That's it I'm mad as H@#$!!!!!

Today was my first day back to work since the holiday and I was busy showing all my co-workers my gorgeous new 2 carat diamond ring my husband bought me when my phone rang.... It was Lisa from Dr.Byrne's office. She said "Hi Robin, I was calling to see what was going on, I noticed Dr.Byrne left a note to reschedule your surgery." I immediately went off!!! I said what the heck is going on over there. She said Dr.Byrne has down that I'm having some problems with my pancreas and to reschedule "Mrs.Holmes". I asked her if there were any other Holmes' having surgery that day and she said no. I told her there isn't Sh@# wrong with my pancreas and my surgery better not be changed. I asked to speak to Dr.B but she said he was out of the office this week. She said she was not taking me off the schedule and she would "get to the bottom of this because he obviously has me confused with another patient". She said not to worry and that everything is still a go for Jan.5th. She said if I don't hear from her by early next week then she got it all straightened out. What kind of screwed up, over worked people are over there? My surgery is next Friday, how long am I supposed to wait and assume all is well? What if they mix up my darn name during the surgery and remove a foot or something instead of doing the gastric bypass? I was already going through the whole "can I do this?" moment and they do some backwards stuff like this? Help me friends, I'm about to loose this battle and cancel it myself. I don't know what to do.

Don't you dare cancel!! It was a mistake, obviously, and you just need to not freak out. Is Joyce still there? They always were screwing up paperwork over there. Have you had your pre op tests done? If so, did something come back on your labs that you did not know about? You may want to call your pcp if he ordered the tests or ask Amanda at Dr. Byrne's office to look up your labs for you. Amanda Budak is the program manager, and she is the one you need to be talking to. I bet its a SNAFU so don't worry, you will have surgery next week, and this time next year, you won't even remember any of this CHEER UP, You are not getting cancelled!! Deb

I'll call Amanda tomorrow to see but this is all so screwed up. Amanda passed me off to Lisa during the fight the insurance company stage so I don't even know if she'll be helpful. Joyce is an idiot (yes I can say that because she is the one who hid my file in a drawer along with several others and held up some of the process before the papers were found by Tarneisha and Amanda. I did my pre-op labs on Dec.11th they were ordered by Dr.B but no one has called to tell me anything about my pancreas. Why would they do this? What could possibly be wrong with my pancreas and why would this hold up the surgery? I would have expected something like low potassium (which I can fix in a day with a few bananas) but what is this and why hasn't anyone contacted me? I don't have a lot of faith in them right now. I'm so bummed by this, it seems like a terrible nightmare that I can't wake up from. I've fought so hard to get approved and a week before the actual surgery they pull this crap? I don't know Deb, it all sounds like a crock of you know what?!? I'm sorry I sound so negative but I thought my days of fighting to have the surgery ended on Oct.6th when I got approved.

Hey Robin, I'm a fellow loser, had my surgery 7 months ago. However I'm also an RN at MUSC and I'm kind of ticked that you would think that employees here would be so dumb that they would do the wrong surgery on you ( you have no idea the safety procedures that are in place prior to any surgery). It probably is a mistake, but double check with Amanda (as Deb says) that your lab work is correct. If there is a problem with your pancreas then it is in YOUR best interest to postpone the surgery...they want you to be as healthy as possible...this is major surgery!!!! As for Joyce, she has not been Dr Byrnes secretary since September, it is Taneshia. Sorry that this sounds a little harsh but unfortunetly things like this happen. Lesley

Lesley, I'm sure you have noticed from reading several post on the SC board that we are free to speak about how we feel, our thoughts on surgery, and the care we receive both before and after the surgery. My comments were my own feelings and were not directed to all nurses at MUSC or all doctors. YOU have no idea how many screw ups I have experienced with Dr.B's office, YOU did not go through the same struggles I went through as I'm sure I did not go through the same ones you did. I have a right to speak about my experience openly and honestly as long as I am a member of this wonderful website. I am well aware of the seriousness of this surgery as I have done over 2 years of research. I am also very aware of safety procedures that are involved with major surgery as I have had more than 20 in my 31 years of life. I am also aware that if I really had something wrong with my pancreas that I would absolutely post pone my surgery to take care of the problem. HOWEVER I also expect that since Dec.11th someone should have called either myself or my PCP to advise I was ill and needed to take care of the illness. My suggestion to you is to take your heart off your sleeve and remember that we are all going through difficult times and making difficult decisions about ourselves and we may not always say the nicest things or be the nicest person. No one here is trying to hurt anyone, we are all here to lift each other up and support them in anyway we can. I appreciate you replying but did not find much useful information as I requested in your post.

I agree that this web page is to help others and be supportive and to vent our feelings HOWEVER, if you are not happy and you are having second thoughts or you are thinking that you are not being treated right, THEN go somewhere else. I am 8 months out and I had a TERRIFIC experience with MUSC. You have the best of the best surgeon working with you and for you. People in his office, are not idiots they are all HUMAN BEINGS, just like yourself. If you don't have faith in them and you clearly don't, then maybe you really need to go else where. How could you bash the very same people that are going to give you your life back and that are trying to help you???? Get the chip off your shoulder!!

I couldnt agree more, if I felt as you do I would never let such people work on me. Having said that I believe Doc Byrne and the staff at MUSC to be the absolute best at what they do anywhere. Mistakes? We all make em. Michael

It's okay to vent sweetie. We are here for one another through the Good and the bad. Everyone isn't always going to like what the other says, that's okay, that's what makes us different and not all the same. You have had a tough fight to get where you are today, just shake it off, come on, shake, shake, shake, there you go. You can do this, you can do anything. You are a W-O-M-A-N !!! Take a deep breath, say a sweet prayer and make that phone call and do what you need to do. You know what to do.... Deb G

Thank you to those *****plied to me both on this post and to my personal email positively. I'm so grateful to have understanding friends who are there to help me through difficult times. I want to remind others to keep an open mind and realize that just because you had a good experience does not mean everyone who chooses the same doctors and staff will. Remember the reason for this site and the struggles we all have endured or will endure. I think it's important to let others who will come along know that this is really a fight to save your own life and it may not be all wonderful all the time. That being said I will bow out of this post gracefully and push forward on my quest. I contacted Lisa and she advised they screwed up again and had my information mixed up with another patient same last name different surgery date. Jan.5th is still a go for me. Thanks again friends, talk to you soon. Robin

Robin...I am glad it all worked out and that your WLS is still as planned...that is why it is so important to not give up...remember there is a real enemy out there looking to upset what the Lord has planned for you....just breathe deep and follow through. I will pray for your surgery and outcome to be great. In Christ's love, Joan M