Initial Interview scheduled!

[CebuShan]

The scheduler called my yesterday! My initial interview is set for Sept. 28. I'm excited and scared that they will tell me no! Any advice? I'll be going to the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

[cattlekid]

I was just there last week.  It went really well.  We drove up the night before and stayed overnight so that we would be there ON TIME for the actual interview.  If you look on their website, they have a list of hotels with special hospital pricing, most are really reasonable and would give you that peace of mind.

For the actual appointment, it went really smoothly.  You'll meet your coordinator, social worker, dietitian and one of the surgeons.  I also had to have blood work, an EKG and a chest x-ray.  You'll spend some time waiting between meetings, but they have good wi-fi so we killed the time with our iPads. 

One thing I really liked is that they are fast and efficient - the lab stuff and other tests were bing, bang, boom - in and out of each area in less than 10 minutes with minimal waits.  We were totally done by about 1:30 which gave us enough time to have lunch in downtown Madison and still get home at a reasonable hour.

I had my eval on a Wednesday and the following Monday, I got the call that I made it through the selection committee.  Now, we are just waiting for my blood tests to come back from the lab and then it's wait for a call at any time.  I transferred all of my wait time from Chicago to Madison, which will put me at the top of the list for my blood type. 

Do you have any wait time to transfer from another center?

[MooseMom]

I'll echo what cattlekid has said.  I'm sure you will find them very nice and extremely efficient.

Cattlekid, where in downtown Madison did you have lunch?  We did the same thing after my pre-eval appt.

Ooh, this is sorta deja vu-ey.  LOL!

[cattlekid]

I can't say....it was definitely not renal diet approved LOL  Let's just say that the initials of the restaurant are P. B. and it's on Monroe Street.

I'll echo what cattlekid has said.  I'm sure you will find them very nice and extremely efficient.

Cattlekid, where in downtown Madison did you have lunch?  We did the same thing after my pre-eval appt.

Ooh, this is sorta deja vu-ey.  LOL!

[CebuShan]

Do you have any wait time to transfer from another center?

I have no wait time at all, anywhere. This has been a recent decision for me to try to get on the list. My neph doesn't think there should be a problem. It just took me a while to wrap my head around the thought of having someone else's body part in me!   

We were thinking of driving up and maybe staying with my husband's sister but I think she lives too far away.

If you look on their website, they have a list of hotels with special hospital pricing, most are really reasonable and would give you that peace of mind.

     Thanks! I'll check it out!

I can't say....it was definitely not renal diet approved LOL  Let's just say that the initials of the restaurant are P. B. and it's on Monroe Street.

It can't be any worse than "The All Chocolate Kitchen", now, can it?   

Cattlekid & MM: Who is your coordinator? Mine is Mary Shanahan.

Now that I've made up my mind, I'm excited! 

[MooseMom]

Oh yeah, the All Chocolate Kitchen is so not renally friendly.  Interesting, though, Chef Roby is a renal patient at Northwestern.  He had had a kidney removed; I'm not sure why, and I don't know what his current condition is and if he will eventually need to be transplanted, but nothing seems to be stopping him from making chocolate.

My pre-tx coordinator was Joan BB.