"An angel on another website gave me the name of a bariatric surgeon in Ocala who can take me! He rearranged his surgical schedule to accomodate my insurance switch and I am scheduled for 12/28/01. My new surgeon's name is Dr. Wm. Todd Overcash and I honestly believe that he is the answer to my prayers. I was to a point where I believed I would not be able to get this done and would have to start all over with a new insurance company and new surgeon. I called Dr. Overcash's office on a Thursday, had an appointment in his office the next Monday and had a surgery date by the time I left the office. Dr. Overcash is very straight forward when he discusses this surgery. He does not want to "talk anyone into having this surgery" -- it needs to be the patients choice. He makes sure each patient is aware of the dangers as well as the benefits. I believe he knew how much research I had done on this procedure but wanted to be very sure I understood everything that would be going on. He assured me that he had never lost a patient -- and I told him that I do not intend to be the first!
2/14/02 -- I wanted to add a bit more about Dr. Overcash. I know that most pre-ops who are considering Dr. Overcash want more than just my few impressions of him following an initial consultation....they want real facts. In my opinion, Dr. Overcash is a very gifted surgeon. He is not, however, a "hand holder". If you are looking for a surgeon who holds your hand through each and every step of this journey, Dr. Overcash may not be the doctor for you. He appreciates confident, self-motivated patients for this surgery....only my opinion. I have come to appreciate him more since the surgery in December. I took it upon myself to make some dietary changes prior to him telling me I could do that. When I saw him today, I told him what I had done. I did not get the lecture or the warning. He understood the reason for the changes and was fine with it. He accepted that, at the age of 42, I know enough about myself and my body to know what I needed and was smart enough to make an educated decision about what I put in my mouth. His support staff in the office are all very pleasant to deal with on the few occasions I have called with a question. If you have spent time educating yourself about gastric bypass surgery and are confident that this is the best option for you, then I highly recommend Dr. Overcash for your surgery. "
"I had no problems at all during my stay at this hospital. I was on the 4th floor surgical ward for 5 days. I was very lucky to be taken care of by the finest staff of nurses I've ever encountered. I did not have a single bad experience with any nurse or nurse's aide. Each one of them was pleasant, attentive to my needs and well informed about my surgery. Everytime they woke me up to check my vital signs or get a blood sample, they still managed to make me smile with a pleasant comment or easy manner. I doubt that anyone would term a hospital stay as enjoyable but this was certainly easier than I expected."
