Anyone have Dr.Glas**** Or near Dyersville?

Hello! This is the first time I've ever posted! I am wondering if there are any women out there around my age (50) who have Dr. Glas**** as their surgeon -- especially for RNY. Also, I live near Dyersville. Anyone near here? I'd like to find someone to "walk me through" their experiences, or simply to go through the process together. I'm currently having my lab work/diagnostic tests done right now prior to insurance approval.

Hi!

I am in your area.........but I did not have Dr. G.  I went to UIHC and had Dr. Jamal two years ago.  I know of one other woman who is in your/our area.  Her name is also Carol, but I'm not sure if she has been on here lately or not. 

Please take a look at my blog and that should give you a little bit about my experience.  Keep me posted on your journey and let me know if you have any questions!!

Carol

I  am  not  near  you  but  do  have  Dr. G.  I  am  in  the process of  getting  all the testing  done.  Insurance  has  been  approved.  Now  just  waiting  for  a  date  after  the  tests are  done.  Maybe  see  you  somewhere  along  the  way. 

Hello, and thanks for replying!

I wish I had your insurance. With mine, all the testing must be completed first and then you live in hopes that you will be approved. I've had a slew of tests and re-tests and now some new tests have been ordered! My frustration is that I didn't know I could have been working on these tests eversince December 15th (initial consultation). My daughter graduates from college May 21st and I was hoping to have had the surgery done long before this. I've been in the "process" of filing to have it done since the summer of 2009. In the midst of everything, the policy regarding my insurance's (medical associates health plan, HMO) requirements for the surgery changed and this has complicated things. What has been your experience thus far?

Everyone at Dr. Glas****'s office has been very nice. I just wish the communication between them and myself, and them and my insurance, etc. was better. But we all do the best we can and make the necessary adjustments along the way.

I am one who plans to attend the support group sessions following surgery/recovery. Is this a possibility for you?

I've read about 9 books thus far on the surgery (RNY for me). I'm sooo ready for this to happen! I wish you the best of luck!
     ~Sandy

I  have  finally  just  had  to  stay  on  the  phone  to  get  anything  done.  Nice  ppl  but  have  to  push  them.  I  was  in  CF yesterday  and  had  chest xray, belly  ultrasound,  and  blood  work. Now I  have  to  have  a sleep  study.  Guess i  flunked  the  one  at  night on  the  finger. Have  it  set  in  Marshalltown  for  next  week.  I  go  this  Sat.  and  have  a  EDG  done  in  waterloo.  Then  a  heart  doc  on  the  14th.  I  want  this  over  soon.  Hoping for  end  of  Mar.  but  prob   be  apr.  I  started  this  in  Nov.  but  was  gone  for  6  weeks  to  Texas. so  just  getting  a  push  now.  Do  you  go  to  the  support  group  on  Monday  nights?  I  may  make  the  trip  this  monday  and  go  it  is  the  dietician.  I  prob  need  it.

I had to have a CT done after my chest x-ray (turned out fine); a second mammogram (don't know yet how that turned out). Have to see a cardiologist and a pulmonary doctor -- and I'm sure they will order their own set of tests. I have gone through my primary doctor's nurse to set up appointments as she carries more "pull" than I. Also, once an appointment is made, if it's not "soon enough" for me, I have taken to calling the nurse where the appointment is and asking them to call me if there are any cancellations by others -- so I could get in sooner. I have to have an EGD done also; not the sleep study though.

I'm not planning to attend the support groups until after my surgery -- mainly because gas is so expensive right now. I've really learned a lot by the books I mentioned, as well as talking in person with a gal who had the RNY done about a year ago. I've also read a lot of "stories" on-line at various bariatric websites.

I've made lists for foods to buy for the 2 week liquid diet before and following surgery; I've purchased an individual blender, a mini crock-pot, a food scale (which also lists protein, calories, fiber, etc.); I've gotten journals for my weight, exercise and food intake; made a special place in the cupboard for "my" foods. I also have kept a journal about this whole process. As I said, sooo ready! Two years devoted to jumping through hoop after hoop, and all the while, the life that I want to start living seems so distant . . . but I just have to keep at it. It gets very discouraging, to say the least.

