It feels horrible doesn't it. I had an experience much like yours. First of all it was my endocrinologist who suggested weight loss surgery. I hadn't even considered it, so I asked for some time to think about things. Then my appointment with him was cancelled by the hospital, and when I chased it up I finally got an appointment 18 months later and when I got there I didn’t even see the consultant but a GPwSI (GP with special interest who holds hospital clinics). So I asked him how to go further on the WLS path and he looked at me as if I had two heads and told me those operations were far too costly. I was so shocked I don’t think I spoke again during the appointment and had to ask my other half what he meant when we were in the car later. Considered a complaint, but went to see my GP instead. He was very happy to refer me on. Then nothing happened so I contacted the PCT and the hospital and found my referral had been lost. They got me an appointment within a month because of the delay and I saw a consultant at the weight management clinic who told me all I had to do was stop using tomato sauce and salad cream and WLS was a terrible idea and would ruin my life. I asked if I was seeing a dietitian and he told me that was unnecessary and just to do what he said and I would be fine. Next appointment several months later, and I saw a lovely consultant who asked why I wasn't seeing a dietitian and that would slow my progress as I had to be seeing one for a year before they would refer me on to surgery. So I was set up with another series of appointments with the dietician. I had about 18 months all together visiting the weight management clinic before I was referred on for surgery. Then I heard nothing for about 6 months until I went to a Bariatric Seminar. This was a group appointment of about 15 people where we saw the bariatric dietician and watched a presentation about the different types of surgery offered. This was in October 2015 and then I heard nothing until I met the bariatric surgeon in December 2015. He was happy to put me on the list and told me it should be within 4 months. Then I was called for surgery on the 22nd of August 2016. Went in and sent home not operated on because the hospital was out of beds.
That was a bad day.
Stayed on the liver shrinking diet (LSD) in total for 7 weeks and finally had surgery on the 5th of September - a gastric sleeve.
Seriously the waiting time was terrible and a lot of the time I felt that I was never going to get there. In fact this time last year I was very low and convinced it would never happen. While I was in the system I always lost weight in between appointments, but only very small amounts. To be honest, about a pound a month on average, I managed to lose 5 stones in total from when I really started to try to lose weight to when I had the surgery. So I went from 25 stones to 20 stones. My weight today is 15 stones and 4 pounds.
Is it worth it? - I am now able to walk a bit and buy clothes in shops that aren't Evans. The recovery from the operation has been really smooth with only one hiccup when I tried chicken and sprouts too soon. I have discovered I get some dumping which is something I can work with. I am happy to be on the other side and able to move forwards. I know I would never have lost the weight without surgery - after all I had tried often enough. So yes I think so. Yes my life was put on hold while I went through the system and yes I was very angry and still am at some of the things I went through. But really I am glad it is done now.
Hope things start to go more smoothly for you now.
Good luck.
