back from sunderland and totally gutted!!

[gemma-lou88]

I have just had my 3rd appointment at srh and they would not put me on the waiting list, they brought up all my past with post natal depression and said I had to see a psychologist before they. Go any further. As they think I would struggle to cope. I'm totally gutted, does anyone know how much longer the wait will be ?

 

[dottychic]

Awww you poor thing (HUG) I know this has happened before but I cant remember how much longer the wait was. Im sure someone from Suderland will be along soon to give you some advice. So sorry hun .....you will get your op Im sure it just looks like you will have to wait a while longer. XX

 

[Big an Bouncy]

Just being safe hun,dont know how long you will have to wait for a phsyc appointment but you havnt been turned down.Maz x

 

[sugga]

Oh no, sorry to here this love, jacqui is right and you will get wls its just going to take a bit longer...i can understand how upset you would be though. Huggs xxx

 

[BlueDiamond]

I know pct's are different but everyone I know that has had wls has a psyche appointment before being put on the waiting list.... I saw my psyche doc in the November and was put on the waiting list when I saw surgeon in the February. HTH - Julie xx

 

[Grace]

I'm so sorry to hear this. It happened to me too. It is so very upsetting when you feel like you've already jumped through all the hoops.

I waited from September or October until Christmas for my appointment with Dr Wells the psychologist. (who by the way, was very nice indeed).........but I had to keep ringing and ringing to get the appointment.

I then waited about 2 more months to be put on the list because of delays in Dr Wells writing the letter giving his ok. (He'd been on holiday but why it took nearly 2 months, who can say? I did get VERY cross at this point!)When I eventually got put on the list, they back-dated it about 2 months because of all the messing about I'd had.

Have they said anything about doing a gastroscopy in the meantime? They did for me to minimize any more delays. I have to say I made quite a fuss with Mr Small when this happened. I told him it wasn't fair to keep moving the goal posts.

I hope you can get things moving quickly.
But hang on in there, you'll get there in the end. I did!
Hugs, Grace xxxx

 

[gemma-lou88]

No, no mention of a gastroscopy in the meantime just that I had to wait. He said I could have declined to go to the psychologist but then it would go back to a panel and I could be turned down. I was going to see my gp to see if there is anything he could suggest but I don't think he could do anything x

 

[Grace]

Hang on in there honey. Honestly....now don't get cross with me...I think it's a good thing that SRH are taking such care, because some people aren't psychologically fit for this surgery. (and I don't mean you for one second!)
Now I know that's very easy for me to say because I've had my op, and trust me, when I was in your position I was saying nothing of the kind!
But in retrospect, I can see they were just being cautious, and when you read horror stories on here about people who go back to completely destructive habits post-op, you can see why they would be.

Hopefully you will get a date to see Dr Wells, and the ok to go on the waiting list asap.

 

[angie790]

So sorry you have hit a hurdle, not suprised you are gutted. It does sound pretty routine for many PCT's though, although why they didn't tell you that & arrange it earlier is anyone's guess. I suppose I was lucky as I never had to see the psychologist...it wasn't even mentioned, so it just goes to show how different PCT's vary. Anyway, you haven't been refused though, so that's a positive. Hoping you don't have to wait too long for an appt to come through xxxx

 

[Grace]

So sorry you have hit a hurdle, not suprised you are gutted. It does sound pretty routine for many PCT's though, although why they didn't tell you that & arrange it earlier is anyone's guess. I suppose I was lucky as I never had to see the psychologist...it wasn't even mentioned, so it just goes to show how different PCT's vary. Anyway, you haven't been refused though, so that's a positive. Hoping you don't have to wait too long for an appt to come through xxxx

Angie I think you've it the nail on the head and that is what is SO upsetting about how SRH operate! Because they give you a time-scale and a regime which they follow; they set a weight loss target and tell you that once you've met it, you'll go on the waiting list...and then when you've done all of that and think wayhay...I'm on my way.......they hit some people with this curve ball which completely sends them reeling because they didn't see it coming!

and you have to ask...since the wait between one appointment and another is SOOOOOOOO long......why if they knew they wanted you to see a psychologist (not everyone has to) didn't they organise that in the intervening time, so that it could all be sorted and you'd go on the waiting list like you expected to?

and sadly, the cynic in me says....it's to do with them being massively over-subscribed and a way to keep the waiting list under some kind of control!

of course the other alternative..easily believable for anyone with experience of SRH...is just that they're not that well organised!