My daughter starts grad school this fall -- hopefully so will I! After tending to my family for years, being a stay at home wife/mother, I finally completed my degree in social work this past May. Am now hoping to get into grad school at UNI  for my Masters in Mental Health Counseling. Plan to become a therapist. I'm 50 years old. I weigh 350 pounds! Also walk with a quad cane due to a severe auto accident I was in December 2002.

Let me know how things continue to go for you. It's kinda neat that we're in roughly the same "spot" in regard to having the tests done, et****ep getting my hopes up that the surgery would be done in January . . . February . . . March . . . Now I'm hoping for April. Cycles o*******n followed by disappointment. Sigh . . .

Let me know how your EGD goes. I looked the procedure up on line. Hope they put me completely out vs. just partially.

I  have  done  a  lot  of  that  stuff too.  Have  the  food  list done  for  the  2  weeks  before  and  after.  Have  a  place  in  the  pantry  for my  stuff also.  I  bought  a  Bullet  blender  in  Texas  on  sale.  I  have  bought  vitamins  but not  many  .  just  a  few  and  some  samples.  I  have  some  protein  I  got  at  Trader Joes  and it is  Choc.  I  ordered  some  Necter  unflavored  and  got  some vanilla  from  Wal Mart..  Should  cover things  for  a  while any way.
  I  ordered  some  sample  vitamins  from Bariatic Adventure( that  is  where  I  got  the  Necter Protein too)  but  the  shipping  is  expensive  for  that  and  1  sample  of  several  vitamins.  Won't do  that  again.  I  look  at  a lot  of  web  sites for  info.  Have  learned  a  lot.
  I   was  69 in  Jan.  so having  the gastric by pass.  I  just  wish  things  moved  faster.  I  want  to  be  over  the  worst  of  this  before camping  season  and the  races  at  Newton  start.    I  have  a  small  food  scale  but  the  one  you  have  sound  like  a  good  one.  I live  on  a  farm  east  of  Marshalltown so  is  about an  hour  drive  to  CF.  I  hope  I  have  all  my  stuff ready.  Have  a notebook  with  the  things  I  need   in  it.  I  am  not  much  of  a  writer  so  just  make  lots  of notes.  I  have  the  dates  and  stuff down.   Hope  to  stay in  touch.   Karen

Hi Karen,

I'm thinking of trying the "Bariatric Fusion" vitamins. I'm going to see if the local pharmacy will stock it for me -- to save on the shipping costs of on-line ordering. Haven't gotten my protein powder yet. Think I'm going to start with the unflavored at first so I can add it to jello and broth and such, then will probably add vanilla flavored. I'm thinking I may get one which is whey protein and one which is soy -- because I think I may be one of those that becomes lactose intolerant after the surgery.

May I ask what your weight or BMI is? As I said, I weigh 350. My BMI is off the charts -- at least the ones I have!

You must have an excellent insurance company because I think mine has a cut off regarding age. I think it goes to age 60.

Have to have my THIRD breast exam next Friday. They did one regular mam, then a second to check on a spot (which, to my untrained eye looked like all the others dozens of spots on the x-ray!). Now they want to do a Cat scan on it. I know I'm going to let out a big whoop when all these tests are done and they can set a date for the surgery (provided everything's okay; I'm fairly sure it is; I just think they're crossing all their t's and dotting all the i's -- and because insurance covers it!). Met with the doctor today and they've scheduled my EGD for Tuesday morning. Hope yours goes well tomorrow. Are you nervous at all?
              ~ Sandy

I realize I am late with my answers but wanted to let you know that Dr. Glas**** was my surgeon 26 months ago and after all of the jumping around with tests it was all worth it, was at 384 at my heaviest and now am at 225#.  I had a few complications after the surgery because I thought I was having a heart attack because of the pains in my chest where the air had been in my abdomen during surgery, and wasnt told that I would have these pains, I am 64 now and had high bp but have been off all pills but one for depression which I still suffer from. , I try and attend the meetings, I will the april one, but I work at the hospital in vinton and I have to ask to have it off in order to be able to go and I cant do it all the time.
 Bonnie

Getting very  discouraged,  tests  done  and  they  won't  even  return  my  call.  I  was hoping  for  a  date  by  now,  but  nothing.  Karen