"Dr. Schrock is the type of man who some may be put off by at first -- not much of a talker. At first impression it may seem as though he is not really paying much attention to your personal needs/concerns. However, that is quite untrue in reality.
Dr. Schrock took the time to listen -- even when I thought that he wasn't listening, or that he was pre-occupied. I tried to be "brave" about the fears of having an Open-RXY. Nevertheless, before the end of the our first meeting Dr. Schrock pointed out to me that "several patients have concerns that (I) hadn't brought up." And he asked if I would like to discuss them. This opened the door for me ... without him openly acknowledging what must have been my apparent apprehension and fear.
I was put at ease about all of my fears by the end of our first meeting. And, I had answers to questions that others were asking me as well. Plus, I got to talk a bit about "home". Dr. Schrock attended medical school @ Marquette in Wisconsin ... and I grew up in Wisconsin. That also made me feel a "special" connection with Dr. Schrock. But, that won't be so for everybody -- unless you too are a relocated cheesehead. :-)
The staff in Dr. Schrock's office are all business ... but, take the time to treat you like an individual. They also are very reassuring, and made me feel quite comfortable. A very nice group of people. :-)
I do wish that I had spent more time with Dr. Schrock after my surgery ... not just while I was in the hospital recovering, but in the many months that followed. At the time I lived in Colfax, WA (near Pullman, WA -- home of Washington State University), and Dr. Schrock was in Spokane, WA. I certainly didn't want to make the 3 hour round trip to often ... so, luckily I found a very competant Dr. locally. :-) However, Dr. Schrock's office did call for some time after I got home to assure that I was doing well -- thanks for the concern. :-)
The only "complaint" that I have regarding Dr. Schrock and the surgery is this: He didn't remove my appendix as he said he would. He did remove my gall bladder, and had said that he would also remove my appendix but changed his mind during the surgery. He told me that he actually had his hands on it, but said it was "too shriveled to worry about removing". The only thing I kept thinking -- and still do -- is "Oh, great! Twenty years from now I'm gonna have to have that little sucker pulled out because Dr. Schrock didn't want to "go get it" when I was already open and he had the chance. :-( But, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he was right in leaving it in there.
Overall, I would say that people that are looking at getting this surgery would do themselves a favor by exploring Dr. Schrock as a potential surgeon. Dr. Schrock won't "hold your hand", unless you want him to do so. But, he will provide you with all of the answers you may have -- and some you most likely never thought about. And, as an extra added bonus :-) Dr. Schrock is a skilled surgeon with an orchestrated scalpel. And, once you get to know him a bit, you will get to understand and appreciate his sense of humor. :-)"
"As a whole I would say that this was a wonderful hospital, with a very caring staff. There was really only ONE nurse that was not up to the same "standards" set by his co-workers ... he just had a generally bad attitude. However, after requesting that I recieve care from a different nurse, I never saw him again. :-)"
