I chose UCSD to go through this process based on the surgeon's expertise, the information on their website, and the information presented at their mandatory seminar.

Today was my "surgical evaluation" and I have to admit, I think I am kind of regretting my decision to go with them. I don't even know if I am stuck here or if I have any options.

I have two problems with the process so far. One is concerning weight/timelines and mis-information.

At the seminar, because I have no co-morbities, I was told NOT to lose any weight and was told that maybe I'm not as tall as I think I am -- because I have a borderline BMI for insurance approval with no co-morbidities. That was 3 weeks ago. I diligently did NOT lose weight (even though I have been SUPER motivated to lose weight and am excited about this process). At the seminar, I was also told that I would be required to endure a 2-week liquid diet to prove that I was committed to the process and to shrink my liver. Fine, no problem.

Between the seminar and my appointments, I spoke with the office regarding timing and was told that with my particular insurance, it usually only takes 3 days or so to get an answer on approval, and then from there it's usually only a matter of a few weeks to schedule the surgery, provided that I am a good candidate.

NOW, I am being told that in addition to the 2-week liquid diet, I have to lose 5 pounds in 4 weeks, that my insurance will take 4-6 weeks for approval, and that if I can lose 5 pounds, then I still have to go on the liquid diet for another 2 weeks and that I'm not looking at a surgical date until this summer.

I AM PISSED! I had 3 lousy weeks between the seminar and my appointment today that I could have proven to them that I can lose 5 pounds. Hello? I'm 100 pounds overweight . . . don't they know that I can pee 5 pounds in one day???? I fluctuate 5-10 pounds with my period! But no . . . I'm on a "trial" period. Whatever. So, on one hand they say that I am a good candidate for surgery and then on the other hand they're telling me that I need to prove I can lose 5 pounds before they operate. Fine . . . I will definitely show them their 5 pounds. But FOUR weeks to lose 5 pounds??? You know the beginning stages of a good program of eating right and exercising . . . 5 pounds definitely comes off a lot faster than 4 whole weeks. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have no doubt that I can lose 5 pounds. I just kind of wish that I wouldn't have had to sit around and wait for this news. I could have had the 5 pounds lost by now over the 3 weeks I just sat around doing nothing.

My other problem with them is the overwhelming amount of people I had to see today. I was told, yet again, misinformation. I was told that I was going to get a surgical evaluation, a psych evaluation, and meet with the nutritionist. they scheduled me THREE appointments listed on my paperwork.

NO . . . I met with ELEVEN people today . . . one was a jerk . . . and NONE of them were my actual surgeon.

1. Nurse

2. Surgeon (not the one performing my surgery)

3. Psychologist (not a very nice one)

4. Psychologist

5. Physician ?

6. Nutritionist

7. Associate Nutritionist

8. Nurse

9. Surgeon (a total ___hole--again, not my surgeon)

10. Surgeon/Physician??? I don't even know who he was. He could have been the janitor for all I knew at this point. I just knew that he wasn't my surgeon yet again).

11. Patient Advocate

I must have answered the same questions at LEAST 5 times. And the only really compassionate people were the nutritionist and the patient advocate.

They also REALLY got down on me about my BMI . . . and I don't want to get in trouble for insurance fraud or anything, I just want to get approved for the surgery . . . so it's everything within my power to tell these people, "HELLO???? I'm freaking taller than you think, I'm wearing the heaviest jeans I own, I'm wearing TWO shirts, and I've just had approximately SEVEN glasses of iced tea!!!!!!" I mean, honestly. I felt like I had 11 people looking down at me today.

It was not at ALL what I expected. It was not at all the same feeling I got from the seminar.

I'm sorry I'm just really upset right now. Please forgive me. I understand that this is a long process and that it's not a miracle cure and it's not a fast fix. They just painted a very different picture from what I was told today. I even went back and read the handouts from the seminar and nowhere does it say anything about having to tell 11 people why I am fat over and over. Nowhere does it say anything about any way to prove to them that you can lose weight except for the liquid diet. Which, TRUST ME, I am sooooo ready to begin.

Oh, then to top it off, one of the surgeons told me that if I was self-pay, then I wouldn't have to take 4 weeks to lose 5 pounds. In the same breath, he told me that this isn't an insurance requirement, but something that *I* need to do to prove to them I can do it.

UGH. I'm so mad right now.

Thank you for letting me vent here. I have really been so inspired by everyone's amazing results and dedication. I am thankful for this place.

Any advice you can give me about switching surgeons or good centers in San Diego, I'm all ears. Thanks in advance.

This is really piddly in the overall issue-------but if you are trying to bring your BMI up---so that you can have the surgery, since you have no comorbidities showing up yet----then you do not want to be taller! Being shorter would make your BMI higher.

