I have been registered for a seminar for three weeks. I called the weight loss center at Northridge Hospital and was told that the seminar started at six P.M. The woman I talked to took my name and phone number. A friend who usually takes me home on Mondays agreed to drop my best friend and I off at the medical complex where the seminar was being held.

Last Friday, I called to find out how long it would last because neither my friend nor I drive and we need to make arrangements to be picked up by public transportation.

Everything went great; my friend dropped us off, and we went in to the building. Well, we had a little trouble finding the address, but we got there on time. When we went across the parking lot, my friend commented that it looked empty.

And so was the room. We found the conference room where the seminar was to be held, and no one was there. A woman came by, and when we explained what we were looking for, she said that there had been people there, but they had all just left! She told us that there was an office attached to the weight loss center, and that perhaps there might be someone there. She apologized.

So we went looking, and all the offices were closed. And it even says six P.M. on their website!.

Why couldn’t I have been told when I called Friday, or even been called yesterday to be told that the meeting time was changed?

We had arranged for our ride to pick us up after seven-thirty, and it was only ten after six. I was so angry I was crying. I’d been waiting for so long to go to a seminar and then this happened!

My friend left a message on their voice mail, and told them what had happened, adding that I am totally blind, and how it had inconvenienced us.

We wound up taking a bus part of the way, and took a cab the rest of the way, because the last bus wouldn’t come for another hour.

I was so mad I felt like I could just pull that whole building down!

Debbi,

I am so sorry this happened! I can't believe that on Friday they would not have known that the meeting time was changed. There was some MAJOR mis-communication going on to say the least.

I am glad to hear that you got home safely but what an ordeal! Thank GOD your friend was with you. I would have been freaking out and I'm sighted!! I can't imagine how vulnerable that would/could make you feel.

You are a very strong person and I admire you!

Hopefully you'll be able to get to another seminar soon. I know how excited I was to go to mine so I'm sure you were too.

Take care and let's pray and hope this doesn't happen again!!

I am so sorry to hear of this happening! What I do know from this is you are capable, strong, and determined to make banding happen so...get at them to communicate with you!

Good Luck

So sorry this happened to you! Thank heaven for good friends! Please let us know what the doctor's office says once you talk to them. I would be interested to see if they will accept responsibility for the miscommunication or if they somehow try to blame you and your friend.

Don't let this discourage you! You definitely have the strength to be successful banded. You just need a little more cooperation from your doctor's staff!

Good luck to you!

Thank you all for your support. Of course I heard nothing from the weight loss center, and I'm afraid that they will say that I wasn't registered, when I know I was. I hate confrontations but something's got to give. I want my band!

Debbi

Keep us posted....Good Luck!

Don't be discouraged. The bumps along the way will make the end result that much sweeter.

If you don't mind me asking, how do you see this website. I'm a student nurse and I have encountered several blind people in my practice and I would love to be able to tell them about any programs that are available. Thanks

And OMG that was really really unprofessional the way the hospital didn't even call you or change thier wesite. I would have been soo mad! But don't let this set you back, go to another meeting and see if the lap band is right for you.

oh gosh, I am so sorry that they were so inconsiderate and that happened to you! I wish you the best.

Thank you all so very much. No, I haven’t heard anything from Northridge Hospital where the seminar was held. But I called Cedars-Sinai and was told that I need a referral from my primary care physician, which I saw her about, and haven’t heard anything. My best friend has the same doctor, and asked her to call me, which she hasn’t. I called to make another appointment with her just to get the darned referral! It’s so hard for me to sit at work, knowing nothing’s happening. I know I’m going to be scared of all the stuff I have to do, but I want to get started! Whenever I think of being banded, I get excited.

Ariel, to answer your question, I have a screenreader called JAWS which is an acronym for Jaws Access with Speech, which reads everything on the screen to me. I also have a Braille display, but haven’t connected it yet. I started a thread called Aspects of Blindness, I think in this same forum, a couple of months ago. But if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

I carry you all with me as I try to start this journey.

Big hugs to you all!