Update
Hi Everyone,
Well... I got news on Friday that shocked me.... I'VE BEEN APPROVED!!!
First time! They didn't even question the DS
Took exactly two weeks to get the approval from Aetna
I'm scheduled for March 24th... just two days after my birthday
My surgery will be in Ocala, FL at Monroe Regional and my surgeon is Dr Hoddinott. It will be an open DS.
The Dr will be scoping me the day before.
I still can't believe that they approved it.
I was tempted to ask for a different surgery date, but I think that for myself it will be better to have it pretty quickly and get it behind me. I am a bit nervous about having this extensive a surgery. The less time to think about it the better. I've done all the research and know this is the surgery I need. I have no questions that the DS is the correct choice. But I'm still nervous, so the sooner the better.
Kathy
Well... I got news on Friday that shocked me.... I'VE BEEN APPROVED!!!
First time! They didn't even question the DS
Took exactly two weeks to get the approval from Aetna
I'm scheduled for March 24th... just two days after my birthday
My surgery will be in Ocala, FL at Monroe Regional and my surgeon is Dr Hoddinott. It will be an open DS.
The Dr will be scoping me the day before.
I still can't believe that they approved it.
I was tempted to ask for a different surgery date, but I think that for myself it will be better to have it pretty quickly and get it behind me. I am a bit nervous about having this extensive a surgery. The less time to think about it the better. I've done all the research and know this is the surgery I need. I have no questions that the DS is the correct choice. But I'm still nervous, so the sooner the better.
Kathy
yay!!! surgery approval is the best! It's normal to be nervous before surgery but as someone who completley freaked out pre-op let me just tell you this was the BEST thing I ever did for myself. Don't let the nerves get the best of you, get this surgery over and done with so you are that much closer to starting your new life!
I 
My DS
100% EWL achieved!
sw 291/cw 134/gw 145 (Resetting goal to 135!) (resetting yet again to 120!)
Well I think March 24 is a good date to have surgery on. Im having surgery on that day also. Also that my 22 birthday! Dr. Inman is doing my surgery.
On the journey to losing weight, your friends & family will be the first people to try to knock you off. They do this not out spite, but out of being convicted and knowing they should do the same. It's easier to put someone down for doing the right thing, than for them to actually do it. So at your next family re-union or wherever you are eat your chicken and broccoli and smile when they make jokes about you, they are jealous!
Hi Kathy-
Congratulations! I think that is great! I know what you mean by being shocked that everything was approved. Sometimes reading all the struggles people have to go through makes us expect that to be the norm and if it doesn't go down that way it all seems kind of surreal. Like waiting for the other shoe to drop or something! I am happy you are having such a smooth go of it and hope that journey continues! I have had a similar experience and guess what, I am having surgery exactly 2 days after my birthday too! I think this is the best present we could ever give ourselves!
Wishing you all the best!
Aimee
Congratulations! I think that is great! I know what you mean by being shocked that everything was approved. Sometimes reading all the struggles people have to go through makes us expect that to be the norm and if it doesn't go down that way it all seems kind of surreal. Like waiting for the other shoe to drop or something! I am happy you are having such a smooth go of it and hope that journey continues! I have had a similar experience and guess what, I am having surgery exactly 2 days after my birthday too! I think this is the best present we could ever give ourselves!
Wishing you all the best!
Aimee
(deactivated member)
on 3/13/10 8:15 pm
on 3/13/10 8:15 pm
Kathy,
There are no DS surgeons in Florida to my knowledge, unless one recently moved there. I know your Dr. is listed on OH as having done 25 DS surgeries, but he may be what we call a 'bait and don't switch' Dr. OH is nortorious for having incorrect information. You can use this list to find a vetted DS surgeon.:
http://www.dsfacts.com/North-American-Duodenal-Switch-Surgeo ns.html
I know they have to start somewhere, but personally I would want someone who has done at least 100.
We have recently had a few pre-ops from Florida and they could not find a Dr. that does the DS. All they could find is Dr.s that once you are there, they say horrible things about the DS and tell you why it is wrong for you and how the RNY would be better.
That being said, I hope I am wrong!
Michele
There are no DS surgeons in Florida to my knowledge, unless one recently moved there. I know your Dr. is listed on OH as having done 25 DS surgeries, but he may be what we call a 'bait and don't switch' Dr. OH is nortorious for having incorrect information. You can use this list to find a vetted DS surgeon.:
http://www.dsfacts.com/North-American-Duodenal-Switch-Surgeo ns.html
I know they have to start somewhere, but personally I would want someone who has done at least 100.
We have recently had a few pre-ops from Florida and they could not find a Dr. that does the DS. All they could find is Dr.s that once you are there, they say horrible things about the DS and tell you why it is wrong for you and how the RNY would be better.
That being said, I hope I am wrong!
Michele
Well that sucks! Not to rain on your parade Kathy, but do be sure your doctor will do the DS once you're under anesthesia. There was a case last fall on OH where a patient went in for the DS and her doctor ended up giving her an RNY because he said he couldn't do the DS on her (some lame medical excuse he gave her husband who consented once she was under). Be sure to let everyone who might be with you or have medical proxy know that you don't want anything but the DS, and make sure your doctor AND all the staff you can talk to before going under knows what you want.
That said, my doctor bad mouthed the DS big time and did everything he could to scare me out of it before finally agreeing to do mine. He's also only done less than 25 DS's in his career (compared to thousands of RNYs), but I knew he was a very skilled surgeon, so I didn't worry. You might want to try and track down some of Dr. H's previous DS patients if you can and talk with them about their experiences. I did that here and it helped relieve my mind a great deal prior to surgery.
Good luck and let us know how things go for you! Wishing you the best!
That said, my doctor bad mouthed the DS big time and did everything he could to scare me out of it before finally agreeing to do mine. He's also only done less than 25 DS's in his career (compared to thousands of RNYs), but I knew he was a very skilled surgeon, so I didn't worry. You might want to try and track down some of Dr. H's previous DS patients if you can and talk with them about their experiences. I did that here and it helped relieve my mind a great deal prior to surgery.
Good luck and let us know how things go for you! Wishing you the best!
I refer you to this thread: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/4110186/overwhelmed-and -loving-it/
Caveat emptor.
Caveat emptor.
Most Active
Recent Topics
