Hi from Northamptonshire

[mike135]

Hi everyone, my name is Mike and I'm from Northamptonshire. I'm currently looking into having a gastric band fitted as i have been under an endocrinologist for several years (due to other reasons - not diabetes). My PCT is Northamptonshire and I've got my initial double appointment at the doctors on monday to have a chat with my GP about referral and funding etc. I'd be very grateful if others could suggest what information/questions i need to go into the meeting with? I've thought of some things, but I'm sure there is alot more which hasn't sprung to mind as yet!

Mike

 

[ChrystalK]

Hi Mike

Although I am a different PCT to you, I would suggest that you be honest with your GP about your eating habits. Hopefully they will know what other methods of dieting you have tried and maybe failed at.

I was quite lucky I asked my GP for a referral as I said I had been thinking about it for a while, she did a fully set of bloods, measured my height and weighed me and said she would refer me to the hospital.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask you will also find this wonderful site a hive of information.

 

[phatmomma]

might help us a bit Mike if you told us what questions you already have. i'd be asking what the criteria is, what comorbidities i have that will support a funding application and most importantly of all, which hospitals do i get a choice of.... If you have a choice of more than one ask them to find out waiting times at each hospital.... I met someone who went from start to finish in 3 months because he went to a hospital that had just restarted doing the ops again.. It was Telford if you're interested...

Good luck x

 

[Glenville]

Hi Mike, you've been given some good advice already. Just answer any questions truthfully, but make sure you get referred. If you get knocked back for any reason keep pushing. Good luck.

 

[jaynefrances]

Hi Mike. Welcome and good luck with the wls process

 

[mike135]

Hi all, thanks for your comments. Much appreciated

Well the questions that i came up with, and the questions suggested here pretty much went straight out of the window at the appointment! I don't know whether it was previous information that the doctor has on me (I had leukaemia 7 years ago) or the fact that the doctor didn't really know much about weight-loss surgery etc, that he went briefly through the notes he has on me, read the letter i sent to a previous paediatric endocrinologist that i used to see, and he dictated a letter to Professor Kumar into his voice-recognition device which typed it up straight onto an email to his secretary. She has written it up officially and sent to to Professor Kumar at Univ. Hosp. Coventry and Warwickshire in Coventry and I've booked my own appointment with him for Thurs 8th April.

I was quite surprised how streamlined it was considering all the things i have read on here regarding getting your GP to refer you in the first instance. I don't know my local GP that well as i haven't been with him for that long, say like i say, maybe its because of my history that he takes me seriously (he doesn't like it when i turn up with a fever or infection because of everything that's gone on in the past - that's the impression i get, although understandable i suppose!)

Will keep you informed, and will get this thread split and put elsewhere as a 'my story' when I've posted enough.

Thanks again for your replies

 

[mike135]

Well, quite an interesting update for you now. I booked the appointment as said in my last post for 8th April, however several days later I recieved a letter in the post from the hospital saying that they have reviewed my referal and the associated docs and have cancelled my appointment. Now I assumed at first that this was going to be my first big road block, although the letter told me to contact my gp for more information as to why the appointment had been cancelled. I did this the next day and spoke with his secretary and was quite suprised to find out that it had been cancelled as hospital felt that I should see professor kumar personally, as the previous appointment was apparently to see another doctor in the dietetics clinic. This other clinic is called the wisdem clinic ( spelt with an e strangely enough). I have no idea what has happened or whether it's a good thing or not. So I rung this evening to book a new appointment at this wisdem clinic and was told it was fully booked so the person took a contact number and said that the NHS trust will be on touch with a new appointment in the next 14 days! How frustrating! I've been a big person all my life, biggest in primary school, biggest in high school (but happy to say it's not the case where I work) so I think I can wait another two weeks to get an appointment date.

Will keep you all updated as promised - what a great site this is for advice and support.

Mike

 

[mr hip]

hi mike hop it goes well 4 u

 

[Katastrophe]

Hi Mike, hope it all goes well and you get your appt very soon. Sounds like they're taking your case very seriously which can only be a good thing

 

[phatmomma]

Hi Mike

I for one think it's a good thing they've sent you straight to the organ grinder....

