Thanks everyone for all the contributions. I am really excited to be so close to my Op whilst also being naturally apprehensive.
My wait has been nowhere near as long as most of yours.
Just to give others hope.. this is my journey;
January 2017 : Went to GP and asked for a referral to Bariatric programme . I had been 3 yrs at weight watchers and had got nowhere..
Referral made to a large teaching hospital 2 hrs from my home. (Nearest place and out of county. ) No service in my county.
Referral refused by Bariatric centre as my BMI was only 39. (!!!)
February 2017 . GP called me back in and explained I needed a co-morbidity under a BMI of 40.
I have had sleep problems for a long time so she referred me to a sleep clinic . diagnosed with sleep apnea. ,
April 2017 re- referred. Im accepted . Sent a 16 page questionnaire to complete.
Sent an appointment to start the mandatory Tier 3 programme. This consisted of 3 x 2 hr appointments.
August 2018 . First one was a one to one with a dietician. Where we set some goals. Mine were to get fitter, increase walking step rate 500 steps more each week until I reach 6000, per day and to get my sleep apnea under control by continuing to use breathing machine. No weight loss target. Very informative meeting. Group discussion on our own diet demons and suggestions as to how to overcome them.
Nov 2019 : 2nd appointment a complete patronising waste of time. 4 hr round trip, to sit in a group meeting and be told how to read a food label . (I'm fat, not stupid !).
Jan 2018 . 3 rd appointment - discussion on different types of surgery. (informative for some maybe but information everyone should have found out for themselves on the web - and all re-iterated 4 months later in personal consultation with the surgeon )so literally a waste of time.
April 2018 :Appointment for multi disciplinary meeting. All day. Psychologist, Dietician, Surgeon.
Two weeks later sent appointment for OP in June.
So whole process - ignoring the false start for not qualifying initially. 1 yr 2 months from going to visit the GP, to Operation.
This is obscene. I refuse to be 'grateful' although of course do feel lucky that my particular PCT is fairly swift with the whole process compared to many others.
. It's hugely prejudiced behaviour from a national health care provider for people with genuine life threatening medical conditions that can and will kill us. No other health condition in the NHS is treated in this way.
There is a deliberate hoop to jump through with Tier 3.. to be honest , the whole six month procedure, spread out over 3 x 2h appointments that could have been done in one 3 hr appointment. (Some trusts demand 12 months - a deliberate discouragement from going down the NHS pathway)
My own dietitian at Tier 3 admitted that it was 'a box that had to be ticked' . The box being the NICE requirement of six months of dietary and psychological help... this is literally pointless. The surgeon who is doing my operation is on TV talking to a professor of obesity admitting that their is no difference in outcomes between those who pay and are not obliged to go through Tier 3 and those on NHS pathway who do.
Which begs the question why ? Just to satisfy the daily mail readers who believe we have all made ourselves fat on purpose and therefore should not be helped without making it difficult. ? This is an operation to save lives for fuck sake. NOT a cosmetic procedure so we can all look good on the beach. !
Without a doubt there is a benefit to be had with Psychological and dietary support but this is without doubt far more effective AFTER the operation than before.
The majority of us who are prepared to put ourselves through a big, life changing operation to deal with obesity, are extremely well versed in what a calorie is. We all know you have to move more and eat less - but once you reach 'obese' the 'moving' slows to almost zero mostly because of joint pain,
Incontinence , chaffing, etc - all things that are extremely unpleasant whilst moving.
Having the operation, losing the weight and having diet, exercise and psychological support whilst doing this is by far more effective in successful outcome. (Luckily my PCT does both)
But we are fat, obese. Some of us have spent years hiding away, standing at the back, keeping quiet because of societies view that we are guilty of 'bringing it on ourselves ' .. so we accept that a deliberate delay in treating a life threatening condition , of six months.. to please people who know nothing about how the condition arose and has no positive increase in outcome - is OK and we should say thank you.
If people with heart conditions bought on by fatty diet (that hadn't caused obesity- this is not an uncommon scenario as bad diet does not always cause obesity) were told they couldn't have a Bypass until they had sat through 3 sessions of dietary advice deliberately delivered over six months when it could have been done in 3 hrs and had no discernible improvement in clinical outcome.. then there would be outrage. However we are fat, so it's ok.
Something has to change. !
Acceptance that Bypass and Sleeve work. It is scientifically proven that it is the only realistic option for the obese and morbidly obese to maintain a healthy body weight. :
King's College London
Summary:
The chance of an obese person attaining normal body weight is 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women, increasing to 1 in 1,290 for men and 1 in 677 for women with severe obesity, according to a new study. The findings suggest that current weight management programs focused on dieting and exercise are not effective in tackling obesity at population level.
The operation works and pays for itself in 2 yrs (one year for those suffering from type2 diabetes as it puts 82% into remission.)
In a country with the NHS on its knees with lack of funding and Obesity a national epidemic that is getting worse and costing the NHS millions in the treatment of associated disease and medication, there should surely be a DUTY by PCTs to increase the availability of Bariatric surgery not decrease it (as has happened in my Bariatric centre) .
It makes my blood boil. Anyone interested should watch Professor Rachel Batterhams brilliant documentary.. all based on scientific fact. Not Ill informed nonsense based on prejudice and ignorance.
Rant over 