Re: Lap DS or Lap RNY or open DS or...

[Guest guest]

I AGREE 100%. This surgery should be available to everyone who needs. The games

that some of these insurance companies play is Bullmuffins.

Lisbeth

Dr. Macura

June 25, 2001

The other thing that makes me upset is if

that dr. is charging so much out of pocket, there probably are alot of people

not getting the surgery because of the fee...and who can't afford to travel.

I guess that is the price for something not considered a must have surgery.

Someday I hope its treated like heart surgery...you have to have it or

die..and it won't be an elective surgery. A girl can dream....

~~* AJ *~~

Post op 7/24/01 Open BPD/DS

self pay - Dr Baltasar -Alcoy Spain

07/24/01 BMI 64 - 415.1

08/06/01 BMI 59 - 390.2 -24.9 lbs!!!!!!!!!!~~~~

08/16/01 BMI 58 - 387.0 -27.9 lbs!!!!!!!!!!~~~~

Check out the Bellingham Support Group

and my personal page at WWW.WLSBellingham.homestead.com

[Guest guest]

Stella,

I have to agree with you. I believe that the attitude is never bottom - top. But

top to bottom. If a boss allows his employees to act a certain way. While he may

not act that way he is condoning their behavior. I have seen this first hands

in organization. New people come into work. The boss is a miserable bastard and

within a month those bright-eyed bushy-tailed new hires also turn into miserable

bastards.

I think that aftercare is very important after surgery. And I feel I have to

have a responsive office so that if the need arises, I can call and say. " hey I

am feeling so and so.... " And know that the office staff is doing their job in

relaying the message to the doctor.

After surgery I was sick for a straight 12 hours nothing stayed in my stomach

including water. My surgeon was in surgery at that time. My surgeons nurse &

staff called me all day long until he was able to call me back that night. So I

respectfully disagree when I say I disagree that a nice staff is not important.

Lisbeth

Dr. Macura

June 25, 2001

Stella Sloop wrote: At 11:590 +0000 8/18/01,

tlarussa@... wrote:

>So, if you've looked at all the information on the different docs and

>decide that Dr. K is your guy, then that's fine. But don't make such

>an important decision based on how nice the office clerks are!

no firebombs from me, but I think you selectively quoted from

. I believe the office staff mentioned was only part of the

reasons she gave. You rather left out the part of whether she even

received any information back after the initial consult, and the cost

she mentioned as well.

And like it or not, a surgeon's office staff does play a huge role in

a patients follow up care; if the office staff is disorganized --or

worse, apathetic -- then what kind of aftercare can one expect? The

surgeon is going to be busy with other new patients.

--stella

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Stella,

I have to agree with you. I believe that the attitude is never bottom - top. But

top to bottom. If a boss allows his employees to act a certain way. While he may

not act that way he is condoning their behavior. I have seen this first hands

in organization. New people come into work. The boss is a miserable bastard and

within a month those bright-eyed bushy-tailed new hires also turn into miserable

bastards.

I think that aftercare is very important after surgery. And I feel I have to

have a responsive office so that if the need arises, I can call and say. " hey I

am feeling so and so.... " And know that the office staff is doing their job in

relaying the message to the doctor.

After surgery I was sick for a straight 12 hours nothing stayed in my stomach

including water. My surgeon was in surgery at that time. My surgeons nurse &

staff called me all day long until he was able to call me back that night. So I

respectfully disagree when I say I disagree that a nice staff is not important.

Lisbeth

Dr. Macura

June 25, 2001

Stella Sloop wrote: At 11:590 +0000 8/18/01,

tlarussa@... wrote:

>So, if you've looked at all the information on the different docs and

>decide that Dr. K is your guy, then that's fine. But don't make such

>an important decision based on how nice the office clerks are!

no firebombs from me, but I think you selectively quoted from

. I believe the office staff mentioned was only part of the

reasons she gave. You rather left out the part of whether she even

received any information back after the initial consult, and the cost

she mentioned as well.

