Tatiana
New Member
Monday 22nd August.....
A quick resume of my journey so far..........
November 2009 - visited my Dr and told him I needed to do something more definite about my weight because of it's impact on my health in general and the effect on my arthritis. Dr agreed with me and said he would write to PCT to request funding for bariatric surgery.
April 2010 - after 3 appeals against their original decision, one of which eventually went to the special exemptions committee, my GP lets me know that he's received confirmation that they have agreed to fund me on the NHS. My GP gives me the list of centres he can refer me to and I decide to go with the local one as I think it will be easiest rather than trying to travel into London. GP writes referral letter - it's really going to happen!!
May 2010 - receive letter from surgeon's secretary telling me I've been put on the appointment list and will receive letters for appointments with the dietician and endocrinologist as well as the surgeon and psychologist. Included in the pack from the hospital was a 12 page form to fill in for the psychologist all about my weight history and my social situation to be filled in before my appointment with them.
August 5th 2010 - appointment with endocrinologist and dietician. At this point I have not made a decision about what procedure I will be having as I expect to make that decision with the surgeon. I am given pre and post op diet sheets for lap band op (only one done at local hospital at the time) as well as an FAQ's leaflet.
September 1st 2010 - appointment with surgeon. Decision made that a sleeve gastrectomy is the right procedure for me at the moment but with the agreement that, if weight loss is not optimal and surgeon decides to, it could be converted to bypass at a later date. Also told that, as the procedure is not offered at my local hospital, I would have to have surgery at SGH in Tooting.
September 20th 2010 - seen by psychologist, an appointment which could so easily have pulled the plug on my journey as it went very badly. I was so glad later that she had said she would send me a copy of the report before bringing it before the MDT - she had made some harsh judgements about me which were also untrue!! She did change them but was very grudging in her decision to do so!!
October 20th 2010 - Received letter from surgeon following my case being brought before MDT. Decision is that they WILL offer me a sleeve gastrectomy but, as the psychology review wasn't optimal, I had to see a psychiatrist. A week later I received a letter with the appointment date for the psychiatrist appointment at SGH - JUNE 2011!!!
Between October 2010 and March 2011 I regularly contact the team at SGH to see if I can get my appointment with the psychiatrist brought forward as that was all I was waiting for before going on the waiting list for my surgery. In the end I give up asking them if there are any slots available to bring the psychiatrist's appointment forward as it seems the answer is always 'ring again in another 2 weeks and ask again'.
June 10th 2011 - appointment with psychiatrist at SGH. Met with a really nice man and we chatted about what had 'gone wrong' with the appointment 7 months earlier, explained what I thought had been the issue along with the fact that it appeared as if the psychologist had wanted me to have some deep and dark traumatic past event which was the cause of all my problems with my weight and, when I didn't have anything like that she didn't believe me!! At end of appointment told that he can't see any reason not to go ahead with my surgery and he will discuss my case with the MDT once again.
July 2011 - as I'd not heard anything 5 weeks after the appointment I rang the hospital and was told that, so far, my case hadn't been brought before the MDT and that it looked as if it was pencilled in for a further 2 weeks later!!
August 11th 2011 - received letter from surgeon to say I had been approved for my surgery and that I would be added to his list at the local hospital. Rang surgeon's secretary to enquire about length of waiting list, was told that had to speak to bookings office and was given the phone number for the relevent person. Rang her and was told that, although they have had the go ahead to start doing the operations at the local hospital they don't have a definite date when they will start.
August 15th 2011 - received letter giving me appointment for pre-op assessment clinic appointment for August 22nd.
August 19th 2011 - spoke to bookings office again and given date for operation - September 23rd - just 5 weeks ahead.
And now we're up to the present day.................
August 22nd 2011 - attend pre-op assessment appointment and told I'm fit for surgery although I need to be referred to the anaesthetist as I'm asthmatic (although well controlled). The anaesthetist will look through my notes and decide if he needs to see me in clinic or whether it's alright to wait until I'm admitted on the day of the operation. Also given Hibiscrub plus to shower with on the morning of the operation and given blood test forms to be done 1 week pre-op.
While I was at the hospital I also met another lady who is having WLS under the care of the same surgeon, her journey was very different to mine and has take just a couple of months!! We exchanged addresses and phone numbers and I gave her the details of this website and she may join the site.
Spoke to dietician and bariatric nurse from local hospital and given updated details of pre-op diet. Also given details of local support group - next meeting is this week so I will be going along on friday evening!!
Now got to sit and wait for another 32 days until my surgery and get myself as ready as I can for it.
Sorry for it being such a long post but I thought I'd start from the beginning of my journey!!
