HELP...where do I begin?

I am 30 y/o and very over weight. Due to depression I was orig. told. Then it was due to too much hormones so I stopped all artificial hormones and have only gained weight. I am now at my largest 287 lbs and I am only 5'5" my PCP is supportive as far as wishing I could lose weight but I don't think he belives in anything but diet and excersice. what am I to do?

You have come to the right place....Have you had a discussion with your PCP about whether or not he would refer you to a WLS surgeon? If he will not, and you really want to investigate surgery further, then I would suggest that you find a PCP that will help you with this. One way to do it is to call the office of a surgeon that you think you would like to work with and ask for the names of some PCP's that regularly refer to him. This won't "lock" you in to surgery, but will at least open the door so that you can make an informed decision. Good luck Kim O

Susan, I think Portsmouth Hospital has the only lap band program in the state. If you are interested in RNY you have more options. Make a few phone calls to hospitals in your area and attend an information night. That will answer a lot of your questions. Depending on your insurance, you might want to move quickly. My surgeon told ma that Anthem BS BC will not be covering ANY bariatric sugery in its new policies this year. Amy

Amy and Susan, FYI - Dartmouth Hitch**** in Lebanon also does the lap band program, from my understanding. Just wanted to let you know that. Good luck, Celia

Hi Susan, I am pretty much in the same boat you are. I am 285 lbs and 5'5. I read in your profile that you have medicaid. If that is still true, you don't need a referral from your PCP. All you have to do is do some research and find a surgeon that you feel comfortable with and who accepts medicaid. So far it's been pretty simple for me. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm more than happy to help. Daniela

HI Susan! First of all, if your insurance requires a referral, you will need this from your PCP. If you current PCP is not willing to give you a referral, I would get a new PCP. Honestly. At your weight you are a candidate for gastric bypass surgery and it is unfortunate that your PCP will not trust you enough to look into the process; that he holds the key to a healthier future for you! You can create your own future without him. Get a new doctor. I would first schedule another appointment with your current PCP and let your PCP know that you will switch doctors if he doesn't refer you. Don't say it in a threatening way, let him know you don't want to switch, but you feel pursuing gastric bypass is the best thing you can do for your health right now and you really want his support in that process. He may give in. If he doesn't and still won't give the referral, get a new PCP. It is very easy to do. If you want help with this, post back here or e-mail me and I will explain everything. After that hurdle is over, I have to recommend my surgeon to you. He is the best in New Hampshire, IMO. I know everyone thinks their surgeon is the best, but I just adore and respect this surgeon more than words can express. You just have to go meet Dr. Drinkwater. He is in Nashua, at Southern N.H. Medical Center. He is a fantastic surgeon. His team is an amazing group of people. You always know where you stand, how much longer you have until surgery, etc. Jen, the office coordinator, is a dream. She is organized, efficeint, sweet and just a total doll. How you start the process with Dr. Drinkwater is this: Call Jen. She will mail you an information packet. Fill it out and get it back ASAP. You don't need the referral to call Jen. She will send the packet out to you and you send it back. During this time, you should be working on getting your referral but it isn't needed at this point. Jen will contact you and set up a time for you to meet Dr. Drinkwater 1:1, as well as a time for you to go to a new patient seminar. Usually the same day. This is when you need the referral. You need it for your 1:1 with Dr. Drinkwater. Jen will explain all the steps to you on what you need to do. Then, the pre-op stuff starts. I have a lot of info on how this works in my profile. Just click on the little "profile" button under my post here and it will bring you to my profile. You will see that I actually started out with a different surgeon but THANK GOD I switched and got Dr. Drinkwater. He is fantastic. I just can't say enough. He, as well as his team, is there for you before, during and most importantly IMO, after surgery. He is with you for life and encouarges his patients to call with questions, concerns, etc. He monitors your labs, weight, etc forever after surgery. He isn't the type of doctor who does the surgery and then you are on your own. You will also be assigned to a dietician who works on his team. She will follow you before, during anf after surgery, too. His number is 577-5757. Jen will most likely answer. Ask if she could send you the packet and start your process. It seems overwhelming at first, but the way Dr. Drinkwater runs his program, it won't seem scary or confusing. Jen will guide you along the way, as will the other Dr. Drinkwater patients on this forum! Dr. Drinkwater's program runs very smoothly and while they do require a lot of testing, classes, support groups, etc., it is well organized and efficient and goes by quickly. I have seen people get a surgery date within four months from when they started the process. The average wait from the day you start the process with filling out the packet to the day you have surgery is 6-9 months. Some people don't take 6 months, like the person I told you about needing four months. Some take longer than 9 months, like me, but for good reason. It took me longer for a few reasons, mainly because I had an accident and broke three bones in my leg two weeks before I was scheduled to have the surgery! I also dragged my feet a bit in the beginning with the required 15 lb weight loss. Best of luck to you! Let me know if I can help in any way at all. I love to help new patients out with this process, so I don't mind helping at all! So e-mail me or post here, okay? Hugs, Denise

Susan, I'm with Kim on this one. If you have a frank conversation with your PCP about WLS and you are not able to get a referral, then you may want to think about changing PCP's. I'm 5'2" and was 289lbs in Feb '04. My PCP had been treating me for mild depression and suggested the surgery. I had my surgery in August '04. He was instrumental in pushing for the right tests, referrals, etc. I had most of the legwork done before I ever had my initial surgical appointment. Its now Jan '05 and I weigh 192! I feel great! If not for my PCP I would not have been pushed through so easily and quickly. He worked with me as an advocate for my surgery. Good luck!! Heidi