Swisskaese

Thanks everyone for all the good wishes. Mazel tov hdsantoni on your surgery and 30lb loss. That is great. I have my first appointment with the Chief Nutrionist for Meuchedet tomorrow. I am happy that they do not take this surgery lightly. I am hoping I can convince her that I don't need four meetings prior to the surgery. But, we will see. I will be meeting with a nutritionist at the hospital, too. So, maybe this will ease their mind. Not only are the kupat holim different, but even some of the different regional branches have different acceptance rules. In that respect, it is not much different from the States.

I am so frustrated. I just found out that I have to go to 4 nutritionist appointments before they will let me meet with the surgeon to arrange my surgery date. It looks like this will take another month before I can set a date. My first appointment is next week.

I have completed all of my tests and found out I have Hashimoto Thyroiditis in the process. And, I have good news!!!! I was finally approved for the surgery. Now, I can make an appointment to speak to the surgeon about my surgery date. I am getting excited.

That is great! Good luck with all of your tests. I just heard today that I have been approved for the surgery, provided I go and have one more test on my thyroid. I have been on thyroid medication for one month and have to test it, go back to my endocrinologist, who will hopefully give me the green light to see the surgeon to set a date. I am getting my blood work done this coming Sunday and have an appointment with the endocrinologist on 14 December.

I have passed all of my tests and have been waiting two weeks for approval from the administrative doctor from my HMO. They told me it takes two to three weeks to get an answer from them. When I get the approval, then I can make an appointment to speak with the surgeon and set a date. Please keep happy thoughts for me.

My mother and sister have both been pushing me to have the lapband surgery. I decided not to tell them anything about it until I have the surgery date. Otherwise, they would have bugged the hell out me. And this is in spite of the fact that there is an ocean and a sea separating us.

I met the endochronologist at Ichilov and he looked over my medical history, asked questions and looked over my blood work from five months ago. He said I was an excellent candidate for the lapband and wrote a prescription for more tests. I am doing a blood test, 24 hour urine test, an ultrasound, an x-ray of my esophagus and the psych exam. After I have completed all of those, then I go back to Ichilov, have another meeting with the endochronologist and if he approves everything, I go and speak to the surgeon on the same day to discuss the procedure and set up an appointment for the surgery.

Hi Moriah, Have you been approved yet? Hope all is well. Michelle

I am trying to be patient and trying to arrange my appointments as quickly as possible before the Jewish Holiday season begins. I had my initial consultation on 1 Sept. I had booked the appointment two months before. I met with an endrochronoligist at the hospital where I will hopefully have the surgery and he looked at my history and bloodwork results from five months ago. He said that I was an excellent candidate for the surgery. He gave me a letter to take back to my GP and instructed the GP to arrange for more bloodwork, a 24-hour urine test, an ultrasound, an x-ray of my esophagus and stomach, and the psych exam. I am doing the blood work tomorrow and the lab will give me the 24-hour urine kit. I have my ultrasound on 15 Sept. Unfortunately, I can't do the Psych exam until 7 October. And, I am still waiting to find out when I can have the xray. After all of the tests are finished, I have to make another appointment to see the endochronologist and the surgeon at the same time. They will then tell me if they agree to do the surgery and hopefully set a date. I am really hoping I can have the surgery before the end of the year.

I went for my consultation on 1 Sept and the Endochronologist is recommending me for this surgery. I am going back to my GP to arrange for more tests and the psych exam. I hope to have these done in the next week or so and then I will have to go back to the Endochronologist and speak to the surgeon on the same day to arrange a surgery date.

Hi Everyone, I have my first consultation on Sept 1st at Ichilov. I have no idea who the doctor is. Has anyone had their lapband procedure there? My kupat holim is Meuchedet. Thanks, Michelle

That is interesting that everyone one had had the gastric bypass. I will ask the doctor which bands they use. My GP told me that besides talking to a surgeon, nutritionist and a psychiatrist, that they will do an xray of my stomach and esophagus to make sure that I don't have any obstructions. I had my annual checkup at the beginning of the year, so I can show them the results from that. I am not sure if they will test anything else.

My first appointment is the beginning of September, so I have a little over a month to go. Have you had all of the tests yet? I have never heard of the Realize band, but I did find the website and it seems that it is a lapband that includes some sort of online support. For more information, click here. I will not ever consider gastric bypass surgery. I have heard a few too many horror stories about that surgery. I know that this is not going to be a walk in the park, but I really want to do this. For me, this is my last resort to prevent more serious health risks.

That was the earliest appointment available. I would have preferred to have an earlier appointment. My internist recommended I do this at Ichilov. The date is part of my signature.

I now have an initial appointment set for Sept. 1 at Ichilov. I still don't know the doctor's name. How is your's proceeding?

I only started this process a few days ago. I am not sure who the doctor's are yet. I am going to ask a friend of mine who works at Ichilov if she can find out the names. I am also nervous and excited. It would be great to keep up with each other's progress.

Hi, I also live in Israel, am a member of Meuchedet and have made an appointment to have the preliminary tests done at Ichilov. I am told I will be given a psychiatric exam, x-rays of my esophagus and stomach and an endocrinology exam to determine if I am eligible. Thanks, Michelle

Thank you for your reply. I am very confident about the surgeons here in Israel. I think we have the best health care in the world. They really practice preventative medicine here. I am 99% sure that I will proceed with the surgery, provided that I pass all of the requirements.

Hello Everyone, I have made an appointment with a specialist to discuss having lap-band surgery. Before I am approved for the surgery, I have to have a psychiatric exam, various x-rays and an endochronolgy exam. I am 43-years-old and have high blood pressure. Blood sugar and cholesterol are normal, but I have a family history of both. I have been overweight all of my life and have tried every diet known to man. I am sick of looking this way and feel like it is my last chance before I risk becoming a diabetic, which I definitley do not want to become. I weigh more now that I have ever had and I need to do something about it. Thanks, Michelle