Excellent first visit to hospital

[SCOOBYDOOBYDOO]

Hi all,
What a day I've had.
I've been so nervous about this first visit to Birmingham, thought they might send me away and say don't be silly!! Haha
Anyway, hour and a half drive and we were there.
Half an hour after my appointment time I get called to see the nurse who measures my height and weight and takes my blood pressure. BP was sky high!!
Then after another 15 minutes I get called in to see a Mr Richardson. Really nice chap who asked me what surgery I wanted, then took details of past dieting attempts and eating habits etc. Agreed with me that a bypass would be good for me. Told me I had to lose around 5-10% of weight pre-op and that the dietician would help me with that. I was thinking 'oh great, have to wait for another appointment.' lol.
Then said he just needed to have a formal letter re my funding-funding has already been agreed but he needs to 'tick some boxes' now that a bypass has been agreed as the funding so far just states 'bariatric surgery'. He siad this would take a couple of weeks.
He then says make an appointment to see me in 4 months and says that he is hoping that will be my review appt. for after surgery!
He estimates that my surgery will take place at the end of feb.
He's told me to go to my docs tomorrow to get some blood pressure meds sorted as they can't operate if its too high.
Then he says 'ok now we'll see the dietician'.
So straight in to see her, really lovely lady, who explained everything and gives me a diet sheet with choice of 5 diets to be started 2/4 or 6 weeks before surgery...my choice apparently!!
So very pleased and will now start making some healthy food choices to help the old BP come down.
Just gotta wait for that letter to plop through my door now!!
Happy happy!
Leanne x

 

[Fashionably Late]

Wow, how did get you get to the surgeon first and not one of the other doctors? Is your BMI over 50? If so, then that would make sense.

 

[SCOOBYDOOBYDOO]

Yep, my BMI is nearer to 60. Think its 58...not that I'm proud of that of course...
Also the fact that I stuck rigidly to a liquid diet a few years back for 7 months and lost 10 stone was enough proof to the doctor that I could stick to the rules and stopped me from having to prove myself ny losing some weight then going back.
Obviuosly they still want me to lose some weight before surgery though.
I feel incredibly lucky to have no hoops to jump through, just this stupid blood pressure to sort out then wait and wait for the elusive letter to arrive!
Leanne x

 

[Fashionably Late]

You are so lucky! I cannot wait for you to be on the losers side. You have definitely proven to them what an excellent candidate you are. Well done!

 

[SCOOBYDOOBYDOO]

Thanks so much.
Just been reading your blog too....wow, you certainly have been through some hard times to get what you wanted but you seem to be doing really well now. Good for you.
Thanks for your support too, it means a lot to be able to 'speak' to people who know what its like!
Leanne x

 

[hope2bthina]

Hi,
i just looked you up as knew you had gone to heartlands..wow well done how quick was that. I bet your over the moon!
I cant see mine bein so easy my bmi is only just over 40..i say only lol....but i do have diabeties and high cholesteral and high blood pressure so hoping that they swing it for me...i seem to have to fight for everything in life..it gets very draining!.

So happy for you tho great news..if you fancy a visitor let me know i only live 10 mins away from the hospital.

 

[salski]

Wow Scoobs - thats cracking news! Good for you hun! How chuffed are you Well done! Really pleased for ya! x

 

[phatmomma]

Brilliant news, good luck xx

 

[SCOOBYDOOBYDOO]

Thanks girls!!
Still excited but now worrying about my stupid blood pressure not going down in time!!
Ringing my GP tomorrow to sort out meds and gonna try to eat sensibly but thats hard knowing I will be on a strict pre-op diet not long after christmas!!
Leanne x

 

[rybens]

Hiya leanne when i went for my pre-ops my blood pressure was sky high and i had 5 weeks before my op , they sent me to dr for three more bp reading and said if it didnt go down id have to have meds for 6 weeks before they would do the op so this would mean my date would be cancelled. This may sound silly but i looked up alternatives to lower bp and began to use breathing exersizes and on the advice of gillabean stopped salt as this is know to higher bp. When i went back to the drs 5 days after id had the high reading at the hospital my bp was at its lowest ever, i was chuffed to bits . I hope your bp gets sorted and does not afect how soon you get your op date x

 

[SCOOBYDOOBYDOO]

Thanks Hannah for your good advice xxx

 

[Lori1964]

Hi Leanne. Sounds like you are moving closer and closer to claiming a seat on the losers bench. Wow! 5 diets to choose from I though I was lucky being able to choose from 2..lol

 

[dreamofbeingslim]

Congratulations on getting your op approved with the surgeon. I bet you are excited to know its only a few months away. Don't worry too much about your blood pressure, my blood pressure went up a few months ago and was consistently over 100 at one point it was 160/104. My gp put me on medication then after 2 weeks doubled it and when I went into hospital on Friday for my cpap it was normal for the first time in months 121/79. It can be sorted try not to worry. Good luck with the pre-op diet.

 

[SCOOBYDOOBYDOO]

Thanks once again for your lovely comments people.
Spoke to my doctor today and he has prescribed me some meds for my blood pressure and I have an appointment to see him on friday also so hopefully it will all be sorted in good time.
Leanne x

 

[Mini]

Wishing you all the best Leanne that everything will be sorted.

Love Mini xxx

 

[ditzeeblonde]

How exciting... looks like everything is happening for you! x

 

[Jezabelle]

Hi Leanne,
Can I ask if you had to sit through a seminar after seeing Mr Richardson, This would have been with the dietician where she shows a couple of films and gives you a folder with all the ins and outs along with the diet?

I am also under the same consultant and when I went to the seminar I was told that you have to do the pre op for 6 weeks. I have already lost my 10% and now struggling to lose any more as my will power is zero at the moment hence why I need the tool to help me along.

 

[SCOOBYDOOBYDOO]

Hi Julie,
I didn't have to sit through a seminar but saw the dietitian who went through the op and pre and post op diets with me.
They said they will send the dates for op and pre-op together and I am to start the pre-op diet 6 weeks before so that I lose 5% of weight and lower my blood pressure before the pre-op date.
Still witing for date to come through although I have recieved a date to see Mr Richardson again in may which he said will be my first post-op review.
Hope that helps