 

[angie790]

sadly, the cynic in me says....it's to do with them being massively over-subscribed and a way to keep the waiting list under some kind of control!

of course the other alternative..easily believable for anyone with experience of SRH...is just that they're not that well organised!

Grace, it's probably a combination of both factors...very disappointing that they haven't devised a better system, but without decent managers (which the NHS seems to be in dire need of), I just can't see it happening anytime soon xxx

 

[J-Mo]

SRH are diabolical. I take sum1 with me to all my appointments so I have a witness to their inefficiency!
The dietician told me today that everyone who has a bypass loses weight the same way as me ie. no weight loss for weeks then big loss. She also said their was no daily target for protein, carb etc intake. Also said I could get enough daily protein by drinking a glass of milk?

 

[angie790]

SRH are diabolical. I take sum1 with me to all my appointments so I have a witness to their inefficiency!
The dietician told me today that everyone who has a bypass loses weight the same way as me ie. no weight loss for weeks then big loss. She also said their was no daily target for protein, carb etc intake. Also said I could get enough daily protein by drinking a glass of milk?

Hey J-Mo, how's it going hon? Well, it's clear some people seem to lose a reasonable amout weekly, but my brother's dietician says the same thing about the long plateaus, in fact she likened it to walking down stairs which sometimes have a big landing, lol! He's lost about 14 stone I think now in 18 months & is almost at his goal weight I believe, so isn't doing too badly...it's still damned frustrating when you're personally on one of those long stalls though. As for the no daily target for protein/cards etc......hurumph, not sure I would agree with that from all the reading but hey, I'm not a dietician. It sounds like you are going to need to have a fiddle about & find what works best for you personally xxx

 

[gemma-lou88]

dont get me wrong im over the moon im still getting the op, i dont want to sound ungreatful because im not i just had my heart and head set on getting put on the waiting list today. was getting really excited that it wasnt long left till i get the op iv waited so long for, the chance at a new life... then this happened. it just really really upset me, im not gonna let this set me back in my weight loss and hopefully it wont be too long to wait before my appointment. i will be ringing every few weeks to see if they have sorted one. thank you all for your support xx

 

[lurve2laugh]

oh hun im sorry to hear that hopefully they will get you back to see them soon x

 

[Grace]

dont get me wrong im over the moon im still getting the op, i dont want to sound ungreatful because im not i just had my heart and head set on getting put on the waiting list today. was getting really excited that it wasnt long left till i get the op iv waited so long for, the chance at a new life... then this happened. it just really really upset me, im not gonna let this set me back in my weight loss and hopefully it wont be too long to wait before my appointment. i will be ringing every few weeks to see if they have sorted one. thank you all for your support xx

I'm sure we all understand sweety. You get mentally psyched up and prepared only to be let down. It's horrible, it really is. Hang on in there though. It's a delay but you will get there. xxx

 

[yorkiegal]

Sorry to hear you've hit a stumbling block. I think they are being very responsible though in asking patients to see a psychologist first. I was told I couldn't go any further without having cbt but they didn't offer it lol. So it was a catch 22. I said bugger that and paid privately for cbt then went back three months later and told them I wanted to have the surgery and they agreed. They didn't even bother to check that I'd actually had it. I could have saved myself £1800 lol.
There was a woman who died after having the surgery at my hospital. She actually died of malnutrition some months after surgery, despite still being obese at the time. She hadn't been able to cope with the post op diet. Perhaps if she'd seen a psych beforehand they might have picked up on her potential for post op problems?

edited to add: oh and I just wanted to say that although this journey to surgery seems to take forever, you will get there eventually. When I first started last february I thought I'd never get there. Now I'm on the waiting list. Ok it will probably be 14months from referral to surgery, but after 20 years of being morbidly obese, that's not so long really.

 

[cazbandy]

I am sorry you have had a delay but I also agree this is a much needed and responsible step for hospitals to take.

Weight loss surgery carries so much with it and it's for life, the better prepared you are at the beginning gives you a better chance of long term sucess.

Chin up, you might have to jump through more hoops but its worth it.

 

[thinnerangela]

I agree that this sort of appointment is necessary pre-op - and possibly post-op if needed.

We all have different issues surrounding food - and I think they are being more long sighted than some PCTs.
The cynic says its a way of manipulating the waiting times though!!

Hopefully you won't have to wait long - then you'll be on your way.

xxx