Newbie with questions

[madstaffyblonde1]

Hello everyone, Im new to this site having found it accidently. I have been stuggling with my weight for many years and have been to the doctors numerous times with depression, back pain, pain in my hips ect all due to my weight, i have tried and failed at super slim, weight watchers, slim fast and any other faddy diet going my doctor gave me xenical and most recently reductil but the weight isnt moving I was then told I could be refered for bypass surgery as by now i am a prisoner in my home only goin out to go to work, I hate the way I look and hate the way I feel, I wont go out or do anything anymore, most recently I carnt reach to do up my shoes and struggle to run up the stairs without weazzing I have also been waking myself up recently when lieing on my back as I feel that I am being suffercated, anyway I never heard anything from the hospital so after 8 weeks rang to find out what was happening only to be told that as my BMI was 37.5 I was not eligable but my BMI is higher than that so went back to my doctors and my BMI is 40.7 they said they are goin to refer me back to the hospital but what happens next? I am so scared that I wont be seen or that my PCT (ben) wont fund the surgery. How long is it from the referal to your first appointment? and how long is the process from referal to surgery?. I will be seen at Walsall Manor Hospital. sorry for the long post but i am so scared and down at the moment:cry:

 

[tesmaralda]

timescales from referral to 1st appointment at walsall can vary imensly. Give them until mid week then phone your surgery and see if thet sent your refferal on and then phone walsall manor and speak to Tracy Lowe on ext 7770 and see if they have received it and ask if they know roughly how long you will have to wait for an appointment. If they haven't received it chase again at the end of the week.

 

[tesmaralda]

sorry forgot to say mine was about 8 weeks

 

[tashaliza]

hi msb1,
so sorry to hear that you are feeling down i cant really help you with your questions as im awaiting wls myself but i just wanted you to know that this is a great forum and if ever you wanna chat you can always pm me for a friendly ear
tasha xxx

 

[thinkbethin]

Hi there and:welcome2: to minis. I'm not familiar with your area but just wanted to say :welcome2:and I hope you find this forum friendly and helpful. There are many other mini peeps here that have been to Walsall so I'm sure you'll get some great advice from them.

 

[Nezzy]

Hello there and welcome, I have just had my bypass done 14 June 09 by Walsall Manor and unfortunately can't remember how long from my referral to my 1st appointment its got to be about 3 months but then when I went to my 1st appointment it was 12 months after I actually had the op. The trouble was that they requested funding for keyhole surgery and that the problem I should have just said do open surgery and I would have had it done about 4 months after 1st appointment. So try and be patient cause the time for me went so quick and before I knew it I was on the operating table. Best wishes and any questions please just ask!

Anez xxxx

 

[fat-girl-slim08]

Hiya
Just wanted to welcome you to minis, This is a fab forum and you will get lots of help and advice here, Sorry you feeling so down, I know exactally how your feeling,as I felt the same before my Op, but hang in there, Sorry I can't help with your questions, as I went privately for my Bypass and also didn't want to read & run, I'm sure you will get the answers you need.
Wishing you the best of luck!

 

[margaretmc]

And






Hi madstaffyblonde
You will get all the help you need hun and the people are very friendly . Good luck and take care .
Margaret xx

 

[madstaffyblonde1]

thank you all for your words of wisdom, I am off to the doctors again tomorrow just to see another doctor as the 1 i seen on Friday didnt seem to care that she had given the wrong BMI, I dont think they realise what it is like. I felt she thought I was a bit flippant about it all but I have researched surgery for quite some time now and no all about the pros and well as the cons

 

[Sambucca]

Hi there

Unfortunately the waiting is the hardest thing with WLS. Theres lots of us from BEN here who are having or have had ops at WM. It seems the average waiting time from Dr's referral to getting on the op table is around 9 month. I know this seems like ages, but we are very very lucky in our area as some patients around the country wait 2 years or more.

I'd make sure your GP has faxed the new info to Walsall, and that WM have received it and then its just a case of sit tight Im afraid.

Whereabouts do you live hun?

 

[dreamofbeingslim]

Hi and welcome to minis it is a great forum. Sorry I can't help with your question as I am still awaiting funding from the pct.

 

[Fashionably Late]

I wanted to say welcome! I am having my first appointment today albeit at a different hospital.

 

[Bonita]

There was a lovely lady in Walsall when I was there that had been waiting for this op for over severn years. She had been refused funding three times during that time and had to fight pretty much every inch of the way, which didn't seem right to me because (and I don't mean this in a nasty way) her BMI must have been very high because she was by far the biggest lady I saw there in all the time I was there.

She seemed to be wrapped in this bubble of happiness almost as soon as the op was done which is a memory that will always stay with me. I wish she was posting here because I know her journey and the end result would be an inspiration for us all.

Anyway back on subject. At the moment things seem to be slowing down at Walsall because of the holidays. Your BMI should be acceptable now so I would imagine you will be hearing from them sometime in Sept as once they get moving they do seem to get as many done as they can.

Last Fri when I went to the Clinic I would have said there was about 15 people having their first consultation with Mr Hartland and Mr Kendrick. In Mondays clinic there had to be twice that many because we were kept waiting for hours.

As they have these clinics three times a week, you can see just how many patients they get through, god knows how busy they are when its not a slack period...lol

Leave it a week then chase it up a bit. Tracy Lowe must be more than used to people trying to prompt her because most of us have done it, but she will chase things up and keep you informed.

 

[madstaffyblonde1]

i have just come back from my doctors, the referal was sent on friday and this time it had about my back, hip and the chocking ect, i have also spoke to my mother today and found out that both of my grandads died of heart problems and my nan whom is still living has type 2 diabetes also both my mother and sister are obese but refuse to do anything about it, i am fed up of living this life and want to retrain my brain and body to be normal.

 

[Snowcrystal]

Hello MSB1

I just wanted to say welcome to Mini's...You will get a lot answers here and a lot more support than you can imagine.

All PCT's differ in their times...but there are a lot of people in here that are very familiar with Walsal Manor.

All the best

(((hugs)))

 

[ilovemy5babies]

welcome
im new to so cant help with your questions but wanted to wish you good luck xx