Re: Committee review of my case

August 3, 2005

Hi ,

There is a good chance that if you need gallbladder surgery they will do them at the same time. After you get approved it can take up to a year to get surgery. There are so many surgeries approved now that it does take time. The good part is though you are one step closer in that direction.

Ramona

August 3, 2005

Hi ,

There is a good chance that if you need gallbladder surgery they will do them at the same time. After you get approved it can take up to a year to get surgery. There are so many surgeries approved now that it does take time. The good part is though you are one step closer in that direction.

Ramona

August 3, 2005

Hi ,

There is a good chance that if you need gallbladder surgery they will do them at the same time. After you get approved it can take up to a year to get surgery. There are so many surgeries approved now that it does take time. The good part is though you are one step closer in that direction.

Ramona

August 3, 2005

, a lot of times they'll do both at the same time. It depends upon how soon you need that surgery, vs. how quickly they can get you in for the other surgery.

It also depends upon where you are assigned...and it depends upon how quickly you lose your ten percent. I don't know where you are located, so it's hard to know.

Here's my thing: My physician sent in a referral in December. I was accepted and assigned to Richmond. I think I got the acceptance within a couple of weeks. I had my orientation in Jan. At Richmond, they don't start counting your 10 percent mandatory weightloss (pre-surgery) until they have weighed you in at the orientation. So, even if you have lost weight prior to orientation, it won't really count towards your 10 percent (but hey, you'll be healthier for the surgery, so go for ti.) At Fremont, they look to your highest document weight in the medical record, and that's the ponit from which they count. San Francisco, I'm not exactly sure...and soemtimes, they don't seem to be as strict about the whole 10% thing.

ANyway...I had a number of appoints to get through. If you haven't had a psych evaluation for bariatric surgery, nor a nutritionist appointment related to the bariatric surgery, go ahead and schedule those. Try to be aggressive, so you can get those out of the way. You don't really need to wait for your acceptance, particularly if you are heavy enough that you think it is likely you'll be accepted.

I had a second psych appointment (not so much of an eval) with a psychologist who is now a part of the Richmond Kaiser Bariatric group. They have you go through a group nutrition appt, and a couple of other things.

For me, it took a while to lose my 26 lbs. I wasn't as focused as I should have been...but I also had a few psychological barriers to break through (I sound like I'm mentally unstable, I'm not. It's jsut that fat serves a purpose in your life, and mine was to protect me from unwelcome sexual advances...which I needed because I had been molested as a child blah blah blah). So, I had to really get ready to let go of this suit of armour. I've done my own personal work with a counselor as well.

Well, I did the orientation in January...and it took me until late May to lose the weight. Had I not been dragging my feet quite a lot, I really could have been scheduled for surgery in April, or possibly even March. But, it is what it is. I had my surgery on June 8th.

GOod luck in your journey. This is a good place to be. We'll help you stay focused, motivated, and true to yourself. Peel the onion. Think about why you eat so much. Think about what other positive, constructive behaviours you can substitute for eating. Think about what purpose your weight serves. And get yourself psychologically ready to let go of that so that you don't freak out when it happens. (believe it or not, lots of people kinda freak out.)

You'll get there. It will happen sooner than you think. For now, start increasing your water consumption. If you smoke, you'll have to stop before they'll do surgery. It's critically important for your healing, and smoking poses a threat for you when you are under anesthesia. Start chewing a gazillion times. Don't drink 15 minutes before you eat...and don't drink for an hour after you drink. Start a walking program, or some kind of exercise program. You may lose weight before you get to orientation...but you know what? That will just be that much less you don't have to lose after the surgery. Most importantly, you will begin incorporating the habits you will need to employ for the rest of your life.

It's valuable time, not just thumb twiddling time, between the point of acceptance and the point of surgery.

Good luck!Robynn wrote:

I am at the point in the process where the commmitee is reviewing mycase, how soon can I expect surgery after that? I may have to have aseperate gallbladder surgery will that affect anything, or do youhtink that I might be able to get approved for both.

August 3, 2005