And like it or not, a surgeon's office staff does play a huge role in

a patients follow up care; if the office staff is disorganized --or

worse, apathetic -- then what kind of aftercare can one expect? The

surgeon is going to be busy with other new patients.

--stella

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Alyssa,

Unless you have your mind made up about having lap, I would highly recommend

Dr. Anthone at USC. He did my surgery back in April of this year. I did

it open, and healed very quickly. No complications and I have lost 88 lbs.

Dr. Rabkin was my first choice also, because he is only about 1 1/2 hour from

me.... So many hoops and so much money..... I did my homework and found Dr.

Anthone. I had to travel 6 hours, but it was well worth it. If you have any

specific questions feel free to ask. I would be happy to help. Dr. A's

patients also have a yahoo group if you'd like to pop in and talk to us.....

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ds_usc Hope to see you there.

Kim

Dr. Anthone USC

4/18/01 DGB/DS open

BMI/April = 69

Now(BMI) 56

[Guest guest]

Alyssa,

Unless you have your mind made up about having lap, I would highly recommend

Dr. Anthone at USC. He did my surgery back in April of this year. I did

it open, and healed very quickly. No complications and I have lost 88 lbs.

Dr. Rabkin was my first choice also, because he is only about 1 1/2 hour from

me.... So many hoops and so much money..... I did my homework and found Dr.

Anthone. I had to travel 6 hours, but it was well worth it. If you have any

specific questions feel free to ask. I would be happy to help. Dr. A's

patients also have a yahoo group if you'd like to pop in and talk to us.....

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ds_usc Hope to see you there.

Kim

Dr. Anthone USC

4/18/01 DGB/DS open

BMI/April = 69

Now(BMI) 56

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/18/2001 4:59:35 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

tlarussa@... writes:

<< think that it is unwise, when choosing a surgeon, to place a lot of

emphasis on how much you like the office staff. After all, the

person who answers the phone is most likely NOT the person who is

going to cut you open and rearrange your insides. >>

Tom, Very well said. I agree with you 100%. I'm sure Dr. K is a wonderful

surgeon, but if it were(and it was!) me, I would prefer the more experienced

surgeon, regardless of how nice the staff is.

Kim B.

[Guest guest]

Hi Tom -

You can keep your head.

> I think that it is unwise, when choosing a surgeon, to place a lot

of

> emphasis on how much you like the office staff

Tom, I think that you miss the point. The " feel-good factor " is not

the issue. The issues, though are several. Primarily, when you

call, you need to be able to accomplish the purpose for which you

have called. When I called Rabkin's office, the staff was always

nice. I just wasn't able to get anywhere. Second, and of greater

concern, is what happens if you call post op with a problem. When a

patient earlier this summer " . . . complained of severe stomach

pain, he was told to take antacid. " He was later hospitalized and

died. There was significant discussion of this sad story a few weeks

ago. The story, granted, may be skewed. However, it points out the

risk, one that I am not willing to take.

No, Tom, the person who answers the phone will not be performing the

surgery. What they will do, however, is determine how my problem is

handled. If the quote above is accurate, I am concerned about the

person on the phone. I certainly don't want to die because they are

trying to protect the busy doctor from yet another patient with a

symptom that the staff-member thinks that they can handle with a

little Pepto-Bismol.

Your comments about Dr. Keshishian being the next Mark McGuire are

very cute but they fail to take into account the fact that Dr. K is

far from a rookie. Even in baseball, players aren't considered to be

rookies after their first year. To suggest that Dr. Keshishian is

not a seasoned surgeon is intellectually dishonest.

You also did not mention that Dr. Keshishian had performed, as of

earlier this year, over a hundred surgeries. You also did not take

into account the surgeries he performed in his residency. He is not

someone who merely watched that elusive DS training video, bought a

knife and went to work.

