More hoops to jump through!!!

[Pandora_150]

I am really quite confused at the moment. From what I have read and researched around the subject of WLS I believed gaining funding was the hardest and most terrifying prospect. Especially considering the plight of people like gingernutter! Despite this I got my funding through upon my first application (within three weeks!), and I have an appointment with the Consultant in 2 weeks time.

This is not what confuses me .

I have just spoken to the consultants secretary, who might I add was more than a little rude to me, and she told me that my meeting with the Consultant would only be a preliminary check-up. During this meeting he would order all sorts of tests (ie, sleep apnia, blood pressure, blood tests…) to ensure I was not only fit for surgery (which I can understand) but if I was ELIGIBLE?!? She told me that once all the results were in the surgeons all had a big meeting once a month to decide who would have the surgery and who would not. I thought that was what the funding was about! I mentioned this and she said that the meeting was not about funding but if the surgeons would do the surgery. The tests alone will take more than several months and then more than a several months to make a decision on my case! Then I had to be referred BACK to my GP, only to be RE-REFERED to the original consultant who would have to operate within 18 weeks of the re-referral! I knew this would not be a short or even easy process and I am prepared to do what is necessary and wait as long as I need to to have this procedure. I just never thought there would be so many hoops to jump through after I all the hoops I jumped to get funding in the first place!

Has anyone else had this problem at all, or had to go through this process after funding was granted?!?

:sigh:

 

[cazbandy]

Funding is no guarantee to surgery.

Ultimately it is the surgeon's decision based on the results of the tests and meetings with the multidisciplinary teams.

Mine was nearly delayed due to the psychologists report, as she thought it would be better to deal with some of my issues first but my surgeon decided due to comorbities he wanted to carry on as scheduled.

 

[fatbutnot4eva]

Bloody hell
I didnt realise this
I thought that if you got funding thats it
you have it
I am under salford PCT and have been led to belive that I will be referred to teh surgeon at teh end of april and will have had the band fitted by october !
Ifg this is not the case I have no idea why she woudl have told me this.
Hopefully your PCT is being over cautious and it will be much less time than what she has stated.
x

 

[Pandora_150]

Yes I know. Imagine my shock.

I thought the worrying part was over and now all I had to do was the waiting game! To get this far and realise that they can still say no is unbearable!

 

[cazbandy]

I know its a harrowing time but right up until the day of your operation is can be cancelled or delayed. Some of the reasons I was told were, you could be ill, the surgeon could be ill, your obs might not be satisfactory or an emergency could come in in front of you on the list.

There are no total guarantees unless you self fund. Even then, if they find a medical reason why surgery should not go ahead it can happen.

Try and see it in stages, each time you get through one, cross it off mentally and keep looking forward. There is such a massive demand for the sugery which risen in the last 12 months, a lot of PCTS are having to up the criteria.

Remember this surgery is not an "easy fix" it is just a tool, you still have to work very hard to make it work.

Having said that, I wish you both luck in getting the help you need. My surgeon said he wished there was more money in the pot for this kind of help.

 

[Pandora_150]

I realise this is not a quick fix, and I think anyone who understands anything about the procedure will know that. I am prepared to wait as long as is necessary for this surgery as I really do believe it can help me to achieve what I have failed to do on my own.

It is not the waiting or even the possibility of it being delayed further that has me concerned. I am very willing and happy to wait, as I believe it gives perspective and a chance to reflect on a life changing decision!

The concern I have is with the very real possibility that the surgeon, despite having gained confirmation of funding, could make a decision not to go ahead with it.

I guess I am more concerned now because I did not realise that this was a possibility to begin with. I was really ecstatic to get confirmation (through funding) that I was going to have the surgery (eventually); and now I have a slight black cloud hanging over me continually reminding me that it still might not go ahead.

I am sure I will learn to live with the possibility that it might not go ahead until I have confirmation of a re-referral to the Surgeon.

