Finally... I know this is late

Okay so I know it has been a long time since I have been online. I have been very busy these past few months. First of all, let's start where I left off in June. In June, I went to a seminar and tried to make an appointment. I got rejected because the surgeon was no longer performing surgeries at the center. I tried and tried to convince my insurance to authorize me to see another surgeon that performs the DS but they refused and wanted me to be consulted by any bariatric surgeon. I felt like I couldn't get an accurate evaluation by a surgeon who does not perform the DS. They of course continued to deny my requests and my practitioner's requests. I filed an appeal and I got a denial on the grounds that I refused to be consulted. Total crap because I did not refuse, I requested a qualified DS surgeon to evaluate me. So I went to a lawyer and began our work to get me a proper evaluation. In the midst of my lawyer consultations, the surgeon's office called me and asked was I still interested in the DS.
My surgeon does not believe in handing out surgery so because the patient wants it so he did make think about it seriously for about a month. He also even suggested the rny for me... And that I did refuse. LOL Anyways I'm trying to lose weight before my surgery but it's not easy. On Dec. 12, I will be on the loser's bench and I'm heck a excited! I was overwhelmed by all the testing I needed to get done but now that it's all scheduled, I'm ready to move forward. Six weeks will be here before I know it. I'm going to enjoy being a smaller me. I will keep my journey up to date because I don't have to sit back and watch anymore.

Good for you!  The road to WLS always leads straight to the RNY.  You have to be persistent and refuse to be swayed to get the DS!

I had got that advice months ago and I stuck to my guns. LOL

You rock!  Congratulations!!

--gina

Thank you I'm very excited! You all helped me so much back in June.

Thats wonderful!! Best of luck.

 

Trish

Thank You

So your surgeon DOES do the DS,he just doesn't like patients speaking up for themselves and advocating for their health? Did I read you right?
That being correct,how many DSs HAS he done?

My surgeon is Dr. Crookes. He is amazing and he is well vetted in the DS procedure. He tries to talk his patients through the surgeries and he loves to make them work for the surgery. His exact words is that he will not rubber stamp the patients way to surgery. I knew this going in. Also, he explained that he has seen many patients who expressed enthusiasm for the surgery but years later become protein and vitamin deficient. He still believes in the power of the surgery just not the strength of the patients to follow the rules of the surgery... He emphasized trust between himself and his patients. He wants to be able to trust that his patients will do what they are supposed to do. As for his performing surgeries, he practices at USC (a teaching school) and we had decided to take on a full observatory position with his students. So he was not going to be performing surgeries but overseeing them... Until he got one persistent patient, so he decided to take on special cases... As with myself. Sorry if all of this was not completely clear. But I would not have agreed to let someone operate on me who was inexperienced and that should have been evident in my request to be evaluated by a qualified DS surgeon rather than just any old bariatric surgeon.

Congrats!!!