You said that " time will tell. " How much time and how many surgeries

will it take in order to receive your stamp of approval? I think

that, counting his residency, Dr. K has performed over 300 DS

surgeries.

As to labor costs in Delano, your comment about table grape pickers

is again cute. However, you don't mention that Delano is a half-hour

from Bakersfield which is a large city with a plethora of jobs beyond

grape-picking. Job opportunities are within a much easier freeway

commute than is available to the workers in the urban areas you

mentioned.

Tom, I started out looking at Dr. Anthone. Because of his love

affair with the panni, I moved on. You may have loved it but it is

not my cup of tea. I moved on to Dr. Rabkin. Then I fell victim to

the confusion in his office and began to look at Dr. Keshishian. I

liked what I saw, both in him as a competent surgeon and in

the " nice " and competent factor in his office staff. I am not an

ignorant person, Tom. I am well able to pick a surgeon for reasons

that go far beyond his being " nice. "

Best-

Nick in Sage

[Guest guest]

Hi Tom -

You can keep your head.

> I think that it is unwise, when choosing a surgeon, to place a lot

of

> emphasis on how much you like the office staff

Tom, I think that you miss the point. The " feel-good factor " is not

the issue. The issues, though are several. Primarily, when you

call, you need to be able to accomplish the purpose for which you

have called. When I called Rabkin's office, the staff was always

nice. I just wasn't able to get anywhere. Second, and of greater

concern, is what happens if you call post op with a problem. When a

patient earlier this summer " . . . complained of severe stomach

pain, he was told to take antacid. " He was later hospitalized and

died. There was significant discussion of this sad story a few weeks

ago. The story, granted, may be skewed. However, it points out the

risk, one that I am not willing to take.

No, Tom, the person who answers the phone will not be performing the

surgery. What they will do, however, is determine how my problem is

handled. If the quote above is accurate, I am concerned about the

person on the phone. I certainly don't want to die because they are

trying to protect the busy doctor from yet another patient with a

symptom that the staff-member thinks that they can handle with a

little Pepto-Bismol.

Your comments about Dr. Keshishian being the next Mark McGuire are

very cute but they fail to take into account the fact that Dr. K is

far from a rookie. Even in baseball, players aren't considered to be

rookies after their first year. To suggest that Dr. Keshishian is

not a seasoned surgeon is intellectually dishonest.

You also did not mention that Dr. Keshishian had performed, as of

earlier this year, over a hundred surgeries. You also did not take

into account the surgeries he performed in his residency. He is not

someone who merely watched that elusive DS training video, bought a

knife and went to work.

You said that " time will tell. " How much time and how many surgeries

will it take in order to receive your stamp of approval? I think

that, counting his residency, Dr. K has performed over 300 DS

surgeries.

As to labor costs in Delano, your comment about table grape pickers

is again cute. However, you don't mention that Delano is a half-hour

from Bakersfield which is a large city with a plethora of jobs beyond

grape-picking. Job opportunities are within a much easier freeway

commute than is available to the workers in the urban areas you

mentioned.

Tom, I started out looking at Dr. Anthone. Because of his love

affair with the panni, I moved on. You may have loved it but it is

not my cup of tea. I moved on to Dr. Rabkin. Then I fell victim to

the confusion in his office and began to look at Dr. Keshishian. I

liked what I saw, both in him as a competent surgeon and in

the " nice " and competent factor in his office staff. I am not an

ignorant person, Tom. I am well able to pick a surgeon for reasons

that go far beyond his being " nice. "

Best-

Nick in Sage

[Guest guest]

> I believe that the attitude is never bottom - top.

> But top to bottom. If a boss allows his employees

> to act a certain way. While he may not act that

> way he is condoning their behavior. I have seen

> this first hands in organization. New people come

> into work. The boss is a miserable bastard and

> within a month those bright-eyed bushy-tailed new

> hires also turn into miserable bastards.

