Some frustration, A LOT of confusion...

Hey All :),

I first wanted to congratulate you all on your successes, took a quick look at the board and I'm so proud of how far everyone has come. Derek, in one month you have litterally shrunk. And Ada you are practically on the cusp of your surgery after a long wait. Doris you have totally bounced back from surgery and I'm completely in awe of how well prepared you are for everything, you really knew what you were getting into and you're handling it like a pro.

For me its been definitely a tough few months in my personal life, Im in the middle of final exams, and university really has me in headlock these days. Still my surgery is ALWAYS on my mind, it is the one thing that I think of every single day. Slowly but surely time has started to pass and the months are rolling by. However I cannot seem to get an accurate estimate of how long my weight time is and I've called multiple people, multiple times.

If we rewind to November 2010 at the time of my consult, Dr.Atlas told me the wait would be in the ball park of 14 - 18 months from that month of the consult..in my estimation between january-april 2012 (and i had my fingers crossed for january so i wouldn't have it in the middle of my semester).
Lets go back to January where I was actually confirmed and called by the hospital, I was greeted by woman very cheerful *****assured me my wait from that day in january would be around 12 months. FANTASTIC! I thought, January 2012 would be the perfect time. Right before school, I could take it slowly for the first few months, heal, adjust to the new lifestyle then kick it into high gear around april and just live at the gym and really recover my body.

Ofcourse I feel I should have left it at that, I should have just taken those twelve months and just sat quietly. But after seeing a lot of people on the boards getting calls for blood tests and whatnot I decided to just give a call and see where things were. Sacre-Cour simply told me the wait was at 18 month, no mention of day-surgery, rockland md, nothing. I didn't get martine, i got a different lady (she said her name but I can't remember it).
So I started to panic, on one hand, the two times that I was actually contacted by the officials, i was given a certain wait time. And now something totally different. So i called rockland medical center, and I was told the wait was two years. I almost lost my ****

Please people, I need your support, and your experience. Who should I trust? Day surgery patients, what wait times were you given? How are things panning out? Has anyone else been given such conflicting information?

Hi,

I don't post to often as I seem to be so far from getting anywhere near an actual day. I am going through the same thing. When I first met the Dr, he told me at the clinic it would be about a year but to make another appointment in a few months and he would be able to tell me where on the list I was. Sure enough, I went back after a few months he said that from what he saw it shouldn't be more than 2 months! I asked again, thought maybe I misunderstood. But he confirmed, I would have my surgery in 2 months... I was over the moon! you can imagine those 2 months I spent starring at the phone.  2 months come and go...no call , nothing.   I decided to call the hospital, where they told me that there were about 20 people in front of me, and they had already booked through the next 4 months. I told her what the doc said, she said that she could tell me just what she was seeing on the list... she said maybe another 10 months... I got so depressed... So I know what you are going through. I am not making plans anymore, decided just to put this surgery out of my mind for a while... 
Sorry it couldn't be good news... but just to let you know you are not the only one going through this craziness...

That is ridiculous. Thank GOD there is someone else who is also having to endure this madness. I have no idea why they keep changing wait times. Its not only VERY unprofessional, but EXTREMELY cruel.
I mean this isn't like getting a mole removed or pap smear or something, this is LIFE CHANGING surgery. Its something people crave, and daydream about for years and years. I find it ridiculous that they have such disregard for a patients feelings to where they would sit there and calmly crush you with words.
What I found the most ridiculous is their constant use of the word "maybe" and "about", how about if you don't know, say I don't know. How about instead of looking at the list, you find my name on the list and take fudging moment out of your day and give me an answer that will not change depending on what time of the day I call you.

I feel your pain, and your anger (and A LOT of my anger lol), add me as a friend and keep me posted :) .

Omar

Hi,

I don't think I will bring much good news either....    I met dr.Atlas in december 2008 and was told the wait was 16 to 18 months..... it has now been 28 months and still no date.....  I was also told a lot of different things throughout the months but the last time I called in february, somebody else answered (not Martine) and said it wouldn't be for another 6 months!!!!  So now, I try not to think about it too much and we'll see when the time comes.....   I was soooo hoping to have it done for the summer....   and I don't even have my blood tests done yet or anything else.   Good luck....

Anne

Anne,

My heart goes out to you, truly it does. You're are looking potentially at a wait of MORE THAN YEAR after the doctor's initial estimate? That is the biggest pile of bulls*** that I have heard in my entire life.
I think a lesson that I am learning over and over again in life is that nothing hurts more than false hope. If I were you , I would be just about ready to start snapping necks. It's only been one month of confusion and I'm already considering taking a field trip out to the Sacre-Couer and Rockland MD and asking my questions in person where A) they cannot get rid of me as easily as they can on the phone and B) I can watch them actually look at some sort of computer or list as opposed to guesstimating some random number or pulling it out of their ass.

