"Dr. Rodriguez is a no-nonsense, shoot from the hip kind of guy. He tells it like it is weather you want to hear it or not and yet he is sensitive and personable at the same time. I feel that he is not only a competent surgeon but a man considerate of the issues obese people face.
The day I had my first visit with him new furniture was being delivered to the patient rooms. Big, wide, solid wooden chairs with arms. I hadn't sat in a chair with arms comfortably in years. And his front office has a padded bench that runs around the room that allows someone of any weight to sit and take as much space as they need without feeling awkward.
I became emotional during the visit and he said "I get this alot on first dates." He made me laugh and I was his from that moment on.
Dr. Rodriguez is a stickler about the patient being as committed to the success of the weight loss as they can be to the extent that he makes us sign a contract that we will exercise and eat correctly daily, attend monthly support meetings and return for all of our followup visits.
The only negative comment I have is that a certain member of the office staff was less than clear on directions and seemed to be doing things other than she said she was doing on several occasions. I believe this was due to her belief that I would not succed with my approval because I had a dickens of a time with my insurance provider and therefore was waisting her time.
I am looking forward to my surgery next week on 12/01/04. I'll let you know how things went after I get home.
"
