Shocked at the time frame!

I called MGH Weight Center today to find out where to begin and they explained a lot of the process to me. I was VERY surprised and disheartened to hear that the whole process from first visit to surgery "if they recommend that for you" is about FOUR MONTHS! I guess it is a blessing that they dont treat this lightly. This is very serious surgery and a very serious problem and they do take a "multidisciplinary approach". She said my first visit (which is four hours long) which I dont even have yet is NOT with a surgeon but the "team" whi*****ludes an internist, psychologist, dietitian, etc. They take an extremely thorough medical history including family history. I guess since it has taken me ten years to be mentally ready for this I want it done yesterday. Is there anything that can speed this along or do I need to just be patient and accept that this is for a reason?

Hi Sally - I didn't have my WLS at MGH, I had it at UMass. From first orientation meeting through surgery was about 9 months. While it was a pain in the neck waiting that long, I'm grateful for it. I think it's really a benefit to have to go through this more slowly and have the time to process all that is happening and all the changes that you will need to make. I understand about wanting it immediately once you've made the difficult decision to do this, but I think in the end, the 4 months will fly by and you will be glad for the thoroughness of the program. Good luck. Mary Ellen RNY 3/16/05

THe time frame at Brigham is about 2 mos from first appt to surgery. Some folks are less, and some are more if addl tests are needed. I believe that Beth Israel is about 2-3 mos. If the time frame really bothers you, consider another facility. I do tell people who might have insurance changes to get it done asap before their insurance changes. Joan F

4 Months ? Consider yourself lucky. Here with the Umass process it took me 14 months. But the road travelled is well worth it. You are going to have a total lifestyle change which lasts the rest of your life. The more info and knowledge you can gather before the better. Best of wishes. Dawn -119

Sally, New England Medical Center is about 3 months from first consultation to surgery. I met with the clinical psychologist in January and am scheduled for lap RNY on April 18. I know it sounds like a long time, but take this time to learn everything you can about your surgery. Attend as many support groups as you can. NEMC also has exercise lectures that are good. Also take this time to familiarize yourself to exactly what liquid diet, soft food diet, etc., are. Stock your shelves with the foods you will need. I've read 4 or 5 books on the surgery. Take this time to prepare yourself mentally for this. It is a huge change, but one that I know will make us all healthier and add so much value to our lives. Most important of all: Pray that God keeps us all safe. Hope to see you on the Losing Side soon. Linda

I was also done at NEMC, and it took about 6 months. It depends on how well you do the process, if you have to lose weight before surgery and how quick you can get your appts. Mine was slower because of appts, you do a group nutrition and I just missed a group and had to wait a couple extra weeks. So sign up for things once you know what you have to do. This made speed up your process. There is a real reason for the time, this is a huge adjustment. You go from eating all the time for most of us, snacking at night to about 800 calories. It is very very drastic. I look at the calories I ate before and cannot believe I stuffed all that crap into me. So take a deep breath and go with the flow, 4 months passes very quickly. After all none of us gained the weight in 4 months.

Sally, 4 months is nothing that will go by in a heart beat. I had my surgery at Bay State hospital and they have a wait of about 1 year to 1 and 1/2 years from meeting surgeon to surgery. That is very , very discouraging. I had my first visit in Oct. 03 and had my surgery June 04. now it's even a longer wait. Yuck. I feel for them. Once you get your appt. for a surgeon. with all the paper work and appts you have to go to. time will fly by. You'll see. Do you have to have a documented "doctor supervised " diet at MGH?? I did so that delayed me 6 months. right at the start. Good Luck, It is well worth the wait. Mary 268/260/159/150??

Mary, I dont even have my first appointment yet. MGH faxed a form to my PCP and she has to fill it out and fax it back. I was so unhappy when I heard about the four months, I left a message with my PCP to hold off on that if she hasnt done it already and started calling other places, i.e., Beth Israel and Brigham and Womens and New England Medical Center. I was not abel to get an answer from anyone. Two had just answering machines and didnt call me back and NEMC said they are not allowed to give a time frame out. I actually called me cardiothoracic surgeon back at MGH who had referred to the Weight Center there. He may have felt that I would be seeing a surgeon sooner than four months. I also have some other medical things going on with my stomach. I had a large paraesophageal hernia repaired in 1997 by my surgeon at MGH (not a bariatric surgeon). I had a thoracotomy and now I am chocking on my food and having trouble swallowing and having pain when I eat and GI doc who just did endoscopy says I have another paraesophageal hernia back so I think I am probably going to need to see someone sooner than four months for that. My guess is that it will not end up being a bariatric surgeon. Dr. Rattner said that the previous hernia repair (it was stuck to my heart and huge) makes bariatric surgery more risky for me though says "it is done". I think probably not often though. I can tell already that I could easily make myself crazy over this decision to have the surgery. It is the ultimate case of damned if you do and damed if you dont. Can you tell me what a doctor supervised medical diet is, like Optifast? How did that slow down your progress for surgical date? Sorry for rambling. this is very stressful cutting through all this

Hi Sally, I know first hand how awful that wait can be, I started this process on january 10th of 2003 and here it is almost 2 and 1/2 years later and my surgery date is now 8 days away. I am having surgery at baystate medical center, So I supose 4 months is gonna just wizz by. just be patient and do wha tthe drs say and 4 months will be here before you know it!!!! good luck!!! Dawn