I know. That's what I said.

I'm freaking taller than you think

I think you read it wrong: I wanted to tell them (when they were looking down their nose at me about my BMI) that I AM taller than they think. I measured in "shorter" than my actual height, which contributed to the higher BMI that they were so pissy about.

Check and see what your insurance's requirements are for covering the surgery. I know my insurance will only cover the surgery if a patient is 100 pounds overweight with co-morbilities or 200 pounds overweight. I think many policies are also written this way.

I already know my insurance company's requirements. they pay 80% of the surgery if I have a BMI of 30 or higher and co-morbidities (only 1 co-morbidity if it is a serious one like heart disease or diabetes, 2 co-morbidities if they are "minor" like joint pain).

If you have a BMI of 40 or higher, then you don't have to have any co-morbidities to qualify.

If you are uncomfortable with ANY part of the process at the facility you have chosen, you need to get out, and get out FAST.

There are plenty of options out there, many facilities and surgeons that WILL make you feel comfortable.

I did NOT listen to my instincts, and as a result I had a very ,very bad Lap band experience.

If you don't feel right about your facility/doctor for ANY reason, find somewhere else.

This is what I'm thinking.

Okay ... why did I think you were a guy?!?!

I don't know. Because I'm a photographer???

1. If you were uncomfortable there, it's definitely not too late to change doctors and I would advise doing so before you get too far along

and

2. All of the testing and meetings and conversations can feel intrusive, invasive and put us (me) in a weird place.

Do you really think it's not too late??? Perhaps I'll have to pay out of pocket for a new evaluation. I don't know. But I just spent 24 hours in tears. I don't think I could go back there if I tried.

I had to show my belly to 4 different people. One nurse actually pointed at my belly and asked me if the lines were because my jeans were too tight. Um, no . . . they are called stretch marks because I had TWINS last year (it's in my chart). 13 pounds of baby, 2 sacs of Fluid, 2 placentas, and 2 umbilical cords.

Edited April 18, 200818 yr by SanDiegoPhotog

somehow posted twice.

Edited April 18, 200818 yr by SanDiegoPhotog

You should definitely get a copy of your records from this place and take them to your new place. I can't remember if you said you had bloodwork, EKG, etc...and the new place may want to repeat and you may have to pay for some of it out of pocket....but it sounds like you've definitely decided not to go back to the first place.

Good for you to taking your healthcare into your own hands.

Best of luck to you.

Do you really think it's not too late??? Perhaps I'll have to pay out of pocket for a new evaluation. I don't know. But I just spent 24 hours in tears. I don't think I could go back there if I tried.

I had to show my belly to 4 different people. One nurse actually pointed at my belly and asked me if the lines were because my jeans were too tight. Um, no . . . they are called stretch marks because I had TWINS last year (it's in my chart). 13 pounds of baby, 2 sacs of Fluid, 2 placentas, and 2 umbilical cords.

I don't know. Because I'm a photographer???

I'm a photographer and I'm not a guy.

I think I got you confused with PhotoEgor.

I'm sorry, I must have read it wrong, I was reading it as though you needed to bump your BMI up to make the surgery--and thought you wanted them to think you were taller, which would have lowered the BMI numbers......HELP somebody smack me!!! Sorry! Somedays my eyes read one thing, and my brain interprets it totally differently!!

Kat

Hi San DiegoPhotog.

I'm being banded by Dr. Oliak in Orange County, Ca. The whole experience has been a positive one. The surgery will be at Chapman Medical Center in Orange. The hospital is a "Center of Excellence" for bariatric surgery which my insurance (Blue Cross) requires. The staff at Dr. Oliak's office is very helpful and friendly. I do not need to do any kind of a pre op diet. Just the day before, I need to drink liquids. It's been really easy. Good luck.

Before I "officially" decided to not continue with UCSD, I sent an email to one of their staff members. It basically said:

*******************************************

Dear ___________,

[insert some pleasantries here - deleted because it could give away person's identity]

I have to admit that I am not sure I feel comfortable continuing at UCSD. I

am still sorting out my feelings about the issue, but I was completely

put-off yesterday that I had to meet with 11 strangers, explain my life

story about being fat REPEATEDLY, had to show 4 strangers my belly, and

after 3 hours have yet to meet the actual surgeon who is going to be

performing the surgery. If it wasn't for you and _____, I think I would have

left, especially after standing there having to show my belly to people that

I don't know at all and having one of them literally ask me if the marks on

my belly were because my jeans were too tight! (They are, in fact, stretch

marks. I had twins last year).

