Hello !!!!

[Louise1]

Hello everyone Newbie here!!
Following lengthy discussion with my GP I've been referred to bariatric at Rake Lane. It's now compulsory to attend the Lighten Up course which seems to have a waiting list of 2 months.
I'm basically on here for some advise etc.
I'm assuming it'll take 2 months to attend the course which then lasts 3 months. I then (I assume) will be sent on to the hospital. My GP & nurse assure me that North Tyneside doesn't have a long wait once I've jumped through the required hoops.
My BMI is 43. I'm 31 and both parents had heart attacks at 50. I have a stoma (which got me from 8st to 16st) and asthma.
I'm aware I need to show commitment to this course and get a bit of weight off before I can be considered..
What has everyone elses experiences and timescales been for Rake Lane etc. How are you all doing? Any regrets?
I fall under North Tyneside & apparently the wait isn't as long as Rake Lane hospital is North Tyneside.
I rang the Lighten Up programme yesterday to chase up my course (impatient I know) and it paid off. My first appointment is Monday with the Lighten Up lady and when I mentioned bariatric to the lady on the telephone she made an appointment for 2 wks today with the bariatric liaison nurse on the Lighten Up programme.
Hopefully my being a little pro-active might have pushed things on.
I'm a bit worried that I'll have to lose weight on the Lighten Up & then again once referred to the consultant which will take my BMI under the golden figure of 40 however I've been assured they take starting weight and any loss as a sign of commitment.
Hopefully this means I'll get through before any drastic changes in the funding system.
Another thing my GP's nurse mentioned was that they will take family history into account as well as co-morbidities. There may be a silver lining after all to my parents heart attacks!!
I've had a letter through today for an appointment with Sue Merrey Nurse Specialist from Healthy Hearts/Lighten Up to discuss my weight & how the NHS can help me??
Did anyone else meet with this lady?
I've got a humiliating questionnaire to complete before hand which may well get me sectioned under the Mental Health Act if I reply honestly lol.
Just wondering what to expect
Sorry for the long post. Just unloading lol!!

 

[jo_ jo]

Hi

Welcome to the site. I have not heard of anyone having it done where you are. It tends to be Sunderland that I hear about.So sorry I cant help. But didnt want to read and run

Good luck ask away there is always someone who knows the answer on here. Its a great place for info.

All the best
Jo
xx

 

[Chick1981]

Hi just wanted 2 say a big hello!!!! Sorri I can't anwser on ur hospital as I'm
I n Birmingham gud luck though xxxx

 

[lurve2laugh]

welcome to the site hunny x

 

[sugga]

Welcome along xxx

 

[LET.ME.OUT.OF.THIS.BODY]

Hi hun
i'm not totally familiar with what happens at north Tyneside as i am under the team at Sunderland. I too have a BMI of 43 and asked the question at the group seminar i attended in October "what if i loose weight and drop below a BMI of 40 before surgery? will this effect my eligability for surgery?" i was told that no it would not as it is your starting BMI of 43 that makes us eligable however if we were to loose a considerable amount of weight pre op which reduced our BMI significantly then they may re evaluate which surgery option would best suit us ie a ballon may be considered to help sustain the weight loss. i hope that helps hun. oh and as for the questionnaire i'm sure there is nothing you can write on there that they havent read before. when i wrote my GP a three page SA on how my weight had affected my life i read it back and thought i may too be sectionable lol and as i am a psychiatric nurse that was even more worrying.

 

[Louise1]

Thanks Lea.
I'll let you all know how it goes on Wednesday. Hopefully the Lighten Up lady will be able to shed some light.
I did ask GP if I needed to write a letter for referral or funding but apparently it's quite straight forward in North Tyneside or so I hope.
x

 

[blueeyes]

I'm not familiar with the process in your area, but want to say welcome to the site xx

 

[Rebirth]

Hope all goes well on Wednesday and welcome to the site. I'm under Trafford so won't be able to help with North Tynesides process as they are all so different. Just wanted to give you some virtual support.

 

[Grace]

Hi and welcome to the form. I'm sorry I'm unable to help with your specific questions as I am under Sunderland too. But I look forward to getting to kow you and fillowing your journey.
Grace xxx

 

[dani38]

Hi just wanted 2 say a big hello!!!! Sorri I can't anwser on ur hospital as I'm
I n Birmingham gud luck though xxxx

Hello Charmine I am also in Birmingham I was just wondering what you thought of your consultant and how easy it was for you to be referred onto him? My BMI is 35.5 but I do have disc disease in back. thanks

 

[ladylite]

Hello hun, cant help with any suggestion as went private but would like to welcome to this lovely site and hope you get all your answers. xx

 

[Chick1981]

hey dani, i saw my gp in feb 2010 she refered me i had an appointment wiv dr taheri in april they put me on a slim class which is weight managment 4 6mnths went bk 2 dr taheri on the 8th of nov he spoke 2 dr kumar who saw me at the same time did my seminar the same day dr kumar applied for my funding on the 17th of nov and it was granted on the 4th of december just waiting for a date now! so hopefully within a yr of my first appointment i wil of had surgerym hope this helps gud luck xx

 

[tinkerboom]

Hi hun im walsall and i have letter today for 24 session specialist weight management course with walsall heart care im too not really sure what to expect so if anyone can shed some light xx

 

[Louise1]

I've got my assessment with specialist nurse as part of 12 week Lighten Up course today. I'll post when I get home to let you all know how it went & what to expect if you're having similar experiences!

 

[tinkerboom]

Hi ya louise yeah that would be great to know what to expect. where abouts are you louise????? hope your 1st appointment goes well , I have my 1st appointment the 24th January with walsall heart care so please would you so kind kind enought to post your experiences and i will too many thanks xxxx

 

[DaisyMaesy]

'Lighten Up Lady', sounds wonderful, what a spectacular job title - 'What do you do for a living?' answer - 'I am the lighten up lady'. Sorry I can't help with the hospital thing Louise but welcome to this lovely site. One thing I have quickly realised on this journey is that everyone and every hospital is different. At my hospital (Chelsea and Westminster) I met the surgeon and he didn't say I had to lose weight before op but another patient was told a few days later that she had to lose at least 10lbs before op as that is the rules.

 

[Louise1]

Hello everyone. I hope you had a Happy Xmas.
I went along for my appointment with the Lighten Up lady and have to report she was lovely. We went through a questionnaire to ascertain whether the programme would help me. Simple questions about my lifestyle and why I wanted to lose weight. I didn't feel I was being pressured or tricked. It was a pleasant little conversation.
She agreed I was a good candidate for the programme and in North Tyneside the following applies:
I now have to wait for a seminar to get onto next Lighten Up programme (I have a date in Jan).
I then have to wait for place on available programme.
I need attend for 12 weeks.
At the end of 12 weeks, the programme will write to my GP who will attach their letter to bariatric referral documents.
I then have to wait for bariatric seminar and then start the surgery route.
I was told however that if I lose weight on the programme, the bariatric team may not send me away to lose more so the process may be speedier.
Any questions please ask...

 

[dottychic]

Sounds like you had a good experience Hope it goes well for you XX

 

[Louise1]

Hello all.
Just a quick update. My Lighten Up 12 week programme begins next Wednesday so I'll keep you all up to date with my progress & where the bariatric team links in etc incase any of you have the same process in your PCT.