I wish you well, and as you say you've got to wait two weeks for an appointment! Big deal, it will fly past before you know it you'll be sat in a waiting room waiting to see the big man himself..... Keep the faith, you are very early on in your journey and it has gone smoothly for you so far.

Keep us posted xx

 

[mike135]

Hi everyone, thanks for your kind words. Will definitely keep you posted throughout - such a great forum this is for support and advice.

Mike

 

[rambo]

hi mike
i too had to see Prof Kumar at the wisdem clinic which stands for something institute of sciences diabetes and endocrinology medicine,
prof Kumar is top man at Coventry university hospital and has a multi disciplinary team which i had to see all of a few times,i had to do a 12 month weight management course as it was a must by the pct to qualify for surgery this i started in sept 2008,, i seen the dietitian, then the physiologist Mr Kendricks and of course prof kumar, then in sept 2009 i got the go a head for surgery and was sent to walsall manor hospital to see the surgeon another mr kumar very nice chap was given the go ahead to have a gastric bypass. in oct 2009 seen the team at walsall got all sorted about to go for my pre opps for the operation to go ahead, then to my horror i,m informed they sent me to the wrong hospital this was in march2009, wot a cock up 6 more months wasted, any way after much sorting i have now been sent to heartlands hospital , were i should of gone in the first place 6 months ago, i now see the surgeon on the 12 april 2010 so hopefully i will know what will be going to happen and get a new time scale ,
its been a bloody long time to get were i am today i hope its not going to take to much longer now lol,
all the best mike with your appointment
regards steve

 

[SOON SLIM SUE]

hi mike. i'm Northants aswell (Wellingborough).
Northants pct only funds Luton & Dunstable and Birmingham Heartlands. you have to go through your gp for funding first, lots of us have had to go back to our gp's many times to get them to send off for funding (it's the first big hurdle).
so keep going back to your gp untill he sends the forms in.
GOOD LUCK sue.

 

[mike135]

Hi Steve and Sue,

Thanks very much for sharing your stories/words of wisdom with me, much appreciated

Thanks Steve for posting, it's nice to find someone on here who has been along the same route as I'm about to go along. Will keep an eye on your posts to see how your getting on too - good luck as it doesn't sound like your that far away from the result we're all waiting for if we're on this forum.

Sounds like I'm a long way off seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but I know that it's going to be a long road ahead, and reading hundreds of posts off this great website has prepared me for that.

Thanks again

Mike

 

[rambo]

Hi Steve and Sue,

Thanks very much for sharing your stories/words of wisdom with me, much appreciated

Thanks Steve for posting, it's nice to find someone on here who has been along the same route as I'm about to go along. Will keep an eye on your posts to see how your getting on too - good luck as it doesn't sound like your that far away from the result we're all waiting for if we're on this forum.

Sounds like I'm a long way off seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but I know that it's going to be a long road ahead, and reading hundreds of posts off this great website has prepared me for that.

Thanks again

Mike

hi mike
all though it seems a long time on paper from sept 2008-now,, the time has gone by realy fast it still seems like its not been that long,
all the best with your appointment at coventry hospital, let me know how you get on , if u have any questions just ask if i can advise you i will chap
all the best, i have my next appointment my first with heartlands surgeon on monday 12th april so
i will then were i go from there hopefully
regards steve

 

[mike135]

Hi steve, I was wondering how you got on today at heartlands? Hope it went smoothly with the outcome you were hoping for mate!

Little update from me that I've just received a letter with my appointment with prof kumar at the wisdem clinic on 5th may.

I seem to be finding it a bit strange at the moment though. At night I feel like I could battle the bulge and really fight to be thin, but when everyday life falls into the occasion (usually during the gym opening hours) I find it very difficult to be arsed! ( I'm telling it how it is lol). Do others feel the same or is it just me being lazy?