This was not AT ALL what I expected. I was told that I was going to have 3

appointments: a surgical evaluation, a nutrition consultation, and a

psychological evaluation. Nowhere in all of the literature that I received

was I told that 11 people would be meeting with me. I am a very private

person. My weight loss battle is a very personal issue. The process was

demeaning and embarassing. Last year I had 2 major surgeries through Sharp

and not once did I feel this way.

I am also a member of a Lap-Band discussion forum and through reading about

other people's experience with this procedure, I have concluded that meeting

with 11 people is ridiculous but that it is not uncommon to have not met the

actual surgeon yet. I understand that Dr. Horgan is very busy. I don't

understand the role of the rest of the team and I am not entirely

comfortable with some of them. At every other doctor's office and surgeon's

office I have been to, I have not had to "deal" with this many people. I

have not left in tears and feeling like I was going to throw up.

So, I do not know what I do now in terms of paperwork and insurance

approvals, etc. I don't want to slow this process down, but I am unsure of

my willingness to move forward with UCSD. I guess I will just wait to hear

from you to see if you have any insight or words of wisdom.

*****************************************

So, this person wanted to speak with me on the phone today and we did. It was a nice chat. She wanted to explain to me WHY I had to meet with 11 people, which I told her she could do, but that it wouldn't make much of a difference because it wasn't going to make me feel any more comfortable. They have their reasons . . . stuff like, so and so needs to look at my belly for scar tissue, so and so needs to look at my belly to see where I'm carrying my weight, etc., etc. It all seems highly specialized and stuff that I really can't see being handled by one or two doctors and a nurse or two. While I mentally comprehend that UCSD is a teaching hospital, it doesn't make it any easier from a patient's standpoint, especially someone like myself who is used to things being very private.

I think that what put me off even further, was that after I told this person that I have done lap band research on a lap band forum, SHE LOOKED ME UP ONLINE AND FOUND THIS POST AND READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a long-time forum user (for completely unrelated topics) and I know that NOTHING that is said on the internet is EVER private. But, wow. Just, wow.

Not that I regret ANYTHING that I said here, but my letter to her was professional, well thought-out, and proofread by my husband to make sure that I was injecting it with too much emotion. I came here to vent.

Now, I am even more happy about my choice not to continue with UCSD.

I thank you all for your words of encouragement and advice. I'll let you know where I end up and how it goes.

SDP, your letter was very professionally written and said a lot of things that I bet others wish they could've written. Perhaps in the future it will help the WLS office explain things a little bit better at their seminars so that others will know better what to expect and not walk away upset. For many of us our weight and struggle with it is a very sensitive, private thing.

Hi San Diego Photog:

I am so sorry to hear about your bad experience with UCSD. I went yesterday for my first appointment, the psych, nutrition, and surgical consults and my experience was completely the opposite from yours. Everyone was very kind, very helpful and explained who they were and why they were there. Not counting check-in I meet with 6 difference people and had to show my belly twice to the surgical consults. All six people where wonderful, and while it's hard to flash my belly (not all of us have the excuse of having twins or even a single baby to excuse our stretch marks:tongue2:) it was very clinical and no worse for me than any other medical exam.

I suspect you were either the lucky patient who got all the bad apples and things just kept going wrong:sad:, or your letter worked to improve communication which is really the key to good customer service. I hope you find a medical facility that works really well for you - please keep us updated.

Your letter was very well written...I can tell you of my experience...I have just started the process...

I did the seminar and met with the surgeon that day (in the Q/A session)

Second appointment I met in PRIVATE with his nurse who handles ALL of the insurance....we went over what my personal insurance required, answered ALL of my questions...and has kept in close contact with me VIA email/phone.

I next met with my PCP to make sure that he would be on board and support me...NO ISSUES there.

I had to have cardio clearance...again met with the cardio in PRIVATE and did what he required for clearance (stress test, echo)

I had to meet with the pulmonary doc, he required a sleep study and i meet again with him next week.

I met with the nutritionist for class 1 and 5 in a group (knew this up front)

Have a chest xray, upper GI, and also blood work scheduled..

I have also had 2 pysc appointments...both scheduled by me..and in PRIVATE...no one else was in the room.

I have also met with the surgeon in his office to check my belly (I had gallbladder surgery) and scar placement...he required this to make sure there would not be any issues with my scars and he also checked to make sure that there were no hernia's.

ALL of my appoinments have been very respectful and handled very very very professional...

I am glad that you are looking for a different place to have your surgery...this place does not sound very professinal

At UCSD all my appointments were private. I sat in one private room and the six people came to me. All individually. There was never more than one other person in the room with me and I don't think there was in the original post to this thread either. And instead of having to make separate appointments for each consultation I got them all over with the same day. In my view that is very professional and UCSD did an excellent job.