Calling all Colorado Sleevers!

I was sleeved on 11/15/12 and am looking for a buddy or two to work with throughout this process.

Thanks!

Jana

I was just reading and realized that you don't have alot of post OP support, are you in Colorado, we have a monthly support group that is open to all that would be great for you. Let me know if your interested and I'll get you the details. You can also webcast it if your far away.

I would be interested in the support group! Is it in Colorado?

Yes, at the Parker hospital on Parker and crown point...it is sponsored by Bariatric and metabolic center of Colorado. Next one is Jan 10

Yes, at the Parker hospital on Parker and crown point...it is sponsored by Bariatric and metabolic center of Colorado. Next one is Jan 10

Thanks for the info!

I can't remember if it is 5 or 530 I will find out and let you know, are you close?

It would be a 90 minute drive- I'm checking my schedule to see if I can leave from work early enough so I don't get caught in rush hour on C470. I wish I was closer.

They also have a webinar, you can watch it on your computer. Go to their website Bariatriccenterco.com they have a section in patient resources that talk about it.

They also have a webinar, you can watch it on your computer. Go to their website Bariatriccenterco.com they have a section in patient resources that talk about it.

oh yeah, that's right- I will check that out. Thanks!

Im from Colorado! Getting sleeved tomorrow!! Im in Pueblo..:-)

Good luck! I'm up in Aurora, sending you good vibes! Keep us posted on your recovery!

Good luck! I'm up in Aurora' date=' sending you good vibes! Keep us posted on your recovery![/quote']

Thank you. I definitely will!

I'm from Aurora' date=' Co. I was sleeved on August 7, 2012. Down around 97 lbs. I went through the Bariatric center of Colorado in Parker. So happy I did it as well![/quote']

I had my sleeve in December through the same bariatric center, but I feel like my experience has been subpar. Consulted with Dr. Metz. Only had three months of classes because Cigna lowered the 6-month class thing to 3-months. Even though I was glad to be eligible for surgery sooner, I wish they had thought about how they were going to compensate for the information that I did not get in the three classes that I did not have. But, the worst was having my surgery scheduled with Dr. Metz and then being called a week later to hear that he had "left the practice." My insurance was changing in January and so I switched to Dr. Long in the 12th hour. That was unsettling. Then I ran into Dr. Metz at the Parker costco (TODAY) and he told me the hospital let him go because his salary was too high. (Dr. Long is just out of residency and "cheaper.") He continued to tell me that most of the staff at the Bariatric Center was leaving and coming to work for him. I feel very let down and very alone.

You are not alone. I wish I would have known about you Sadler, the support meetings are great and they are a public forum so they are open for anyone. Last night at the meeting Dr Metz sat in along with the Bariatric center staff. We talked about how they are doing the meetings together so that our support for each other will not change. The next one is closer to the end of Feb. You should really come and meet up. I had gone in for my three months check when I was told that he had left. I was confused on what kind of care I would be given and why exactly he left then in the Nov meeting he came in to talk to us. Because of some things that Dr Metz discovered during surgery, I have decided, just yesterday actually, to move over to his practice to continue my care. I really enjoyed the staff, but I really felt comfortable with Dr Metz as a surgeon. It was a disheartening change and I believe it wasn't done for the good of the patient, just for the company. I hope that you will come a enjoy the support of the group, it is amazing how 30+ people who have ask gone through the same things in one room can be comforting, knowledgeable, and inspiring. Hope to hear from you soon!