I have the idea in my head that once I've got a band it will initially give me the weight loss to make it that little bit physically easier to excercise at the gym and to go running. In the meentime my motivation seems to be null and void, which although it is me, it annoys me if you see what I meen?

All the best,

Mike

 

[rambo]

Hi steve, I was wondering how you got on today at heartlands? Hope it went smoothly with the outcome you were hoping for mate!

Little update from me that I've just received a letter with my appointment with prof kumar at the wisdem clinic on 5th may.

I seem to be finding it a bit strange at the moment though. At night I feel like I could battle the bulge and really fight to be thin, but when everyday life falls into the occasion (usually during the gym opening hours) I find it very difficult to be arsed! ( I'm telling it how it is lol). Do others feel the same or is it just me being lazy?

I have the idea in my head that once I've got a band it will initially give me the weight loss to make it that little bit physically easier to excercise at the gym and to go running. In the meentime my motivation seems to be null and void, which although it is me, it annoys me if you see what I meen?

All the best,

Mike

hi mike
great to hear you have now got an appointment with prof Kumar hope all go's well for you,
as for my appointment at heartlands that went great, i seen the surgeon and he agreed to the opp, then went into a seminar with a dietitian and met two ladys who also will be having the opp was giving a info pack about the opp the diet you need to follow and the after care that is in place for the next two years had a good talk all about the different opps asked as many question as we wanted was very good ,so my opp date is to be sent out in the post, the sooner the better,the surgeon says about 12weeks so i,m good with that
regards steve

 

[mike135]

Hi all, got my appt tomorrow at the wisdem clinic with prof kumar where I will meet him for the first time. Bit nervous now!

I had an annual review for my post leaukemia last week and the clinical oncologist had came across some notes about the initial email that I sent to my old peadiatric endocrinologist, who was my very first port of call on the weight loss surgery journey. Anyway the oncologist asked me a few different questions as to my reasons for looking at the surgery route, just out of friendly interest more than anything, and as I left tht appt, I was pleased as he turned round and said that I was probably one of the nicest people he had ever met, and that as far as he can see, my reasons for choosing surgery were solid, and phychologically I couldn't be in a better frame of mind to persue it further, and offered his full approval/ support if ever required. That made my day as although I know he won't have much involvement in the decision making, it was the first time I had met him and explained to a professional my personal/medical and social reasons for wanting to persue the surgery route.

Will just have to see how tomorrow goes now...

Mike

 

[SCOOBYDOOBYDOO]

Hi,
I am from Northants and although I have had to be pushy at certain times during this journey it has only taken 9 months from initial GP visit to op.
Good luck

 

[rambo]

Hi all, got my appt tomorrow at the wisdem clinic with prof kumar where I will meet him for the first time. Bit nervous now!

I had an annual review for my post leaukemia last week and the clinical oncologist had came across some notes about the initial email that I sent to my old peadiatric endocrinologist, who was my very first port of call on the weight loss surgery journey. Anyway the oncologist asked me a few different questions as to my reasons for looking at the surgery route, just out of friendly interest more than anything, and as I left tht appt, I was pleased as he turned round and said that I was probably one of the nicest people he had ever met, and that as far as he can see, my reasons for choosing surgery were solid, and phychologically I couldn't be in a better frame of mind to persue it further, and offered his full approval/ support if ever required. That made my day as although I know he won't have much involvement in the decision making, it was the first time I had met him and explained to a professional my personal/medical and social reasons for wanting to persue the surgery route.

Will just have to see how tomorrow goes now...

Mike

hi mike
good luck with ur apointment today mate its pretty straight forward there,wot i don't get is if Ur from Northampton i presume Ur pct is not Coventry& warks,i would of thought they would of sent u to heartlands hospital,haaa but thinking now i have been told that they are now doing the band at Coventry university hospital,sorry bit if brain fog so i can now see why there sending you to cov, well as for Mr Kumar he,s OK they will weigh you take Ur height and blood pressure too work out Ur BMi then u will have a chat with the doc maybe Kumar or mike anwar both good chaps they Will explain the procedure , all the best let me know how u get on
regards Steve