"I'm scheduled to see Dr Perkins on Nov 18th @ 2PM. I'll post update then....
Nov 29, 02 .....My psych eval was a little strange. I thought I was seeing a psychologist and I saw a social worker. Hello I'm a social worker, so I'm being psycho analized by someone w/ the same qualifications as I was. Anyway, Mr Perkins was very nice. My first impression of him was that he was very negative about WLS. He first asked me why I left the need to have this life endangering surgery. I informed him that I don't see it as life endangering anymore than I see my life now as life endangering being shit obese and unhealthy. Well those must have been the magic words that he wants to hear because from that point he was more positive about the surgery. However he wants to see me 6 weeks after the surgery to make sure that my mental state is good and that I'm not having an issues. He wanted me to attend a weekly support group meeting at his office. I told him I can't go weekly but that I would attend a few of them. They meet the same night as my daughters girl scout troop and I can't be 2 places at the same time when those 2 places are 30 minutes away from each other. He also wanted me to attend weekly meetings for overeaters annonymous. Which I'm not going to do. I don't have time to make 2 weekly meeting in the evening and get my kids were they need to be also. My husband works 5 nights a week and if off only 1 night during the week and on Sundays. So I'm the one running the kids everywhere. Just can't do all those meetings. I did enjoy my first support group meeting that his office has. I met about a dz people. Everyone was so friendly and supportive. I will be going back to them, I just doubt I'll make them weekly. Overall, he wants bad."
"The staff the first night in the hospital was excellant. They were so attentive and helpful. The next night they were very rushed becaused a few people had called in sick. I never felt that I wasn't taken care of though. The 3rd and 4th night staff nurses and I did not get along at all. The nurse that I had was a very large women and just wasn't a very nice person. She didn't have alot of sympathy at all thank god my hubby was there when I got upset over things. He calmed me down before I beat my nurse in the head. Overall its wasn't bad."
"At first I was a nervous wreck going to see Dr Shina from what I had heard he is the best surgeon in the area but don't expect alot of bedside manner from him. I'm thinking ok I had a sorepuss for a doctor.
07-31-02
Well he was absolutely nothing like that at all yesterday when I met him. He sat down with the group for the consultation and every question that was answered he answered very throughly. His seminars are scheduled for 3 hours and this one lasted almost 5 hours. He never seems rushed during the seminar at all with us. During the private consultation I told him of a diet that I had just remember and that it wasn't written down. He asked about it and I told him it was one of those wonderful infomercial diets. He then told me about a country song he wrote about diet infomercials and was singing part of the song. I was cracking up. Maybe it was just me, but I just loved him. Now don't get me wrong he is very blunt in explaining the procedure and all the possible complications. He doesn't feel any need to sugar coat this procedure and if you feel that your being forced into this or if your hesitant then he asked that you leave he wouldn't perform the surgery on you. Overall I was very impressed with him and am very glad that I've choosen him for my WLS."
"I went to see Dr Johnson and told him why I was there. He was very supportive of my decision and said that he would do anything he could to help me get it approved that he felt I was an excellant candidate for WLS."
