What A Week!!! A Rant

Okay so I'm still smilin' but the thing is I finally had my consult at Vandy. Not pleased nor am I impressed. I was told that Medicare now has a 6 month diet requirement and that's no problem at all. I have actually lost a couple of pounds myself just by controlling my cravings, Yah me! But I will not wait until June to see a doctor AT VANDY to start this diet. I have a very good PCP who is just as capable as any other doctor to supervise a diet. I will start this the first week of April. Secondly, I had a stress test done last year that was abnormal. In spite of a breast reductiion I don't exactly have the smallest chest in the world, I was told that a large chest would also cause false positive readings. Well that in turn lead to an angioplasty, yeah you read right an angioplasty. I saw one of the best cardiologists in Nashville, Dr. Gina Chandler. She found nothing wrong. But why am I being subjected to taking another stress test AT VANDY. Not at a facility of my choice. I have my own Psych and was told in the seminar I could use him but why was I told at consult time that I had to use one of their Psychs AT VANDY. Not to mention the rudeness I encountered indirectly with some inconsistent child that was to schedule my stress test but rudely told the nurse scheduling it to send me to Saint Thomas because they could not accompany my size. Hmmm funny the nurse that called for the appointment told me that they had just gotten a new machine that could handle all of their bariatric pateints. She called back and spoke to someone else and she straightened out what little miss "i don't want to fool with a fat person" told her. LOL nice ride with Vandy so far. And I have no intentions of upsetting anyone that has used or is satisfied with Vandy. I just feel like I'm worth more than some little fat calf waiting in a pasture for the buzzards to come get her. If need be I will continue to move along. Not to mention all of these appointments being in the middle of the year. I'm sarcasticly laughing now. And some of you may say it's for your own good that the tests be repeated but if further testing was done at the time and nothing was found I don't think anything should be repeated. But oh well. I will start my diet and move along to whatever. Thank you for listening and any positive feedback would be appreciated!

Whew...what a ride you have been on! Is Vandy the only option for you? I am biased toward Centennial since that's my clinic but that's just me...LOL! I think you have got to stand up for yourself...and as far as the diet goes...your PCP should satisfy the requirements as I believe most of us used our PCP's to do this...not sure about the psych but my best friend is having her surgery soon and she used a psych that was done last year by her clinic...of course, she is using Centennial so that may be the difference. Whatever course you should choose, good luck! I'm happy that the stress test was okay but I can understand your frustration!

Hey Kym, No Vandy is not the only option that I have. Thank God!!! I am going to use my own PCP for my diet. I was at Centennial but Dr. Dyer had taken a hiatus from Medicare patients. I don't really know how that's going now for sure. I would have loved to have stayed there but at the same time I understand his need for prompt payment from insurance companies as well. Thank you so much for reading this raving rant and sharing your input. It really means a lot. Diane

Carla, Friend, try my surgeon he talks to you the moment he steps in the room with you. This is what he requires of you. An letter from your pcp stating your attempts and failures of dieting for at least 3-5 years. And your health issues too. And a letter from you stating your willings and want to live the rest of your life healthy and what the surgery means too you. Plus you do have to do a six month diet of like 1500 calories a day and exercise 3-4 times a week for 45 minutes a day. They do not care what type of exercise you do a long as your heart rate increases during that. You have to check in once a month with your pcp for weigh ins for the whole six months. Then your doctor has to document the weigh -ins too. Plus you have to keep a food diary the whole six month diet. You have to have a EKG and An upper GI. Plus a therapist signing off you are mentally able to have this surgery. And then he will give you a booklet about gastric bypass surgery. YOu read as many times as you have too. Because after the six month you take a test on it. If you pass you are okay.. Fail and he talks to you about the surgery until he is sure you understand what you are stepping into. You will have to go to a dietion/nurtion and get a letter from them too. But if you have anymore doctors get them to write you a letter too. All the help the better. This is a key part to make sure you ask him about what your insurance requires you too lose...Like 5% or 10% of your IBM. ANd make sure you do not stop dieting when your six month diet is up. Keep dieting until you see him with your paperwork in hand too. They will weigh you there for your final weigh in. Plus talk to you,and go over you paper work and they tell you they will call when your insurance approves you. Be ready they can usually get you in that week. My WLS= Dr. Hodge - Surgical Group OF Johnson City, MPC 310 N.State of Franklin Road Suite 404 Johnson City TN 37604 phone: (423) 975-0764 Fax: (423) 975-0141 The Johnson City Hospital is so clean and the nurse run to you almost every 30 minutes checking on you. They are so nice and kind. THey are never mean. They are so willing to help you. I wish my local hospital was like the Johnson City Hospital truely a good place. Plus you get people from there support group there talking to you and walking with you through the whole three days. They are willing to be there for you if you need them. Plus they gave you a pillow with a picture of WLS on it too. Plus another woman brings you samples of protien powers too. Try them, They let you use your own pcp for you weigh - ins too. Your can ask them all the questions you want. Plus what you can have done through your own pcp. They let me use my pcp for all the things required of me I hope you the best in your search for wls. Your Friend, Tina Cannon There staff is so nice and well manner and are willing to help you through out the whole starting the diet and after the surgery too.

