Impatient and Frustrated

I started the whole wls process in April 2003, I still don't have a date. I have gone to the Nutritionist, I have had a sleep study done, just found out today I have to have another one, this time w/c-pap machine. I chose Dr. Kumar as my surgeon, he is at Aurora in Franklin, Wisconsin. I don't have anything positive to say about his staff, because they have just prolonged the process further, by telling me that I could just get my Pshychiatrist to fax them a letter stating that I am of sound mind to make the decision to have the surgery, well that wasn't what my insurance company wanted, they wanted me to see a pshycologist, and go through all this testing and so forth to see if I was ready emotionally and so forth. So, now I have to wait till the middle of August to get in to this Dr. I am so frustrated, some people have had everything from tests to a surgery date within a month. I am beginning to think either I am not meant to have this surgery, or I should have picked a different Dr.

Hi Monica... I'm sorry you're frustrated about the process. It's very difficult to wait for what seems like forever. I began this process last August, and just got my surgery date 2 weeks ago. It's a step-by-step process that we all have to go through. Remember that the popularity of these procedures has sky-rocketed over the past 1-2 years. I'd rather wait than be ushered through a chop-shop drive-thru style. Take your time. Try to be patient. Keep researching. Start planning your post-op diet. Get physically and psychologically prepared. You cannot be too prepared. I've heard of waiting lists 2-3 years long. There must be a reason that surgeon is so busy... Hang in there!

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. I started my process in March and just got my date a few weeks ago. I first had to have an upper GI. (to determine that my previous VBG staple line was disrupted). Then I met with the dietican and waited over a month to see the shrink. Then I had to deal with my previous surgeons office to get all the previous surgery notes sent to my new surgeon. Then after all that was done, and after 2 deniel letters from my insurance everything was finally sent in a 3rd time and then it still took over a week for them to get me a decision to approve it. I never thought it was going to happen. I prayed hard and tried to be patient. Patience is not my stong suit either. When I finally got my approval from the insurance company (which was late in June), the surgeon was booked into September. So I got my original date of Sept 8 and just recently got lucky and was moved up to August 13. Take care and pray. I will pray that your time will pass quickly so that you may also have a date. We did not put our weight on overnight and we should not expect everything to happen overnight to get to the goal of getting all the weight back off. Good luck!

Hi Monica, I absolutely understand your fustration! I started the process in early January and just received my approval last week and now have a date of August 7th. I can't blame the delay on any one factor: the insurance company was part of it and one specialist took forever to get a report back. Realistically, if you have to do a c-pap trial that will take you into the middle of August anyways so maybe the psychologist isn't even a bump in the road!

Hi Monica - I sure hear how frustrated you are. Once we have made up our minds to take this drastic step we want it to happen NOW, right? Keep plugging along - what else can you do, hey? - and know that you can share your frustrations with all of us here. We, better than anyone, do understand. Good luck to you. Carol

You don't have to wait. For $10,000.00 you can go to Mexico and have it done immediately.