Update on scheduling issues
Ugh. I am sitting here at my desk almost in tears over this whole mess. I really thought that getting insurance approval was the last big hurdle, but apparently I was wrong.
I just got a call from Erica at Dr. Steele's office, who had apparently just gotten off of the phone with my caseworker from my insurance co, and she basically launched into "Look, if you don't want to lose the weight, I can get you an appointment with Dr. Magnuson and he can do it open."
I'll lose the freakin' weight! It's 23 lbs. I'll lose it. But give me a flipping DATE. They're already scheduling into December as it is. So if it takes me a month to get to where they will schedule me, that's pushing it back further and further.
Then there is this other doctor they want me to see before they will schedule me. She apparently only sees patients on Monday mornings, and Dr. Steele's office has to schedule it for me. So I have no say in when it will be, and I have to go downtown for it. I am a temp! I can't keep missing work for these appointments, or I won't have a job any more!
The doctor thing is what ****** me off the most. The rationale is that she is a internal med doc who specializes in bariatric patients, and since my BMI is so high they want her to check me out to make sure I am good to go for surgery. She is apparently new to Hopkins. I really do see the potential benefit, but Dr. Steele has had how many patients who did just fine, before this new doc came onto the scene?
At any rate, what it really boils down to is this: I will do what they want me to do. I will make it happen, I will even lose my job over it if it comes to that. BUT PUT ME ON THE FREAKIN' SCHEDULE!
I just got a call from Erica at Dr. Steele's office, who had apparently just gotten off of the phone with my caseworker from my insurance co, and she basically launched into "Look, if you don't want to lose the weight, I can get you an appointment with Dr. Magnuson and he can do it open."
I'll lose the freakin' weight! It's 23 lbs. I'll lose it. But give me a flipping DATE. They're already scheduling into December as it is. So if it takes me a month to get to where they will schedule me, that's pushing it back further and further.
Then there is this other doctor they want me to see before they will schedule me. She apparently only sees patients on Monday mornings, and Dr. Steele's office has to schedule it for me. So I have no say in when it will be, and I have to go downtown for it. I am a temp! I can't keep missing work for these appointments, or I won't have a job any more!
The doctor thing is what ****** me off the most. The rationale is that she is a internal med doc who specializes in bariatric patients, and since my BMI is so high they want her to check me out to make sure I am good to go for surgery. She is apparently new to Hopkins. I really do see the potential benefit, but Dr. Steele has had how many patients who did just fine, before this new doc came onto the scene?
At any rate, what it really boils down to is this: I will do what they want me to do. I will make it happen, I will even lose my job over it if it comes to that. BUT PUT ME ON THE FREAKIN' SCHEDULE!
Awww, Kelly, I'm sorry you're so frustrated. I KNOW it must feel like they're not taking you seriously - sometimes, I think it's easy for them to forget that while it's their job, it's OUR lives.
Try to hang in there while you jump through all their hoops, and don't lose sight of the brass ring!
Hugs,
Tia
Try to hang in there while you jump through all their hoops, and don't lose sight of the brass ring!
Hugs,
Tia
Sorry to hear about this.
I had to lose the weight too to get to my Date.I replaced breakfast and lunch with shakes I made myself. 2 scoops of soy protein(90%isolate),1cup frozen fruit and 16oz of milk.If it froze up in the blender I added some more milk.
But good luck to you and keep jumping those hoops eventually you'll get there.
I had to lose the weight too to get to my Date.I replaced breakfast and lunch with shakes I made myself. 2 scoops of soy protein(90%isolate),1cup frozen fruit and 16oz of milk.If it froze up in the blender I added some more milk.
But good luck to you and keep jumping those hoops eventually you'll get there.
The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.
I talked to Dr. Steele at lunchtime, and she has agreed to schedule me, but if I don't meet the requirements by the time my date comes, they will cancel it. I am gratified that we were able to come to that compromise, but I am so emotionally drained with the whole thing.
TIA, that is exactly it! I get that she wants to make sure the surgery is as safe as it can be, and that she wants to do what is best for me, and I will do whatever I can to make that happen. However, this is a major life event, and I'd like to know when it's going to occur! I can keep working my ass off (literally) in the meantime, but especially with my current job, I need that date on the calendar.
I will be going to see the doc who specializes in obesity medicine, whenever they call and give me an appointment (which Dr. Steele's office apparently has to make for me). I talked with that doc briefly, and she seemed very nice. Dr. Steele's office's reason for me having to see her is "all of the medical issues I have".
The only issue I have that is directly related to my weight is mild hypertension! The big reason I decided to have surgery is actually joint pain, which is NOT caused by my weight, but by what is basically a birth defect - my ankles are crooked. But my weight is making that 1000x worse, and I was starting to have a hard time working (at the time I was a teacher, so on my feet 6 hours a day) and that was my "final straw" so to speak.
Anyway, when I talked to Dr. Steele, it sounds like my high BMI is most of the reason they want me to see this other doc. While my logical side understands that this is just to help reduce complications, my emotional side is saying "Great. Not only am I so fat that I need surgery...I am so much fatter than the average patient that even the WLS doc is looking at me and thinking about how massive I am."
Sigh. Anyway, I know it will all work out. I knew this wasn't going to be an easy journey, but I had really been hoping that at least the part where I got the phone call with my date would be cut and dried.
TIA, that is exactly it! I get that she wants to make sure the surgery is as safe as it can be, and that she wants to do what is best for me, and I will do whatever I can to make that happen. However, this is a major life event, and I'd like to know when it's going to occur! I can keep working my ass off (literally) in the meantime, but especially with my current job, I need that date on the calendar.
I will be going to see the doc who specializes in obesity medicine, whenever they call and give me an appointment (which Dr. Steele's office apparently has to make for me). I talked with that doc briefly, and she seemed very nice. Dr. Steele's office's reason for me having to see her is "all of the medical issues I have".
The only issue I have that is directly related to my weight is mild hypertension! The big reason I decided to have surgery is actually joint pain, which is NOT caused by my weight, but by what is basically a birth defect - my ankles are crooked. But my weight is making that 1000x worse, and I was starting to have a hard time working (at the time I was a teacher, so on my feet 6 hours a day) and that was my "final straw" so to speak.
Anyway, when I talked to Dr. Steele, it sounds like my high BMI is most of the reason they want me to see this other doc. While my logical side understands that this is just to help reduce complications, my emotional side is saying "Great. Not only am I so fat that I need surgery...I am so much fatter than the average patient that even the WLS doc is looking at me and thinking about how massive I am."
Sigh. Anyway, I know it will all work out. I knew this wasn't going to be an easy journey, but I had really been hoping that at least the part where I got the phone call with my date would be cut and dried.
Ugh, how frustrating!!! Unfortunately, I went through some of the same things. I didn't have to lose weight, but I kept hounding them for a date because I work the evening shift by myself and needed to tell work way ahead of time so they would have someone fill in for me.
I'm glad they are going to go ahead and schedule you. They don't seem to understand that this is a huge life change and plans need to be made ahead of time.
Good luck!!! I hope they get you on the schedule soon!
I'm glad they are going to go ahead and schedule you. They don't seem to understand that this is a huge life change and plans need to be made ahead of time.
Good luck!!! I hope they get you on the schedule soon!
~*~Lisa B~*~
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