Our Personal Story
Well after we decided to look into WLS, I called the local hospitals and got us signed up for the informational seminars. We attended the one At St. Agnes on February 18, 2009. We both liked Dr. David Von Rueden and opted to go with his program. We never even went to the one for Bayview and Sinai.
What happened at this information seminar:
We had a bitch of a time finding parking. St. Agnes Hospital due to construction. BUT, their Bariatric Program is a Blue Cross and Blue Shield (our insurance) is a Blue Distinction Center.
Blue Distinction® is a designation awarded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare. The designation is based on rigorous, evidence-based, objective selection criteria established in collaboration with expert physicians’ and medical organizations’ recommendations.
Blue Distinction Centers for Bariatric Surgery have very selective criteria that has to be renewed often (every 18-36 months)
Other centers of Blue Distinction for Bariatric Surgery in The Baltimore area include:
University of Maryland Medical Center
Anyway I digress. We got to the seminar (and it was funny we were walking in and I said to brian “I think this is the room we need to be in and a very very nice man looked at us and said “yeah this is the place you want to be (well it’s OBVIOUS that we need the surgery). It was Dr. Von Rueden! I think I fell in love then. I told him “you’re the nice man that’s going to talk to us!” (WHAT a moron I looked like I’m sure!)
We walked in. got our packet of info and started filling it out. NOTE to anyone reading this who’s going to an information seminar. Bring a good pen and a clipboard. it will make your life easier.
Brian needs leg room so we sat in the front row. First Barbie Talked. She’s DVR’s nurse and I like her alot. She went over the program and the staff and then introduced Dr. von Rueden. We liked him. Then two of his patients got up and told their stories. It was very interesting and informative. I am sure had we gone to other information seminars it would have been very similar. Maybe we should have.
Maybe that was a bad thing, to only go to ONE seminar but i tend to believe in Sensory overload. AND I’m impatient. I’ve done a lot of reading. I have gotten a few books including Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies and Eating Well after Weight Loss Surgery .
I am sure I will be getting more.
So after we heard the plan and saw the slides and met the doctor and heard the testimonials we opted to apply to be with Dr. von Rueden. (DVR).
Our first appointment with him was March 9, 2009. We met most of the staff and got weighed and measured. We talked about why we wanted RNY as opposed to Lap Band.
We went home with tons of appointments to make. I’ve made pretty much all of them.
March 19th we met with Ranesa for Psych Evals. Brian did great. I have to go back. I have issues with bingeing and we have to work on it.
March 26th we both have pulmonary testing at St. Agnes. I breathe just fine. The arterial blood gases test did not hurt as i expected. I guess I am lucky. Bri had good luck with it as well. More concerning to me is that his oxygen level is at 77 and i would like it higher. DVR should have the results by Monday.
April 1st is my Blood Work and Upper GI Series and both of us have Cardiac Consults.
Now I’m checking and OMG Brian missed his Venous Doppler Appointment. Yes he did. and I’ve rescheduled it for March 31, 2009. I also will have him grab a chest Xray that day.
Update for Brian’s Venous Doppler. All done. NO chest Xray. he can be so cranky.
he will try to get it the same day he gets his Upper GI which is next Monday. we could not change it to American Radiology because they only go up to 350 pounds. BASTARDS.
April 6th is brian’s blood work and his upper GI
April 10th is his sleep study
So darn hard to keep track of stuff.
I don’t need a sleep study or a chest Xray at this point as I’ve had both.
I think that’s all of the tests.