How it's going,,,,Got a date for my surgery!

[Delicious-Jax]

Hello,
Have been on this forum, off and on, since Sept and am still trying to get a feel for how the system, generally , goes.

I saw Mr. Botha's registrar back in September, that was my first appointment. I think they got it back to front as I had not seen anyone before that and am now 2 weeks away from a Triple appt at Guys Hospital.
Would anyone be able to share how the system went for them as I haven't received any info from Mr. Botha and I just want to know how things go !! What the next step is likely to be after the triple appt, etc.

I have realised I may wait another year and as hard as that may be, I just have to play the waiting game.

Unfortunately there are very few, if any?, people on here at London hospitals.
Any info would be appeciated. x

 

[TwinkleTwinkle]

Sure there will be someone along soon to answer your questions, hon ... London PCT's make it very hard to get funding but there ARE definitely lots of Londoners on here. Hope you don't have too long a wait for your op xxx

 

[Delicious-Jax]

Thank you Twinkle, x

 

[Raynebubble]

i live im Milton Keynes...but had my op at Charing Cross in Hammersmith.... i waited almost 3 years for my op... but i guess as you are having a triple appointment...which could by the dietician, surgean and consultant... then your op may be a lot sooner... but i cant be definate as everybodys hospital is different xxx

 

[Delicious-Jax]

Thanks Raynebubble...just trying to get a rough idea as to how things go? Its been one error after another so far, missed referals from original clinic, then I had to chase that up, make several phone calls, ask for a fax or two to go between original referers office to Mr. Botha's secretary, more phone calls and then to add insult to injury...I ended up at an appointment at St. Thomas' and was told I would have op within 10 weks only to find, I have had to re-start again as I was seen the wrong way round...that appointment in Sept was to see surgeon for a op date but, I hadn't had any other tests or appointments before that one !!! Makes me nervous as to what will go wrong still?
Started this ''journey'' exactly a year ago this past month, with my referal being sent.

 

[Raynebubble]

i had similar hun as my biartic team are in the process of moving from Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith to St Marys in Paddington, so i would get to my appointments and have to wait for the consultant etc to travel from st marys to get to me at cc. In April the switch over will all be sorted so there shouldnt be any problems.
But hun its the admin which is all over the place.... the surgeons know what they are doing and you have nothing to worry about xx

 

[Sharonimo]

Unfortunately there are very few, if any?, people on here at London hospitals.

Hi Jax,

There are quite a few Londoners here but all at different hospitals. Although I live in south London I am having my op at the Whittington Hospital in North London. I am aware of about 3 or 4 other Whittington WLS peeps on here.

Quite a few south Londoners in the other direction have their ops at St George's in Tooting, you will find quite a few of them around (use the search facility on the green menu bar).

Unfortunately you are the first person on here I have come across having your op at the "central" south London hospitals of Guys + Thomas'.

I can only tell you what the timings were of my own appointments as a rough guideline:

** referred by GP January 2011
** invited to information / education seminar 9 June 2011
** first appointment with a consultant 16 September 2012 (inc blood tests)
** endoscopy test 27 October 2012
** sleep apnoea test 9 December 2012
** ECG test 12 January 2012
** surgery review 16 January 2012 + put on waiting list
** pre-asssessment appointment: 6 March 2012 (confirmed)
** provisional date for surgery: 12 April 2012 (not confirmed)

My GP applied for funding in August just before my first appointment with the consultant, and it was approved by Greenwich PCT late September.

As far as I am aware *most* south London PCT's are quite reasonable with funding now (i.e. adhere to the NICE guidelines). I am not aware of any difficult south London PCT's and I am aware of a few difficult Essex and north London PCT's.

 

[OOnion]

Hi Jax
I am at Kings...the waiting is soooooooooo frustrating and the admin side of the NHS remains a mind field of who's doing what etc.

I've no idea of Guy's and Tommies waiting time etc, but happy to share with you my timeline.

Sept 10 GP referal
Feb 11 - appt sent to wrong address so marked as DNA !
March 11 - called to see why not appointment yet - told as I did not attend had been taken off!
June 11 - seen by Surgeon and put on waiting list - lucky for me he backdated it to February as it was admin mistake.
Further test's over summer, such as Sleep study and bloods.
Sept 11 - started on CPAP machine
still waiting - been calling since August and always get told "we have people still on the list from October 10"
I was told 6-8 months by the Consultant - however it seems more like 18 months.
Only found one other person on the site on Mr Patels list at Kings College.

