The Ball Is Rolling...

Yesterday I finally had my first meeting with my surgeon. My appointment was scheduled for 3:15 PM, they called me around 2 to tell me he was running about 30 minutes late, so I got there around 3:30, expecting to still have my appointment at 3:45. Around 5:30, I finally get in to see him, and that's only after they moved me ahead of someone else who was waiting longer than I was! I felt bad, but I was the only one who still had to go back to work that time of the day (I work until 7 PM right now). The surgeon, Dr. Weber, apologized profusely about the wait and I kept saying it was okay, but he insisted it wasn't and he was sincerely sorry for it. That made me feel better already. Then I explained to him the difficulty I had getting in to see him. When I told him that it took 3 weeks to get the first appointment, he looked furious and started writing this all down. He told me new patients are supposed to get in within 1 week, 2 at the very latest. Then I told him that they called me the day of my first appointment to reschedule because he went home early. He dropped his pen and told me that he never leaves early, he always stays until everyone has been seen. Then I told him that it took me another 2 weeks of waiting for the rescheduled appt. and he told me that he was incredibly pissed and was so sorry that I had to go through this. He wrote it all down and asked if he could use my name when he went to bitch at the Office Manager. Hell yes, I said. Especially knowing now that his staff lied to me when they said he went home early.

So all in all, he's a very nice guy. I was surprised, though. They weighed me (the first time in 1.5 years on a scale, last time was 407, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was only 444, I could have sworn that I gained more than that since I moved to NY, but I also know I must have lost weight lately too). I know I had to fill out a survey and give them my medical records, but there was no discussion of whether or not I should have the surgery or if I was a candidate. He just told me what they do during the surgery and what I have to do from here to get everything done. That was it. Even though he still had 3 or 4 people waiting, he never rushed and took time to explain all my questions. I could have scheduled my surgery right there, but I have to wait and see how money pans out until my fiance gets a new job. He said it's usually a 6-week wait between scheduling and the actual surgery. I still have to see a nutritionist, psychologist, pulminologist, and my PCP before the surgery, but it's doable.

I think I'm going to stay with this guy just because he was so nice, and I think if I tell him I have any further scheduling problems, he'll make my appointments for me :P

So here we go...I'm going to try to get my appointments done in the next month, hopefully I can have the surgery in May yet.