Hi Everyone,

 

Here is a little early reminder of our meeting this wednesday (Nov. 4th) 6pm. We are still meeting at the Salem Hospital in Building D, the Birthing Center Building. The meeting room is in the back just folow the signs that say BOST. I also wanted to remind everyone that we will be having our guest speaker Dr. Bob Ruiz, he will be giving a presentation on a skin rejouvenation procedure. This is another less evasive way of helping to tighen the skin after loosing excessive amounts of weight. Its not a complete cure but it does help.

 

I would like to get a head count on how many to expect so if you could reply and let me know if you are coming, it would be appreciated so we can have enough chairs. Thank you everyone who showed for our last meeting, its nice to see new faces and share new experiences.

 

Pam

503-930-0196

Thanks!  I have gotten better about liking pictures of me. This one turned out pretty well. 

I did go with the new providence option.  I hope I am correct in thinking that I will get to keep my primary care doctor.  

Thank you to Linda in Salem and a loving sister KImwin.  This is all great info!  I will check out both those drs. 
Sue

Sue,

They have been pretty flexible.  I got some stuff done down here.  When I needed something up there or preferred to get it there rather, they would schedule everything in the same day so I only had to make one trip.  I went to one nutrition meeting there and had one appt with the surgeon. After that they submitted for insurance approval the next day...I was shocked it was so soon.  Then after approval, I had the preop appt (which they were going to schedule the day before surgery for me so I would only have to make one trip, but I ended up going the week prior, which was my choice).  

Since I live more than two hours from the hospital, I had to stay a week in a motel. We stayed at the Super 8 motel which was about half mile from the hospital.  It was clean and cheap.  

I was supposed to stay one night in the hospital and go home the next day, but I had some swelling in the opening to my stomach and nothing would stay down...water, tea, popsicle, nothing.  So I asked Dr. Srikanth if he could keep me in the hospital for another day because I was scared to go to the motel.  He said let's see how you do thru the day and I still couldn't keep anything down. So he ended up keeping me in for four days.  He was great.  He came to see me often, called to check on me several times a day.  He has a great bedside manner and a good sense of humer...he's quite jolly, lol.   On the third postop day, I had an old nurse and she asked me if I had anxiety and I said yes, so she gave me some Valium.  After that liquids started staying down and I got my 50 medicine cup amounts in and went home the next day. 

The hospital was great.  Since we were from out of town, my husband was able to stay with me. Although they had to do some rearranging to do it.  If you have a private room it's no problem, but the first night I had a roommate, but they let my husband stay anyway.  Then the next night they moved us into a patient room that they used for conferences, storing beds, etc. They cleaned it out and put us in there.  They moved me in the middle of the night just so my husband could stay with me.  I was so thankful.  Then the third night a private room opened up and they put us in there.   They were all just so nice and accomodating.  I was scared to death not being able to keep anything down and didn't want to be there without my hubby.  On day 8, I had my first postop appt with Dr. Srikanth and he cleared me to go home.  He told me preop that he would like me to stay 10 days to 2 weeks, but he let me go back home on the 8th day.  I have an appt again on Monday, that will be my one month appt. 

That was the worst thing so far was the first three days.  I had no pain though, just soreness, not real pain.  Oh and in the hospital I had hiccups all the time, but after discharge, never got hiccups again. It was weird. 

The protein is disgusting.  Dr. Srikanth had me do clear liquids until day 7 and then starts you on the protein, 3 a day.  They go down fine but taste awful.  I have tried a few types and the best one so far is Chike.  It has a little after taste, but not as bad as the others.   I feel full all the time between all the water, the vitamins and protein and now on pureed foods.   

The first wee****il I started the protein, I just craved pancakes for some reason and had terrible head hunger and kep****ching the Food Network channel on the motel TV. But after I started the protein, that eased up.  I still struggle with the head hunger sometimes and I mourn the loss of eating a big ole plate of food, but then when I go and try on clothes and find some in my closet that I couldn't wear before and they now fit, that perks me up. 

Salem Hospital has support groups and I plan on attending those.  I read these boards though everyday and that really helps.  You think you know everything until it's your turn and then you find you still need a lot of info.  That's been my experience anyway. 

Another thing is that he requires you go to the seminar at first but if you can't make it to the actual seminar or live far away, they let you watch it online, which is what I did.  It was three hours long.  So they are pretty flexible. 

I originally tried to go thru OHSU and you have to wait forever there to get in, they don't return your calls.  I just didn't have a good experience with them.   I would have gone to Salem surgeons, but they don't have as much experience and if your BMI is 50 and over, they will only do open procedures. 

I initially wanted the DS which is why I went to OHSU (they don't do it now though), but because I have ulcerative colitis, the insurance wouldn't approve it and their surgeon wouldn't help me appeal by writing a letter for me. So then I went to Dr. Srikanth for the VSG, but my insurance wouldn't approve that either, saying it was experimental, so I decided on the RNY and stayed with him and I'm so glad I did.  The 3 1/2 drive up there isn't bad.

The preop clear liquid diet was for 10 days and it's hard but by the fourth day or so you get into ketosis and it's much easier.  

So that's the scoop. If you want any other info, let me know.

Linda

Hi Sue,

I live in Salem but traveled to Federal Way, WA.  I had Dr. Srikanth (Center for Weight Loss Surgery).  He is wonderful and very, very experienced.  He does all types of WLS.  I think he said he's done over 2000 or 2500 WLS.  He also does laparoscopic on high BMIs.   He's pretty strict that you follow the program.   I'm so glad I went to him.  He's an excellent surgeon. 

Good luck with your search.

Linda