I finally wanted to post a hello. I need help about doctors. Spinal chord patients I'd <3 to...

 Hello my name is Catherine. I live in southwestern Ontario I haven't figured out to do the avatar yet. I have been reading blogs,and boards for 5 years. It has been a long 7 years for me to get to the green light stage. I have one day to decide about my physicians file choice. My choice was always Dr. Reed that is who I did the most research on. I know there is not person that has an easy road to get to surgery. My complications are I wa**** in 2 back to back car accidents and I'm deemed catastophically impaired. I hate that word. But it means I can't be a teacher again due to being a spinal chord patient. I know I'm number 5 out of the London spinal chord patients from Parkwood to have this surgery. 3 out of the 5 have had major complications and they would never do it again according to my surgeon. 2 have done excellent which help relieve some of the pain and pressure on the spinal chord more movement or feeling returning after surgery. I where a neck brace to hold my head up. My surgeon in London told me the successful patients were done in Toronto which surprised me as I thought the tricky patients go to Guelph. I'm told I will need to be awake for my surgery due to my complex air way. I spend 5 hours a day like my job in therapies for the last 11 years as I pushed the limits they thought I'd never pass. My days are swimming each day,water walking therapy, occupational therapy working on functional things and trying to get my brain to make the new signals increase the feelings. I then have physiotherapy 2 hours a day. I then meet my kinesiologist at the gym he owns my angel and he works me and helps me in ways no one else has. He has made others walk so I'm so greatful he sees me and he uses me as an encourager for new patients struggling or scard or lost. I love people. I then have a vistibular therapist work on my eyes and help to retain my eyes and brain and feet. I have permanent vertigo from the crystal exploding in my ears. It's very tricky when your world spins all the time.  Finally I feel it's  my time for me. I have been doing everthing every doctor and team member asked of me. My therapy team consists of 22 people involed in my care. I said this is the first time I made the choice and said I want this for me at 36. I'm really confused where I should go. I looked at so many blogs on Toronto patients and Guelph. Guelph I was told today would be six to 8 months before a date as they have so many in the shoot. Whatever that means. The People in Windsor today had no information on the other surgeons actually none of them. I was told to call and speak to a dietician as the doctor today didn't recommend for me a doctor. When I reminded him of the letters from my surgeons about how tricky my body is  he said go with the easiest one to get in. That wasn't the answer I was hoping for. They say you can't pick the doctor but you can ask for one. I'm feeling very confused now. I plan to call Kris from the Windsor clinic as I was told she is the only one who has a report with all the doctors. Due to my complications I'm told I will have either the gastric by pass or the vertical sleeve. It won't be decided until I'm in there. Dr. Trecki today said  RNY-X as I got of three prescriptions out of the 32 I take and now I'm filling up my vitamin bank which I know is important.  I don't know who the patients are that had the surgery as my doctor can't share that with me. He did feel I'd do well because I've spent the 7 years wanting to do it. 5 years in the Canadian system but they lost my file 2 times. I think it was meant to be as I'm really ready.   Thank you to those blogs, notes I have read each night. Thank you to the kind people I reached out to for some great information at the start. 
I'd love to hear any comments about there doctors and experiences so I could research the physician and the care at the hospital as I was told I'd be tricky afterwards and have never had easy healing or recovery. 
Thank you, I finally feel I can post now that I have the full go ahead from the windsor clinic and all my doctors who wrote in with support. 
Catherine

Hello Catherine & welcome.        

It sounds as though you have a lot to deal with but you sound very much in tune with the way your body functions and it also seems as though you have a great support team.  I'm still pre-op - my surgery is on May 11 - so I can't tell you from personal experience about the doctors.  My surgeon is Dr Tim Jackson & he has an amazing bedside manner & all his past patients love him - he is out of Toronto Western Hospital. I'm sure that tomorrow you will get responses from some of the other folks on this forum about their surgeons and their experiences at different hospitals.

I went through the Windsor clinic as well, although I didn't have Dr Treki. People who have had their surgeries in both Guelph & Toronto seem pretty happy with the care they received at the hospitals in both cities.   In your case, they may want you to go with a doctor who has had experience with patients with physical limitations in which case, the choice of where you have your surgery may be decided by the doctors themselves, instead of you, but wait and see what happens as you move forward. 

You don't sound like a person who gives up very easily - good for you!  I wish you much success in your journey, Catherine.   Best of luck to you!  

Deb

 Thanks so much for your kindness and your report on your doctor. It's very nice to meet you may I add you as a friend? I'm interested in having some friends at the same stage and those golden members who are past the 2 year mark. 

Hi, Catherine. I wish you the best of luck going forward. i hope you find the surgeon you feel most comfortable with, and that this surgery helps you..

 Thanks so much. I have been reading your blog for a year. You are an amazing lady.

thank you Catherine. you're a sweetheart.

Welcome, Catherine, and best of luck on your weight loss journey!

Catherine, are you aware that you'll likely need your doctor to send in a referral through the Bariatric Registry?

Welcome Catherine!  Wow, you have been through an awful lot!  I would imagine that wls would make life easier for you and make you more mobile.  Keep in mind that with your injuries you may require taking NSAIDS (non-steriodal anti inflammartory drugs?)  Anyway, that consists of a lot of pain relieving medication like Advil and many others.  With the RNY you can't take these (or rarely with a proton pump inhibitor like Nexium), but with the VSG, you can.  Considering what pain you must be in with these injuries, you might really want to take this into consideration.

Nice to have you here and all the best on your journey!

 Thanks so much for your information. I was told at first it would be the VGS surgery. But I have terrible reflux and it can get worse with the VGS.( according to the windsor clinic and I reached out to a doctor in Michigan who agreed. Dr. Popoliski( I didn't spell that right) but years ago I was going the USA route with him and then due to a surgery I had to put it on hold. When I could get the surgery again and ready to go I was 3 weeks out and they changed the system and was told 3-4 weeks was the cut off and had to start in the Canadian system. He is a great doctor and was happy to hear I was closer to getting to surgery. With his recommendation, Sue the nurse in Windsor and help from my doctor I weaned of problem drugs and switched to another medication. Yesterday Dr. Trecki said I will most likely have the bypass due to the acid issues but wrote in my file that once they got in there it might be only a VGS. So now I'm leaving it to God and the doctors opinions. The doctor from Michigan thought I'd do better with the bypass as I'm a low level diabetic and the cure rate is higher with the bypass. I would like to have a few opinions here but I was told that was not easy to do. I will wait as long as I need to but I just want to make sure I can find the best fit for me.

What surgery did you have and where did you go?