I'm counting to 100, very slowly, before replying to this statement,

because it appears that you are saying that Drs. Rabkin and Anthone

have staffing problems because they are " miserable bastards. "

This is quite possibly the most ludicrous, irresponsible, and

probably downright libelous, statement I have ever seen anyone make

on this list!

Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that Dr. Anthone is

possibly the most kind, compassionate, caring, and gentle human being

I have ever met. My mother, who has a Ph.D. in both Clinical and

Personality Psychology from UC Berkelely, assesses Dr. Anthone in one

word: " Saintly. " As for Dr. Rabkin, I have never had the honor of

meeting the man, but most of his patients seem to have a very similar

opinion of him.

For you to make such statements about these men, especially out of

what appears to be complete ignorance, borders on the criminal. I

can't help but wonder if you aren't just trying to ignite the flame

war of all flame wars with such ridiculous rhetoric?

> I think that aftercare is very important after surgery.

DUH.

> And I feel I have to have a responsive office

> so that if the need arises, I can call and say.

> " hey I am feeling so and so.... " And know that

> the office staff is doing their job in relaying

> the message to the doctor.

Is that really what you want? You want the OFFICE STAFF to " relay "

the message to the doctor?

When I need to speak to my surgeon, I call HIM at 1-800-USC-CARE, and

he calls ME right back -- usually within five minutes! (Unless, of

course, he's out of town or otherwise unavailable, in which case

another SURGEON -- calls me back in his stead.) That's 24 hours a

day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. I don't think Dr. Rabkin is

QUITE as accessible, but I know that his bariatric RNs are available

24/7 for his patients.

> After surgery I was sick for a straight 12 hours

> nothing stayed in my stomach including water. My

> surgeon was in surgery at that time. My surgeons

> nurse & staff called me all day long until he was

> able to call me back that night.

He made you wait ALL DAY? I find that appalling.

I've had to call Dr. Anthone twice while he was in surgery. The

first time I got a call back from Dr. Baker, a 5th year surgical

resident. The second time I got a call back from Dr. Paik, a 4th

year surgical resident. Both of them have assisted Dr. Anthone in

surgery many times. (Dr. Baker assisted in my panniculectomy, and

Dr. Paik assisted in my DS.) Both times my problem was resolved

within fifteen minutes of my initial phone call.

> So I respectfully disagree when I say I

> disagree that a nice staff is not important.

I guess so, if the office staff is the only support your surgeon

provides. But I thank Heaven I'm not in that position.

Tom

[Guest guest]

> I believe that the attitude is never bottom - top.

> But top to bottom. If a boss allows his employees

> to act a certain way. While he may not act that

> way he is condoning their behavior. I have seen

> this first hands in organization. New people come

> into work. The boss is a miserable bastard and

> within a month those bright-eyed bushy-tailed new

> hires also turn into miserable bastards.

I'm counting to 100, very slowly, before replying to this statement,

because it appears that you are saying that Drs. Rabkin and Anthone

have staffing problems because they are " miserable bastards. "

This is quite possibly the most ludicrous, irresponsible, and

probably downright libelous, statement I have ever seen anyone make

on this list!

Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that Dr. Anthone is

possibly the most kind, compassionate, caring, and gentle human being

I have ever met. My mother, who has a Ph.D. in both Clinical and

Personality Psychology from UC Berkelely, assesses Dr. Anthone in one

word: " Saintly. " As for Dr. Rabkin, I have never had the honor of

meeting the man, but most of his patients seem to have a very similar

opinion of him.

For you to make such statements about these men, especially out of

what appears to be complete ignorance, borders on the criminal. I

can't help but wonder if you aren't just trying to ignite the flame

war of all flame wars with such ridiculous rhetoric?

> I think that aftercare is very important after surgery.

DUH.

> And I feel I have to have a responsive office

> so that if the need arises, I can call and say.

> " hey I am feeling so and so.... " And know that

> the office staff is doing their job in relaying

> the message to the doctor.

