so frustrated!

just out of curiosity how long was it between your surgery approval and first visit to the doctor? I am going through OHSU and regretting the choice. At the seminar the surgeon said 4 months. I have been waiting 6 and just talked to the scheduler who said that it would be at least another month plus however long it takes her to find my paperwork. She said that she has 4 stacks of paperwork and doesnt know if my tests are in it. My insurance takes a month to grant permission. So in the best case scenario im looking at the first part of March. Legacy said 6 months at their seminar but I had already started the paperwork at OHSU. Now I'm wishing I had gone with Legacy. soo..is is 4 months reasonable? 6 months? 1 year???? Am I just getting overexcited? :)

I went with Legacy........................but for more than just a faster surgery date.  I was impressed with my surgeon.  But each of us is different. I attended my seminar June 19, and was approved for surgery the middle of October.  I could have been scheduled for surgery the week of Thanksgiving, but that didn't work with my schedule.  I opted for a December 12 surgery date.  Best of luck, and I think you may just need to be patient.  It is so hard, when we want something so bad, but in the end it will be worth it.  Best of luck!

i did go to both seminars and thought the seminar at legacy was by far more impressive. Both OHSU and Legacy are centers of excellence and I liked the doctors who spoke at both places-so that part of the decision was a wash. given that the medical care seemed good at both it was the time to surgery i went with-didn't mean to convey that i was just in it for the speed! Ok but now I am in it for speed-I work at a university and have winter term off. I was hoping to have recovery time before i had to go back to work.

Tina - OHSU gets backed up, particularly at the beginning of the year.  I went to my info session in January of last year, had my first visit with the NP and nutritionist in February (I think), got everything in and approved and saw the surgeon in April, but then my surgery was scheduled for July!!  I was so bummed, but it was slow because I chose Dr. O'Rourke.  He doesn't do a ton of surgeries in one day, only a few.  He is a great doctor and I'm so glad I chose him and took a bit of a slower road.  I've had a great outcome and it was worth every second of waiting.  I know when you ARE waiting, it seems as though it will kill you, but OHSU really does have a very skilled team.  You're in good hands. Linda

Wow, I have my first doctor appointment on Monday and I havent' been approved for surgery yet. But I need to see the doctor to see what tests he wants to do before surgery. I have done everything else....well except lose a few more pounds.

I think that if you are happy with your choice you just need to be patient. I see alot of folks on the boards all rushed and impatient....I have an idea when I would like to have surgery but on some level I think when it is right it will happen. Maybe too zen of me.....

deb366

hi deb-i think your way is better for your health :) and blood pressure!...

trust me "patience" is not my middle name either! Just one of those things I am working on...

DrTina, I know it is hard to wait......... I think you are doing the right thing, asking ?????'s and connecting with people on this web-site. It helped me during my waiting time, which didn't seem like it took that long now that I am 10 months out. I know it is hard now, but later it will seem like it doesn't matter as much, because it is totally worth it. Everything happens for a reason...... who knows???? I do know once things get rolling you will be in the best hands, the hospital staff that take care of you immediately post-op are wonderful. I have nothing bad to say about OHSU they treated me like a queen. I felt so cared for, and it would have been easy to feel awkward weighing in at over 400 lbs. They totally treated me with respect. You have an awesome adventure ahead of you, and it will be so worth it in the end, even this difficult time of waiting.  I wish you the best, pamper yourself, and think about everything you have to look forward to. Christina

Hi there, I guess I lucked out with OHSU. I went to the seminar in December, had my first consult the first week of January, and had surgery April 4. I will say though, I was very persistent with calls and emails and pushing things through-it probably helps that I was an OHSU employee at the time. For example, for the sleep study I asked to be called if there were cancellations, and for both the initial one and the followup I ended up having my study the same day I called. The part that took the longest was the psych eval-it was tough getting a slot.

The psych eval was going to be murder for me.  No appointments were available for months, but I called Blue Cross (my insurance) and they told me that as long as I had it done at a Center of Excellence in Oregon, they didn't care who did it.  I ended up driving to Bend for my psych eval, which really sped up the process.  Looking back on it now, it didn't really take all that much time.  This Sunday will be the one year anniversary of my drive to Portland for the info session. Linda