Impatiently Waiting

10 days ago the surgeon told me someone from general surgery would be calling in a 'few' days with dates set up for my final pre-op exam and lab work. I have waited and waited for them to call. Today I call and acutally get a real live person (instead of a machine, at Madigan surgery clinic that's practically a miracle) and guess what.....they can't find me on the list! I am so mad. She had me on hold for like 20 minutes and got back on the line and said the person who normally takes care of stuff like that was at lunch and they'd call me when they got back. She asked me several times if I was sure I had a date and I had to tell her Dr. Eggebraten told me himself he'd do my surgery on the 26th. She kept umming me......and putting me on hold. They'd better call soon or I'll be marching my big butt down to Madigan and pitching a fit.

A lesson learned... DO NOT talk to the receptionists, they have no clue what floor they work on, let alone what surgery dates are. Call and ask to talk to Mary, she is the one who schedules the surgeons stuff, and she is SUPER NICE!! So, take a tip from me, don't waste your time with the girls who are there only to answer the phones.

They finally got back with me. They've changed my date!! 4 days earlier to the 23rd. On the 19th I go in for my lab work, pre-op exam and appie with Surgical Services.

I am really glad all of this worked out. It is frustrating trying to figure out how much to call and bug them and how much to let things run it course. If you call too much, you risk ******g them off and being put on the back burner. If you don't call and there is a problem, then you can sit around for years waiting. Since the Dr. office didn't call yesterday to give me a date like they said I would, I called them today. Of course the woman that has the info I need is off today. Bummer. But, I am glad everything worked out for you. ~Hat

Where was this advice when I was trying to deal with Madigan? When I was in there and the receptionist was so rude to me, she said there was no one else I could talk to. She was it and she was refusing to help me. Grrr. Anyway, I am glad it is working out for the two of you. Well, and me too. Is Mary the one that was at the orientation? ~Hat

No that was Meg Vulker, the chief of surgical nurses, she is, well was, she doesnt anymore, the one in the or handing out the scalpels and scissors, and all that good fun stuff..... pass me a stapler, would ya lol

Does it seem that some of these GP surgeons and their staff do as they darn well please no matter what kind of grief, inconvenience, cost, stress and annoyance the obese patient has to put up with? Is this just with obesity surgery or surgeons in general? So far, I'm not impressed with surgeons offices (2 so far - on to the next). One of these times it'll be the right one.

I know I get jerked around a bit, because of the hospital I'm using. Dh is active duty military, so I'm having my surgery done at a military hospital. I knew this going in, that gastric bypass patients arn't their number one concern. I have been impressed by the surgeons I've met there. They work the system the best they can. ~Tanja