Sick of the whole process

Today I had my last appointment with PMRI. I was cleared for surgery pending clearance from the cardiologist and pulmonologist. I have the last of the cardiology tests tomorrow. I can't see the pulmonologist until January 20. I called there today to check again on cancellations and lo and behold I was never even put on a cancellation list from when I called 3 weeks ago. I have my xrays and report ready to go. I stopped by Dr. Iragus office on the way home from PMRI today to double check they had all the correct dates. It was then they told me I wouldn't be scheduled for surgery till May or June! I am so disgusted with this whole process. I feel like it's some club where if you know the right people you get served faster. Case in point. I read on the site the other day of a woman scheduled for surgery this week. Same doctors, same process. Explain this..I called in MAY and couldn't be seen till November. According to her profile she called in JULY a full 2 months after me, managed to have all her stuff cleared and is now having surgery. This kind of stuff ****** me off big time and this is the THIRD time it has happened. Earlier this year a friend of mine had her surgery. She called after me..was scheduled for consult right away and had her surgery in June. I have read of one other case also. I don't begrudge anyone anything but this is getting ridiculous. I am sick of jumping through hoops and sick of waiting my turn while others sail right on by.

i know the waiting is enough to drive a person crazy. when i made my eval appointments i told who ever was making it that i needed my appointments within two weeks...and i did that with every appointment i had. i would call every 3 days to see if anyone cancelled so you can go sooner. when you are feeling depressed about things not going along quicker here are a couple of things to think about. you know that you will be having surgery, some people can't have surgery even when it is life threating. or some people are like me and it took over 5 years to even get a referal from my pcp(military). just know that your time will come and the weight(no pun intended) will be gone. i wish you all the best.

Thanks Fran, I was in mega ***** mode yesterday when I wrote this. I thought it through and guess I am over it now. I have to concentrate on keeping my diabetes under control and getting upset raises blood sugar levels soooo I had no choice but to chill out huh lol. Thanks for the reply, Linda

it is sooooooooooo ok to get into ***** mode every now and then!! lol it keeps us from going crazy! hahhaa i know this is hard and a long process. anytime you feel like letting out some steam this is the place to come!

Linda I went to PMRI yesterday for final clearance also. My clearance there is pending, because of the psychologist and lab results and final clearance from pulm and cardio (oh, and smoking, too). I went to pulmonologist last week and although I've had the surgery for apnea through my ENT, we talked and decided I should have another sleep study done. So I had to make a few calls and beg to get in to sleep lab before tentative surgical date. Pulm would have cleared me, but we both felt it was BEST to re-check the apnea as I had gained weight since the surgery in 2000. My cardio appt is not til 12/16 so waiting on that. I have to have more labs done and now Dr Baag, PMRI is sending me for a special test because I had gained a lot of weight quickly. If it turnes out that the test proves I have some medical reason why I gained the weight, then I won't be cleared for surgery! I am told I have to enroll in the Gastric Bypass Life Skills training class for six weeks starting on Jan 15th by the psychologist - a class that no one else at PMRI seems to know about or how to get into. This is yet another BIG snag, but I'll do it. I need to complete the labs and then call Dr Baag 2 wks after I quit smoking. Then the psych says I don't have a real plan to quit and I have to see their smoking cessation lady Urgggggggghhh! I told her I have a plan - in Feb I will QUIT. That was good enough for everyone else. I too am so frustrated after my appt there yesterday. But I am going to do whatever it takes.

Hi Dianne, Sounds like you are going through the wringer too. I hope you get it all straight soon as to whats what. I had the last of my cardio today, it went pretty smoothly except for a long wait between the echo and the stress test. Everyone was really nice and made it as pleasant as possible. Only one thing I didn't like and that was the guy that gave me my EKG..he was creepy! lol Please keep me updated as to your progress. Linda

LOL Creepy EKG guy. Too funny.

The process has taken me 10 years to get to. 1st I attacked the smoking. I went to a hypnotist. Worked for me. Thank GOD. Smoke free for about 10 years now , which OBTW is responsible for at least 70 of these lbs.that I have to lose now. About 6 yrs ago, diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. Sleep with a cpap machine. Got that taken care of. Been on every diet down the road. Went to some quack to make sure that I didn't have a thyroid problem. I didn't and he said only thing I should do is have gastric bypass. I thought that was so drastic I didn't do anything. Oh almost forgot the stomach/bowel DR. for IBS. The colonoscopy and meds for constant upset stomach and diarreah. BP & chlosterol high, on meds for that now also. Meanwhile , boy are my knees kiling me. Blame arthritis and weight of course. Finally my family DR. talked me into looking into PMRI in January this year. So I go to make an appointment with Dr. Irgau, 1st thing was June. Got a call in April to bump it up til May. Too good to be true. Then I make my Cardi & Pulminary test with dr's that I was referred to, Not until July & August. There had to be other DR's in the state, so I got appointments in early July. I should have made PMRI appointment at the same time, but I mis-understood and waited until after Cardio & Pulm visits. This caused the delay at PMRI until September to even make that appointment for October. Finally the class, the nutritionist, the phys and DR. Baag, all done mid-October. Got the surgery date January 26th. OBTW I almost forgot, the insurance will be submitted by DR.'s office in mid-December, so I have to hold my breath and pray that I will be approved. Morale of the story, WE all have a difficult journey. I have been fortunate to meet some super nice people here on the site, even have an angel, Leigh. I do go to the support meetings at PMRI and last month I went to the meeting at the VA Medical CTR for the Changing Lives Group. If you have the time make them both, it's been my support system since June anyway. I haven't told the people I work with yet. I have shared this past 10 years with noone until the past 2 months and only with my immediate family. Boy what a relef to talk about it. Anyway here's to us all. Stay focused. Don't give up. Stay positive. and if ya wanna ***** GO AHEAD. We all care. We're here to help LOL Elissa

Hi Elissa, Sounds like we are all going down this road together lol. It's nice to know we have company. I too was a smoker and battled it for years. I managed to quit for 5 years in my mid 30's and gain TONS of weight. I really thought I had it beat when I started smoking again. Smoked for 3 more years then started contemplating this surgery last year. I knew I was gonna have to quit so last December I lit up my last one and said goodbye to my old nicotine once again. lol now here I am ditching food. Damn we better all be careful, we might actually get healthy or something! I went to the support group last month at PMRI too and am planning on going to the next one on the 13th. We should all meet there and make sure we say hello to each other. Linda

LB, I get back from vacation the night of the 12th. I should be at the meeting on the 13th. All us Losers should wear something funny so we will know each other. What do ya think? Maybe a LOL EH