Tatiana
A quick resume of my journey so far..........
November 2009 - visited my Dr and told him I needed to do something more definite about my weight because of it's impact on my health in general and the effect on my arthritis. Dr agreed with me and said he would write to PCT to request funding for bariatric surgery.
April 2010 - after 3 appeals against their original decision, one of which eventually went to the special exemptions committee, my GP lets me know that he's received confirmation that they have agreed to fund me on the NHS. My GP gives me the list of centres he can refer me to and I decide to go with the local one as I think it will be easiest rather than trying to travel into London. GP writes referral letter - it's really going to happen!!
May 2010 - receive letter from surgeon's secretary telling me I've been put on the appointment list and will receive letters for appointments with the dietician and endocrinologist as well as the surgeon and psychologist. Included in the pack from the hospital was a 12 page form to fill in for the psychologist all about my weight history and my social situation to be filled in before my appointment with them.
August 5th 2010 - appointment with endocrinologist and dietician. At this point I have not made a decision about what procedure I will be having as I expect to make that decision with the surgeon. I am given pre and post op diet sheets for lap band op (only one done at local hospital at the time) as well as an FAQ's leaflet.
September 1st 2010 - appointment with surgeon. Decision made that a sleeve gastrectomy is the right procedure for me at the moment but with the agreement that, if weight loss is not optimal and surgeon decides to, it could be converted to bypass at a later date. Also told that, as the procedure is not offered at my local hospital, I would have to have surgery at SGH in Tooting.
September 20th 2010 - seen by psychologist, an appointment which could so easily have pulled the plug on my journey as it went very badly. I was so glad later that she had said she would send me a copy of the report before bringing it before the MDT - she had made some harsh judgements about me which were also untrue!! She did change them but was very grudging in her decision to do so!!
October 20th 2010 - Received letter from surgeon following my case being brought before MDT. Decision is that they WILL offer me a sleeve gastrectomy but, as the psychology review wasn't optimal, I had to see a psychiatrist. A week later I received a letter with the appointment date for the psychiatrist appointment at SGH - JUNE 2011!!!
Between October 2010 and March 2011 I regularly contact the team at SGH to see if I can get my appointment with the psychiatrist brought forward as that was all I was waiting for before going on the waiting list for my surgery. In the end I give up asking them if there are any slots available to bring the psychiatrist's appointment forward as it seems the answer is always 'ring again in another 2 weeks and ask again'.
June 10th 2011 - appointment with psychiatrist at SGH. Met with a really nice man and we chatted about what had 'gone wrong' with the appointment 7 months earlier, explained what I thought had been the issue along with the fact that it appeared as if the psychologist had wanted me to have some deep and dark traumatic past event which was the cause of all my problems with my weight and, when I didn't have anything like that she didn't believe me!! At end of appointment told that he can't see any reason not to go ahead with my surgery and he will discuss my case with the MDT once again.
July 2011 - as I'd not heard anything 5 weeks after the appointment I rang the hospital and was told that, so far, my case hadn't been brought before the MDT and that it looked as if it was pencilled in for a further 2 weeks later!!
August 11th 2011 - received letter from surgeon to say I had been approved for my surgery and that I would be added to his list at the local hospital. Rang surgeon's secretary to enquire about length of waiting list, was told that had to speak to bookings office and was given the phone number for the relevent person. Rang her and was told that, although they have had the go ahead to start doing the operations at the local hospital they don't have a definite date when they will start.
August 15th 2011 - received letter giving me appointment for pre-op assessment clinic appointment for August 22nd.
August 19th 2011 - spoke to bookings office again and given date for operation - September 23rd - just 5 weeks ahead.
And now we're up to the present day.................
August 22nd 2011 - attend pre-op assessment appointment and told I'm fit for surgery although I need to be referred to the anaesthetist as I'm asthmatic (although well controlled). The anaesthetist will look through my notes and decide if he needs to see me in clinic or whether it's alright to wait until I'm admitted on the day of the operation. Also given Hibiscrub plus to shower with on the morning of the operation and given blood test forms to be done 1 week pre-op.
While I was at the hospital I also met another lady who is having WLS under the care of the same surgeon, her journey was very different to mine and has take just a couple of months!! We exchanged addresses and phone numbers and I gave her the details of this website and she may join the site.
Spoke to dietician and bariatric nurse from local hospital and given updated details of pre-op diet. Also given details of local support group - next meeting is this week so I will be going along on friday evening!!
Now got to sit and wait for another 32 days until my surgery and get myself as ready as I can for it.
Sorry for it being such a long post but I thought I'd start from the beginning of my journey!!
Tatiana
