Meg @ Madigan

Meg facilitated the meeting today @ the 3pm Support Group.  The question was brought up about how long before you can have surgery after going through the Pathways. 

She said once you finish the classes, get scheduled to see the shrink, meet with the shrink, wait for the report, see Meg again, get sent over to see the Surgeon, make the appt to see the surgeon, meet the surgeon and schedule your date and have your surgery....this process is close to 3 months. 

She said there were 2 doctors that should be back at Madigan in the Fall.  So that will put the number of surgeons doing WLS at 6.

Just thought I'd pass this info along.

Rebecca

How did that meeting go with Meg being there? I bet there were a lot of questions posted to her since it's hard to reach her at times.  I had heard she was going to facilitate but couldn't make it today.  I do know a few should be coming back, but are more leaving to take their place?

I think too part of the hold up on surgery is the ORs are being worked on again, making them have less to work with.  Either way, it's good to have a full dept of surgeons back at Madigan

Meg did well and OMG, I think I may have defended her, too.  There were tons and tons of pre-ops.  6 post ops.  I didn't want to go intially, but I forced myself to leave work early and go.  I'm glad I did. 

I'm glad it went well, and I really wish she were able to come to more of the meetings, even if it's just as a guest because I know people have a lot of questions.  As a post op I try and catch Tuesday group when I can get to them to kind of pay it forward because I learned a lot from post ops when I went to them pre op.

I think my only wish for Tuesdays support group meeting is that they were longer...an hour goes by so fast with so many people going through the pathways I always feel like there are probably those who don't get their questions answered.  I try and hang around a little afterward for those who do still have things they want to ask post ops, but eventually I know they want to close the clinic for the day and we have to go.

No, the OR's are currently back at full capacity.  All planned remodeling is completed.
One of the main laprascopic surgeons is returning Sept 09.  And one shortly after that.   One surgeon who does very few is leaving July 09.  Another is ets'ing  early 2010.  That is just the Army.

Just remember, Bariatrics is ELECTIVE.  Always, always, cancer surgery, emergencies, non electives, and Iraq veterans come first.  Soldiers come first.  Bariatrics comes after that.  Surgeries are prioritized, because even though the OR's are up at full steam ahead, there are only so many hours in a day.  And the staffing is still quite low due to deployments and attrition.  People quit and it has been hard to replace them.
:-)

Thanks for that info. SO much for me thinking maybe I can fast track this into two, maybe three months....more like 6 again....oh well. What can I do??

How are you doing Rebecca?? How are things with your new anatomy?? 

Thanks for the info!!

Lisa

Lisa,

Sometimes I found that I could get into some of the pathway classes quicker by calling the various clinic directly. I really did not do this to do it quicker, but just because of my job and trying to get in on days that would allow me to take as few days as possible off. When I called Tricare to set up a couple of my classes they said that they did not see any openings, that is when a call directly to the clinic helped as well.

From the first class with Meg to my surgery, which is scheduled for July 28th, it will have been 6th months for me. I could have probably done a couple of the classes sooner if it was not for my job, so I think that I could have been done in 5 months. Plus, I am seeing Dr. Beekley and he is going out on family maternity leave for three weeks as his wife is having a baby right in two weeks.

Lisa, maybe a longer wait would be a blessing in disguise as hopefully the criteria for having the DS done will loosen at Madigan.

Michele

Rebecca,  I had the lap gastric done 7/2002. at my heighest I weighed 260, my lowest was 150, I got pregnant and gained 30 pounds. I lost about 20 or so...now 3 yrs after my son's birth Im at 197...thats 7 pounds over what I weighed at 9 months pregnant. and trying to look into having a revision. How was your journey towards a revision? I feel so bad that I have let myself down again. I have chronic headaches, get short of breath, and HBP. I have TriWest and located in Tacoma WA near Ft Lewis. Dr. Dewitt (a civilan dr) did my surgery in Alabama a couple of years before I got married and moved to CO, now we're in Washington (husband is active duty Army) I would like to have a revision...I want to find a local dr here and also see if my insurance will cover it. how was your process and stages?