Is that really what you want? You want the OFFICE STAFF to " relay "

the message to the doctor?

When I need to speak to my surgeon, I call HIM at 1-800-USC-CARE, and

he calls ME right back -- usually within five minutes! (Unless, of

course, he's out of town or otherwise unavailable, in which case

another SURGEON -- calls me back in his stead.) That's 24 hours a

day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. I don't think Dr. Rabkin is

QUITE as accessible, but I know that his bariatric RNs are available

24/7 for his patients.

> After surgery I was sick for a straight 12 hours

> nothing stayed in my stomach including water. My

> surgeon was in surgery at that time. My surgeons

> nurse & staff called me all day long until he was

> able to call me back that night.

He made you wait ALL DAY? I find that appalling.

I've had to call Dr. Anthone twice while he was in surgery. The

first time I got a call back from Dr. Baker, a 5th year surgical

resident. The second time I got a call back from Dr. Paik, a 4th

year surgical resident. Both of them have assisted Dr. Anthone in

surgery many times. (Dr. Baker assisted in my panniculectomy, and

Dr. Paik assisted in my DS.) Both times my problem was resolved

within fifteen minutes of my initial phone call.

> So I respectfully disagree when I say I

> disagree that a nice staff is not important.

I guess so, if the office staff is the only support your surgeon

provides. But I thank Heaven I'm not in that position.

Tom

[Guest guest]

1. L J <raina28@...:

I believe that the attitude is never bottom - top.

But top to bottom. If a boss allows his employees to

act a certain way. While he may not act that way he is

condoning their behavior. I have seen this first

hands in organization. New people come into work. The

boss is a miserable bastard and within a month those

bright-eyed bushy-tailed new hires also turn into

miserable bastards.

******

2. tlarussa@... wrote:

I'm counting to 100, very slowly, before replying to

this statement, because it appears that you are saying

that Drs. Rabkin and Anthone have staffing problems

because they are " miserable bastards. "

This is quite possibly the most ludicrous,

irresponsible, and probably downright libelous,

statement I have ever seen anyone make on this list.

**************

Wow, Tom, maybe you should have counted to 101 then.

The original message said nothing about those doctors

being " miserable bastards " . The poster was just

giving an example of what it's like to work for

someone who is a bastard - the morale gets very low

very soon.

And the other comments like " DUH " were outright rude.

dee

=====

Dee

Waiting for Ins. Co. Approval

313/Want to be 165

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thank you Dee for understanding the point I was trying to make!

Lisbeth

Dr. Macura

June 25, 2001

Dee wrote: 1. L J

I believe that the attitude is never bottom - top.

But top to bottom. If a boss allows his employees to

act a certain way. While he may not act that way he is

condoning their behavior. I have seen this first

hands in organization. New people come into work. The

boss is a miserable bastard and within a month those

bright-eyed bushy-tailed new hires also turn into

miserable bastards.

******

2. tlarussa@... wrote:

I'm counting to 100, very slowly, before replying to

this statement, because it appears that you are saying

that Drs. Rabkin and Anthone have staffing problems

because they are " miserable bastards. "

This is quite possibly the most ludicrous,

irresponsible, and probably downright libelous,

statement I have ever seen anyone make on this list.

**************

Wow, Tom, maybe you should have counted to 101 then.

The original message said nothing about those doctors

being " miserable bastards " . The poster was just

giving an example of what it's like to work for

someone who is a bastard - the morale gets very low

very soon.

And the other comments like " DUH " were outright rude.

dee

=====

Dee

Waiting for Ins. Co. Approval

313/Want to be 165

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Dear Tom,

Here is the definition of libel:

li·bel (l b l)

n.

A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that

damages a person's reputation.

The act of presenting such material to the public.

Now according to you I have libeled Drs. Rabkin and Anthone. Because I take such

accusations seriously I re-read my post and noticed that I did not mention Dr.