Hello Tina, All I can say is WOW! I had been online for the last few nights real late trying to see what other hospitals were an option for me. I did see Johnson City as a matter of fact. Now to hear the feedback from you is awesome. By all means thank you for the information. I will give them a call! I know this is going to get better. What's it all worth if there are no stumbling blocks to make you go even harder for what you want. One thing's for sure I am one that will appreciate the new tool that I get when I do get it. Thanks for reading and most of all thank you for your response! Diane

Kym I heard Centennial docs aren't taking Medicare anymore... or at least until they get paid from the surgeries they have already done... I'm sorry you have had so much trouble! If you do have to come over to St. Thomas, let me know. I work there and would love to come see you! Vandy is probably referring inside their own facility... and actually they can do that but technically it should be up to the patient... they should not force you to go to their facility only... its kind of like double dipping if you know what I mean... they can suggest that you go there, but not force you... anyway I might be wrong but according to the HIPAA and other tests that I have done, its wrong for a business to inner-refer and force patients to only go to that location... Dr. H wants me to have lab work every few months... his office has a lab tech there but I know that its at a higher rate of patient coinsurance due by ME... so I go to St. thomas for my labs... I get a better rate for keeping my business where I work, and he is fine with that as long as they are competent... and get the correct labs drawn, etc. They did fine, so I will continue going there... sure it is more convenient to walk out of the treatment room at Dr. H's and then to the lab tech office, cause its all under one building... but it just isn't monetarily beneficial to me. Good luck on these issues. You could ask the surgeon why you have to go to their places.. also, your PCP is the one who should do your supervised diet... my insurance company would not allow the surgeon to even write the letter stating I had lost 10% of my overall body weight... they basically feel he wants your business, and its not ethical for him to try to convince the insurance company to pay HIM for surgery because you have done all of these things, a thru b, to get it covered... they want an outside unbiased opinion, who is your pcp.

Melinda, It is people like you that make this journey worth the wild ride.....LOL. I wish that I had came to St. Thomas now just to get to meet a fellow OHer. The information you have supplied is actually priceless. I didn't think I just HAD to go to the doctors the nurse practitioner was sending me to. I really didn't think it made that big of a difference especially to Medicare. They just want me to meet and have all requirements before seeking surgery. I've had some of those things for 20 years. And so, as stated before I will call my PCP Monday and get started on my diet. She is a very honest woman and she will not just say anything to help a person if they will not even attempt to help themeselves. That's why I love her! I really want to thank you for your response, I think you hit a gem mine.....LOL. Very valuable information! I will let you all know how thing go for me. Diane

Diane, I do not have any additional advice than what Melinda and everyone else has already provided to you, but I did want to say hello and welcome you to OH. You will find that everyone here is very helpful so don't be a stranger and ask anything, because chances are one of us have been there and can give you some advice. Glad to have you here!! Shelia

Hi Carla. Wow, you did go through a lot of crap at Vandy. I did use Vandy. I was not all that impressed with the before surgery stuff either. Hpwever, I LOVE my surgeon (Dr. Torquati). Had it not been for him, I would have switched hospitals. I think the tests you have to go through before surgery are all pretty standard for everyone at every hospital regardless of when the last time you had the test was. It is just part of the pre tests for surgery. I am not 100% positive but I do not think any of the hospitals will let you use your own psyciatrist either. I guess they assume you have a relationship with them and they want you to see someone you don't have a relationship with in order to determine if you are or not. . I would definatley suggest switching hospitals if you did not like it at Vandy because you have to deal with the hospital/surgeon you chose for a long time while going through this surgery and you want to find someone you are happy with. I really like my surgeon and the aftercare program and people at Vandy so I am happy I went with vandy but I definately understand your frustrations with the beginners stuff. Oh yeah, and definatley use your own Dr for the 6 month diet. It just makes it easier. These 6 months will be quicker than you realize. That gives you time to check out other hospital seminars and chose one and get started with the paperwork and test. Keep us updated on how it is going. Talk to you later. Misty