"I am so pleased that my PCP (Dr. Carol Fleischman, Penn Medicine at Radnor) referred my specifically to Dr. Murayama! From my first time meeting him, I was instantly at ease in the midst of a very stressful, emotional, and terrifying process. The majority of the pre-op appointments (Medical Weight Management) are with his nurses, office staff, and dietitians - all of whom are also excellent (kind, good at listening, good at understanding what you need to feel comfortable, compassionate, professional, etc.). The MWM runs between 60-90 minutes usually, and you go over what changes you are making in your life to be successful after surgery, then they give you specific things to work on, make sure you understand what your new life will require as far as food (including progression of stages post-op) and exercise, and answer any and all questions. The program also requires you go to at least 1 support group meeting pre-op. There are plenty to choose from, and they turned out to be really helpful! Hearing from others who know exactly what you're going through and have "made it" is so encouraging, and getting a group perspective/discussion on a topic is helpful.
During the final pre-op visit, he asked if I had any last questions - I was surprised that I didn't! His team had done such a great job and taken so much time to make sure everything was totally clear and easy to understand...I was ready to go! Of course, I still had a little bit of anxiety - this is major surgery - but he reassured me that all the various appointments and tests and screenings that seemed like a pain in the ass at the time were to make sure that I had the best chance possible, and that his job now was to take the best care of me.
I saw him a couple times the morning of surgery - once when the IV was being put in, and again in the operating room (before the anesthesia knocked me out!). The next time I saw him was 2 days after surgery, when he came to check in and see if I wanted to go home! I was so happy, especially since my early recovery was going way better than I could have ever hoped for - almost no pain (4 out of 10 when the meds would start to wear off), up and walking between 30-60 minutes in the hospital. He told me I had done a great job during surgery, which I thought was funny, since all I did was lie there!
His team of nurses and residents provided EXCELLENT aftercare - I never felt like any question was stupid, and never felt like I was wasting time/they had somewhere else to be. How wonderful to have all my worries and needs taken care of!
I'm looking forward to my 2 week post-op appointment next week - recovery continues to be so much better than I ever imagined, and I can't wait to continue in my new life!"
