Dr. Wade Barker, Dallas -- anyone used him?
I am scheduled for RNY aug. 6. My surgeon will be Dr. Wade Barker. I have already been to see him (briefly), had my psy-med testing and am scheduled to meet with the dietician soon. I was just wondering if anyone had any stories about their experiences with their surgery, pre or post op issues, success stories or anything about him or his staff (who all seem great). I have not met any of his patients and would be grateful if any of you could let me know how it went/is going with you. 
HI!! Dr. Barker will be doing my surgery on Aug 3rd. I will be having RNY. He did lapband on a good friend of mine and she has lost 112 pounds in 2 years. She speaks very highly of him. There is a support group meeting on saturday Aug 4th that might be good for you to attend. I went this month and met some really good people. There is also a group on YAHOO call Dallaslosers. That is a group of Dr. Barkers patients. Anyone can join. Give it a try. There are so really good people there.
Hi Teena, Thanks for your response. Good luck to you on the 3rd. I had already planned to go to the meeting on Aug. 4 but thanks for the tip anyways. I will look up "Dallaslosers." Do you know of a actual, in person group meeting in the Dallas area? I am trying to find one to attend. There was supposed to be one in Arlington but the email address I was given for it ([email protected]) does not work. Has your friend found a group? How does she manage to keep the weight off? My biggest fear is regaining the weight as I have every time I have lost weight in the past. I live in Irving, by the way. - Ali
I dont' think my friend ever went to a group meeting. She is a very strong personality type. Plus she had to pay cash for her surgery which probably helps when you have put out over 10,000 for your surgery!!! Have you tried looking at the Texas forum here on OH?? It is so much better than most of the other forums. I know there was just a meeting in McKinney last week. But if you post something on the Texas site you will find out if there are any around you. The people there are wonderful!!! Let's keep in touch!! Hey at the meeting they give away door prized. At the last meeting it was people that were about to have their surgery and the most recent surgery. They got $15 gift cards to GNC!!!!! Heck I would be there if I could on the 4th but dont' think Dr. Barker would want me there!!!LOL LEt's keep in touch. I am so excited about my surgery but I am also very nervous. I am doing this to help with my health problems. If I had to do this to just get thin I think I would stay fat!!!LOL
Goodmorning Teena! Yes, let's stay friends. I sure could use a buddy with whom to communicate about this process. It isn't going to be easy. Not only do I also have a lot of health problems but I have an end-stage diabetic husband who cannot look after himself. It's going to be difficult to juggle looking after myself and him. He's on Medicare so I will probably be able to get a nurse to come in and cook for him (even though he doesn't want anyone else but me to do it). I won't be able to because I am having another surgery at the same time as my bypass. I had a hysterectomy about 9 years ago and, though I was told it was "total," I learned that my cervix was left in and now it has become precancerous and must come out. It will be touchy because the internal sutures that will be used will be a target for more precancerous cells to grow in and the walls of my vagina. I just might have to get used to getting scraped out or lasered regularly. That's going to prolong my recovery. My husband will not be able to take care of me. In fact, the reason I was up at 4:00 this morning is that I have to drive him to dialysis. He goes Tues. Thurs and Saturday mornings. His doctor's patients go to the first session of the day which begins at 5:30. He will be able to take the bus but he always has difficulty waking up and last time the bus came, he was right in the middle of injecting his insulin so he missed the bus. He is only permitted 3 "no shows" in a month and he's already missed the bus twice, in July. I really worry about what will happen when I am in the hospital (it will probably be for a couple more days because of the cervical surgery). He doesn't eat unless I put food in front of him. It's hard for me to say that I will just let him take care of himself because he can't as he is very ill now. When I first started this WLS process, I wasn't even sure that he would live long enough for me to have it. By the way, I also am paying for my RNY. It costs a lot more that $10K! I am kind of confused as to what will be covered by my insurance for the cervical surgery and hospital stay and what won't. I already paid a whack of $ to Dr. Barker but I am not clear on what that covers. I have had to pay the co-pay for the psy-med sessions. Dr. Barker's office is always so busy that I am hesitant to call to just ask questions. I think Earline and the others are wonderful. I guess I need to call Dale, the financial guru, there. Must get my Danny off his butt and into the car! Later girl, -Ali (aka "@li")
Oh girl!! My prayers are with you. I don't know how you do it all. Do you have children?? Does your husband understand that you are having this surgery and that you need his help. That you need him to allow others to help him for a while why you recover??
I also have precancer. I had to have some surgery a few years back. The doctor said if mine ever comes back that I will have to have a complete hysterectomy.
You are very brave to take on all this. But I am glad to see you doing something for yourself. Many times as women we just take care of everyone else and let ourselves go. YOu definately need to call Dr. B's office and get some assistance. I know the seem busy but they are always so helpful. I am sure I have called and asked some really stupid questions and but they always answer them with a smile. Your questions are much more important than mine so I am sure they will be glad to help you.
Are you having RNY or lapband??
Hi Teena, Thanks for your concern. No children. My husband understands but he is very ill and, anyway, not the giving type. It just doesn't occur to him. It's not in his personality. A couple of months ago, I had very painful hemmoroidectomy surgery and he didn't do anything to help me. I was in agony for about 2 months. He can barely take care of himself and I am concerned about leaving him for 2 days. But I will see if I can get a nurse for him, whether or not he wants one. I hope you don't have to have a complete hysterectomy as it takes quite a while to recover. However, if you need it, you must have it. I am on a very small dose of HRT and so my post menopausal symptoms are minimal (the night sweats are still pretty bad). Yes, the therapist told me that according to her interpretation of my tests, that I am someone who puts others before myself. So I decided that it is my turn now. I know that it is important for me to have some quality years after my husband dies. I don't want to be fat and a ticking time bomb. I am thinking ahead. I will to start all over again, especially since I have no family here. I was born in England and raised in Canada. My parents are dead but I have some cousins in England, Wales and The Netherlands (whom I will probably visit after Dan passes). Everywhere we go for his appointments, I see so many elderly people and none of them is fat. I don't want to die young and I don't want to be decrepit. I still have some travelling to do. Dan's job was in telecommunications and we lived in Europe for 8 years (3 in Italy, 2 1/2 in Paris and 2 1/2 in Prague). I absolutely loved it. While he worked, I travelled with other wives all over the place (even went to Russia) and on weekends, he and I would get in the car and go with his work colleagues and their wives to other places. He had diabetes then, too, but he didn't care about it (he did take his insulin) and lived like he was in perfect health (though he did drink too much and got violent, some times). Those were the great years before 9/11. Then the bubble burst and everyone wanted cell phones. He worked in land line technology so we had to come to Texas so that he could take courses and start again in another field. He got one job, last year. We spent 7 months just outside Boston. I had a ball as it is a wonderful, historic place. We went to Cape Cod just about every weekend in the summer. But Dan's health was definitely taking a down turn. I guess the trauma of losing his job and finding out that he was just not able to learn the new technology was too much for him and then, just after his contract expired, he fell and fractured his hip bone. He's been in a swift downward spiral ever since. He is a completely different person that the man I first met. Anyway, I must have the surgery now because he will only get sicker and I will only get busier looking after him and I don't want to wait till after he dies to have the surgery because then my life will be in a complete upheaval. Sorry to go on like that.
I hope you have had a good weekend. Thank you for sharing so much of your life with me. Talking to people helps alot. Keep your chin up and do for yourself. You are right about not waiting. When you lose your husband it will be hard but at least by then you will have began your weight loss and will have something positive going on in your life and you can look to for strength. Have you went to the Dallaslosers group on Yahoo???
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