You are not alone. I wish I would have known about you Sadler' date=' the support meetings are great and they are a public forum so they are open for anyone. Last night at the meeting Dr Metz sat in along with the Bariatric center staff. We talked about how they are doing the meetings together so that our support for each other will not change. The next one is closer to the end of Feb. You should really come and meet up. I had gone in for my three months check when I was told that he had left. I was confused on what kind of care I would be given and why exactly he left then in the Nov meeting he came in to talk to us. Because of some things that Dr Metz discovered during surgery, I have decided, just yesterday actually, to move over to his practice to continue my care. I really enjoyed the staff, but I really felt comfortable with Dr Metz as a surgeon. It was a disheartening change and I believe it wasn't done for the good of the patient, just for the company. I hope that you will come a enjoy the support of the group, it is amazing how 30+ people who have ask gone through the same things in one room can be comforting, knowledgeable, and inspiring. Hope to hear from you soon![/quote']

I think the reason I haven't attended any of the meetings (yet) is that the conflict with Cub Scouts. I am a den leader two Thursdays out of the month and we have a pack meeting on the 3rd Thursday, so 3 out of 4 Thursdays, I am "detained." My husband has den meetings on Wednesday nights (twice a month), so that is the other day that is typically hard to do something different (because I am babysitting). I wouldn't rule out ever coming to a meeting. The Den parents know that I had this surgery and I wasn't sure what my recovery would be like, so if I told them that I need to go to a support meeting, I guess they would have to deal. But, I don't want to completely drop the ball on that.

Dr. Long found a polyp and a large area that (at the time) he thought was either infected or irritated. It was in the part of the removed stomach, so he sent it off for biopsy and it was nothing. I suspect the irritated area had to do with gluten. I have Hashimoto's (hypothyroid auto-immune disease) and I was told to avoid gluten, but I didn't give it up entirely. Maybe if Dr. Metz had seen it, he would have known, but the past can't be undone. In terms of healing, so far, so good. I didn't need pain med after day three. I've been using a treadmill since day 4 and I started elliptical after Jan 2nd. (I will be four weeks out on Monday).

I can't move to Metz' practice until he accepts my insurance. So far, he doesn't.

Getting back to the support meeting, it will continue to meet with both patients of the hospital and Dr. Metz? Is that a permanent thing or just a transition thing with him having meetings move to his office when it's done being built out?

I agree that the decision to terminate Metz over $ was a business decision and not with any regard to patients. At the same time, all the staff leaving to join Metz is also not in the best interest of patients. My worst day post surgery was day 3, because of my throat. (I had two endoscopies in addition to the surgery on the same day and my throat really, really, really was not happy with that.) I called the office for help and I didn't get any response for 3 days. They blamed it on the phone system, but in light of what is going on, I think there was no one there to get the messages. By the time I got a phone call, I didn't need them anymore. Throat was better. (Fine, but what if it had been more of an emergency?) On my 2-week visit, I was scheduled for 10:30. The nurse took my vitals and my medicine records and then she sent me away to the cafeteria because Dr. Long was still in surgery. I didn't see him until closer to noon. Seems to me that if they scheduled a surgery that morning, they should have rescheduled me, but you can't do that without trained staff doing their job. So, maybe everyone is angry at the hospital for letting go of Metz and they are angry at Long for being his replacement, but their actions have also hurt me as a patient.

That's a horrible experience. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. I'm not sure who had gone to Metzs' practice, I know Amy is still there, Linsey just went to another place to work as a wellness coach somewhere in Denver. My insurance doesn't go through him until Feb 1. I think he is happier being on his own, since he also performed other surgeries as well, now he is not restricted. I have met other ladies at the groups, it would be fun to get together.

That's a horrible experience. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. I'm not sure who had gone to Metzs' practice' date=' I know Amy is still there, Linsey just went to another place to work as a wellness coach somewhere in Denver. My insurance doesn't go through him until Feb 1. I think he is happier being on his own, since he also performed other surgeries as well, now he is not restricted. I have met other ladies at the groups, it would be fun to get together.[/quote']

I think what it was is that they hadn't given notice, yet, but they just weren't "around." Maybe they took sick days? Who knows? Metz said specifically that Linsay was going somewhere else. Leaving the BCE but not joining him. I think everyone else who was part of his staff is joining him.

Don't you think it's weird that I have an appointment with Linsay for January 30th and nobody has called me? Do you think they will get a new NUT and just have her take all of Linsay's appointments?