry
xx

 

[mandy-1975]

Hi Gerry

Sorry to hear your not good at all!!!!!! fingers crossed regarding funding.........

 

[clairelou]

Hope you get to hear about funding soon..xx

 

[shelbell]

huge hugs gerry x sorry to hear you're feeling so bad.

 

[Nic318]

Hi Gerry

Keeping everything crossed for you for tomorrow hun, sorry to hear your not good, here anytime for you xx