Good Luck and don't be put of by admin errors!! ha ha
xx

 

[Delicious-Jax]

Thanks for all the info ladies, don't feel so alone now, knowing there are other Londoners waiting, too. I think I am in for a long wait .....seems to be the norm, definitely not a 10 week wait as was informed by the registrar I saw at St.Thomas' back in September !! Maybe it's a 10wk wait once you see the Consultant...that probably takes a year to get to that appointment.

I had a friend who was sent the wrong date for Kings and they have taken her off the list , even though they put the wrong date on the letter.....she has to start all over again. Seems we constantly ned to check and re-check all appointments and letters.

 

[SARAH S]

I don't know anything about the london hospital but the lack of admin support to the surgeon appears to be a frequent, reading the posts on here. As I went private I didn't experience this but as an outside looking on the people on here that constantly rang the admin and secretarial teams seem to get a good response and are able to accept cancellation appointments if they arise....worth a try if you've got the time and patience...it might speed up your waiting time

 

[Dinda]

Hi Jax, I responded to your previous thread as I was also on Mr Botha's list at Guy's and St Thomas' (I remember being excited about finding someone on the same team)

In my experience the appointments at Guy's are relating to the pre op blood and lipid tests, the dietician is also based at Guy's although I didn't see her pre-op.

After seeing Mr Botha at St Thomas' in Nov 2010 I was put on his list for surgery (it seems like you are really only put on the list formally when he has seen you) I then waited just over a year for the operation.
I know they are doing a lot to bring down waiting times - some patients are even having surgery at London Bridge hospital (private)

I'm not sure who it is that is being frosty with you on the phone, but his secretary Paula and a couple of others in the team are lovely - even to the point that one of them called me 'darling' quite frequently when I called because we developed a rapport over time, but this is when you are formally on the waiting list for a date.

Mr Botha is an excellent surgeon, I have recovered well since my op on 9th Jan. One of the nursing staff described him as 'a God' which I thought was a bit OTT - but it turns out he did her gastric band a couple of years ago and she is delighted.

I hope things are a lot clearer for you after your triple appointment.

 

[Delicious-Jax]

Hi ladies
Thanks again for all the info...it puts my mind at ease !
I received another letter yesterday with the same appointment details on? Exactly the same...except, this letter is stating that I shouldn't eat or drink 8 hours before the triple appointments. I assume they want to check my bloods, too?
I can't wait to get to these appointments...at least I would have started the process

 

[NOMOREyoyo]

Hi Jax
Make sure you have your list of questions at the ready re times and dates and whats next, at least you'll know who t chase and when xxxx

 

[Delicious-Jax]

Hi Jax
Make sure you have your list of questions at the ready re times and dates and whats next, at least you'll know who t chase and when xxxx

Good advice, will make sure I do that, thank you.

 

[Delicious-Jax]

On the morning of my Triple appointment, I am instructed ( by the letter) to not eat or drink for 8 hours before? Eating nothing, I understand but, not to drink anything either, not even water.......what sort of test could that be? That instruction usually comes with a visit to theatre??????!! Anyone enlighten me further !

 

[NOMOREyoyo]

I wasnt allowed to drink water on my pre-op blood test, for 14hrs
Unless they do an endoscopy for you on the day - ring them and ask what the tests are

 

[Delicious-Jax]

I wasnt allowed to drink water on my pre-op blood test, for 14hrs
Unless they do an endoscopy for you on the day - ring them and ask what the tests are

Am hoping not to have an Endoscopy...registrar said it wasn't necessary...mind you, this was the registrar who told me I would have my Op within 10 weeks....that was back in September!

So, am praying its just for bloods?!!!!

 

[DEANO76]

Not sure it will be the same where you are, but at uclh.

1st visit dietician, consultant and cns. They ask you the same questions and try to get an idea of what you have really been doing, eating, lifestyle ect. The not eating is so they can check your glucose, and fat levels.

 

[Delicious-Jax]

Thanks for the info, don't know why I feel so anxious ! Just want it all done so I can get on with my life....trying to be patient but, would happily have it done tomorrow !

 

[Delicious-Jax]

Rang the Lipid clinic this morning as want to make sure everything is still as stated on appointments, asked why I have a GP referal letter attached to my appointments and the lady said that my GP needs to fill it in, even though it wasn't her who made the referal. So, will try and get an appointment this week and ask her to fill it in.

My advice to anyone starting out is to check, check and check again any info you require or any appointments you receive.
It's a mine-field of conflicting info out there !
Though, I am hugely grateful to the NHS for considering me for this operation! Just seems the 'system' is a tad eratic?