Hang in there, and honestly, get in their face about it. This is unacceptable. In the 28 months you have been waiting, people have had their consults, gotten their surgery, and STARTED to lose weight. You deserve this, you've waited FOREVER, just call everyday, get under their skin.
Despite the system tha is put in place for bariatric sugery, I really sense a huge lack of respect for the patients. My mother recently had a tumor removed, and her friend also had a medical issue that required surgery. Both had wait times, consults, etc. Yet neither were treated with this amount of non-chalance.
Like when I call you to ask about my surgery, its not because I'm bored without anything to do. Its because I need to plan my life around it, its a major change.

I've reached the point where I am seriously considering going the self-pay route and having this done elsewhere. But for the time being, I will sit patiently and wait and just let things unfold...

Good Luck my dear,
Omar

Something's wrong you guys.  I met Dr. Atlas for the first time on May 26th, 2010 and he told me my surgery (band) would be within 6 - 8 months. )  I had my surgery at the Rockland Clinic on February 18th.  Everything went according to plan.  Danielle in his office at Sacre-Coeur was FANTASTIC to deal with, as was Martine.  Everything was exactly as I was told.  Actually, they wanted to do my surgery in January and I asked to defer it until February so I could go to Cuba with my family and that was no problem.  Something is wrong!!  Call Danielle at 514-338-3666!  Let me know.  I know Doris saw Dr. Atlas after I did and she's also had her surgery at Rockland.  Someone has misplaced your file or something like that!  Good luck.

 thanks so much :)

That information really helps especially because I am, in fact, scheduled to have it at the rockland clinic, so i'll look in to that. I appreciate your help!

Hi guys,

I know the waiting is the most difficult to endure. My call came unexpectedly but what I did about 2 months ago is call yet again but this time I didn't let the secretary (Danielle) get away with "I'm not sure"...or "we'll see" I kept her on the phone insisting (in the sweetest way****il she gave me a concrete answer.

Her answer to me was..."I foresee at the latest surgery in October...guaranteed but if I don't call you before the end of April call me back" I confirmed with her again (she put me on hold) came back and said "confirmed"

I got a call last friday and had my nut apt. this morning. When I went to the apt. I was very surprised to see the number of people there. Must have been over 50 people so that gave me an indication of how busy that department is. All these people were in various stages in their journey...some were just like me, others having their surgeries next week, some already had surgeries.

Basically it hit home exactly to what extent they are busy and with a handful of surgeons to go around it would take time.

I'm still not sure about my date...haven't got that yet. But having seen today the number of people in that room (and I think that was the second meeting today) I can understand a bit better...even though I don't like it. At least with the doctors at Sacre Couer you got a consult and an estimate at best, with the Royal Vic and Dr. Christou I'm still on a waiting list for a consult and it's going on 5 years!!

So for me, I'm happy to be close even if I don't have that date yet as frustrating as it can be.

Hugs,
Ada

Thanks Ada, I think its really smart of you to kindly insist on an answer. I definitely understand more what you mean with them being super busy, however I still feel there is more harm in giving a wrong answer than in them saying "Call back later, and i'll check your file." Its much less discouraging. I'll try to keep my cool though, its just a bad situation with no one you can really blame. Good luck and I hope you're in and out of that OR as soon as possible :)

Hey buddy!
I'm still shrinking and it's fun! Everybody is going to start shrinking with me too. I have a pretty strong opinion on this too. Having waited almost 28 months from my initial call, I know what it is to wait. They had initially told me 18 to 24 months so I was hoping I was going to be one of the lucky ones that would get the call in like 3 months but it wasn't the case. My beef is with the system and how the system works. I want to know what the criteria is for a person passing in front of another. We are all going through the public route and therefore we should be going on that list one after another. I've had people who I've referred who have had surgery all while I was waiting. It ****** us of, but like most things in life, we can't always have it our way. My saying is Everything happens for a Reason so your time will come. It's frustrating but it will come. 18 to 24 months sounds a little more of the right time frame. However, if you're having surgery at the Rockland Clinic, it may be more around the 12 to 18 month wait. These numbers are just my guesses from what I've heard from people. The times vary by surgeon also so it may be quicker or slower than me. I know Dr. Garneau was really busy last Monday at my post-op. I must have met 5+ patients of his so I know that he's been busy the last few months. Who knows, maybe the wait times are getting smaller. Just try to live your life to the fullest and time will go by and you will get that call when you least expect it. I know I did.

Good luck gang! Your time will come! 

Derek