 

[fatbutnot4eva]

Hi
I know exactly where you are coming from and know what you mean, we all know this is not an easy fix this is a hard decision that we have come to. I at first have to e honest and thought oh wow i am gonna be thin like fern britton. BUT after reading into it, going on this site and years of taking xenical and months of being on teh weight management course, I see its not a quick fix its a new me with a new outlook. I have been on a diet since being 10 - 11 and am still on one now and will continue it forever HOWEVER with the band I will be able to eat much less even if its food that I enjoy and hopefully it will mean that I lose weight. I have in the back of my mind that I will complete the 6 month course and be referred to the surgeon and he or she will say NO. My dietician says it has never happened but there is a first time for everything. I am just making sure my bmi does not drop below 40, even though I am still healthy eating as if it does they wont do it and I will be in the same boat, start eating "normal" again and put the weight back on and more.
I wish you luck and I am sure evrything will work out ok.
Gingernutter who has a bmi of over 50 has just been turned down by luton pct which seems so unfair. I am hoping that it is down to money and that when she appeals things will be different.
xxx
Helen

 

[tazwoz]

Hi Pandora, I just got my letter from calderdale saying that they will fund me and am over the moon! Sounds like i will be going through the same tests as you then since we are in the same pct. I am just pleased that the ball has been kicked into action so to speak! take Care x

 

[Sambucca]

well done for securing yoru funding tazwoz

 

[serenitylove]

im sorry you have to go thru this what a ass about face way of doing things! just wanted to add to some of those also waiting i think every pct does it different once i had funding i met surgeon who said funding in place just decid what you want i had no sleep tests pyscologist or anything i think i got lucky!

 

[tesmaralda]

As caz said although the funding is in place it does not mean the surgeon will operate as you could have a medical issue which makes surgery not safe. If you have funding it means you meet the criteria not tht you are fit for surgery the only one that can tell you this is the surgeon who is going to be doing the surgery not someone who is sat in an office making decissions. I know that if my test results next week come back and the surgeon is not hyappy then my surgery will be cancelled and I will have to look else where or be put back on the list once they have sorted it out. However I have acknowledged this and am not letting it ruin my moods its in a box marked too good to be true in my head, as I have at every stage thought that it woul;d go pear shaped and I would never get funding.

As caz said take each stage as it comes and try not to think about it.

 

[hopelesscase]

Hope you all get the result you want. My understanding of the funding thing for salford is the they require funding to be in place before you see the consultant so that money is available to pay for the tests etc. Otherwise thay as a PCT are left footing the bill for blood and urine analasis, sleep apnea tests, psycological eveluation, diatetic input and consultation with the endicrainologist and surgeon.
They bariatric surgery is still in its infancy at salford but they have one of the top surgeons and a really good team. the ward staff were in my experiance fantastic

 

[charliegirl]

Hi Pandora I too felt exactly the same way that you did and I could not rest but there was no need to worry as I had the op and there were no delays in fact it all ended up going pretty fast and I cant remember much of it now lol....my worry was that although I knew I was over weight and had the co morbidities that secured me the funding, no one else really thought I was over weight enough to warrant the surgery. Hence the reason I have told very few people. They would just see the fact I wanted to loose weight and not the fact that my health was affected drastically by the effects of carrying too much. I fretted about every little thing and because I could not "feel it" the fact I would have surgery I strongly thought it would never happen, even on the day of the op, the staff kepting telling me I was the smallest that day and I kept thinking "someone will stop this". The very first thing I asked when I came around from surgery was "has it been done"...they were more concerned with telling me I had bitten my lip badly but I did not give a fig about that. As soon as my eye balls opened I was looking for the scars. So you are not alone in your concerns and me telling you not to worry will not stop you but chick dont worry honestly....(((hug))) stay positive and think it IS going to happen someday...sorry for rambling just wanted you to know others felt this way too...xx

 

[Pandora_150]

Tazwoz, it is great to hear that you have funding in place! Let me know where they are sending you as there are no hospitals in Calderdale which accommodate Bariatric surgery and I got re-routed to Huddersfield under the guidance of Dr Ainslie! If your interested I will try and give you the heads up when I eventually get to meet the Surgeon on the 4th March, as all the information that had me ranting at the start of this thread was from his (not so accommodating) secretary.

Charliegirl, I'm glad to hear the emotions and panics I have been going through are not just isolated to simply me! I am happy to say I have calmed down after the initial rant which I think was set off more because it came as a shock rather than it being anything to do with the actual process. Plus I have never been a happy bunny with any waiting process, even if I fully appreciate its beneficial nature! I am just going to see how it goes during my appointment and hopefully by then I will have a bit more accurate understanding of what the next stage of this process entails.