Rabkin or Anthone by name nor did I expressly mention any other surgeons name.

And the reference I made alluded to management skills of employees (not surgical

skills). Since I do not know nor have met Dr. Rabkin or Anthone nor do I know if

they surgical staff is “nice” or not. I cannot possibly have spoken about Dr.

Rabkin or Anthone. Therefore you Sir owe me an apology for verbally badgering,

harassing and maligning me as a libeler. This list is for the exchange of

information, ideas and opinions. Opinions such as the one I made are as valid as

your mother’s, opinion that “Dr Anthone is saintly”

Your excessive response to my post has been duly noted I will kindly accept it

as an opinion for I would not want to inaccurately and falsely accuse a person

of such a contentious, inappropriate and unwarranted accusation of libel.

tlarussa@... wrote:

I'm counting to 100, very slowly, before replying to this statement,

because it appears that you are saying that Drs. Rabkin and Anthone

have staffing problems because they are " miserable bastards. "

This is quite possibly the most ludicrous, irresponsible, and

probably downright libelous, statement I have ever seen anyone make

on this list!

Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that Dr. Anthone is

possibly the most kind, compassionate, caring, and gentle human being

I have ever met. My mother, who has a Ph.D. in both Clinical and

Personality Psychology from UC Berkelely, assesses Dr. Anthone in one

word: " Saintly. " As for Dr. Rabkin, I have never had the honor of

meeting the man, but most of his patients seem to have a very similar

opinion of him.

For you to make such statements about these men, especially out of

what appears to be complete ignorance, borders on the criminal. I

can't help but wonder if you aren't just trying to ignite the flame

war of all flame wars with such ridiculous rhetoric?

I find the above statement completely offensive and find that my post did not

merit the above statement. And in fact find that your reference to me being a

rabble rousing flame lover to be out of line, outrageous and an EXTREME

exagerration on your part. I question if it is not indeed you who enjoys

partaking of that past time.

No he did not make me wait all day Dr. Macura and his assisting surgeon were

performing surgery. His other Surgeon Dr. McMullen who is also on staff was on

vacation. His nurse who was there continuously called me to check up on me

because as she had correctly assessed from the very beginning I had eaten

something that had not sat well with me. As Dr. Macura and then Dr. Nicastro

both confirmed.

Good day,

Lisbeth

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Dear Tom,

Here is the definition of libel:

li·bel (l b l)

n.

A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that

damages a person's reputation.

The act of presenting such material to the public.

Now according to you I have libeled Drs. Rabkin and Anthone. Because I take such

accusations seriously I re-read my post and noticed that I did not mention Dr.

Rabkin or Anthone by name nor did I expressly mention any other surgeons name.

And the reference I made alluded to management skills of employees (not surgical

skills). Since I do not know nor have met Dr. Rabkin or Anthone nor do I know if

they surgical staff is “nice” or not. I cannot possibly have spoken about Dr.

Rabkin or Anthone. Therefore you Sir owe me an apology for verbally badgering,

harassing and maligning me as a libeler. This list is for the exchange of

information, ideas and opinions. Opinions such as the one I made are as valid as

your mother’s, opinion that “Dr Anthone is saintly”

Your excessive response to my post has been duly noted I will kindly accept it

as an opinion for I would not want to inaccurately and falsely accuse a person

of such a contentious, inappropriate and unwarranted accusation of libel.

tlarussa@... wrote:

I'm counting to 100, very slowly, before replying to this statement,

because it appears that you are saying that Drs. Rabkin and Anthone

have staffing problems because they are " miserable bastards. "

This is quite possibly the most ludicrous, irresponsible, and

probably downright libelous, statement I have ever seen anyone make

on this list!

Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that Dr. Anthone is

possibly the most kind, compassionate, caring, and gentle human being

I have ever met. My mother, who has a Ph.D. in both Clinical and

Personality Psychology from UC Berkelely, assesses Dr. Anthone in one

word: " Saintly. " As for Dr. Rabkin, I have never had the honor of

meeting the man, but most of his patients seem to have a very similar

opinion of him.

For you to make such statements about these men, especially out of

what appears to be complete ignorance, borders on the criminal. I

can't help but wonder if you aren't just trying to ignite the flame

war of all flame wars with such ridiculous rhetoric?

I find the above statement completely offensive and find that my post did not

merit the above statement. And in fact find that your reference to me being a

rabble rousing flame lover to be out of line, outrageous and an EXTREME

exagerration on your part. I question if it is not indeed you who enjoys

partaking of that past time.

No he did not make me wait all day Dr. Macura and his assisting surgeon were

performing surgery. His other Surgeon Dr. McMullen who is also on staff was on

vacation. His nurse who was there continuously called me to check up on me

because as she had correctly assessed from the very beginning I had eaten

something that had not sat well with me. As Dr. Macura and then Dr. Nicastro

both confirmed.

Good day,

Lisbeth

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Hi Nick:

> You can keep your head.

Thanks! That's a relief. I've grown rather attached to it.

> When I called Rabkin's office, the staff was always

> nice. I just wasn't able to get anywhere.

Hmm...

I have to say ... I have no response to that.

> Second, and of greater concern, is what

> happens if you call post op with a problem.

I agree, absolutely.

> When a patient earlier this summer " . . . complained

> of severe stomach pain, he was told to take antacid. "

> He was later hospitalized and died. There was significant

> discussion of this sad story a few weeks ago. The story,

> granted, may be skewed. However, it points out the

> risk, one that I am not willing to take.

Oh-oh, I'm having a brain fart!

I don't remember this discussion at all -- Oh Fudge, it's premature

old-age! -- but I certainly see your point.

> No, Tom, the person who answers the phone will

> not be performing the surgery. What they will

> do, however, is determine how my problem is

> handled.

Not necessarily. It depends on how accessible your surgeon is. I

don't have to go through the office staff to get in touch with

Dr. Anthone, so I don't worry about it.

> Your comments about Dr. Keshishian being the next Mark McGuire are

> very cute but they fail to take into account the fact that Dr. K is

> far from a rookie. Even in baseball, players aren't considered to

be

> rookies after their first year. To suggest that Dr. Keshishian is

> not a seasoned surgeon is intellectually dishonest.

I really don't think I'm being intellectually dishonest. I

just have a different definition of " seasoned " than you do.

> How much time and how many surgeries

> will it take in order to receive your stamp of approval? I think

> that, counting his residency, Dr. K has performed over 300 DS

> surgeries.

First off, I don't count surgeries performed during residency --

the " surgery with training wheels on " period. Those are

minor league games in my book.

Second, I prefer to see at least four years of general surgical

practice in an urban hospital, (longer if the surgeon practices in a

sleepy hospital in the boonies), prior to the start of a bariatric

practice. I want somebody who can fix ANYTHING that might go wrong,

hemorrhage, explode, catch on fire, or whatever the heck else could

possibly come up during surgery.

Third, I prefer that a surgeon have performed at least 200 DS

procedures, (with his training wheels OFF). Why 200? I figure it

takes about 100 before the surgeon has seen all the foreseeable

glitches and complications that can pop up during this particular

procedure. Then I double that to 200 just so I know he's

probably dealt with each of them twice.

You may think I'm some kind of weird surgical snob, but I'm

really not. What I am is a coward. When it comes to being put under

general anesthesia and sliced open, I've got a yellow streak down

my back you could easily land a jumbo jet on. I'm a (formerly)

386 pound Cornish game hen. Compared to me, Dorothy's friend the

Cowardly Lion was a Medal of Honor winner. Getting the idea?

Being incredibly picky about my surgeon was the only way I could

think of to make sure I actually went through with it when the day

arrived.

The panni was NO fun at all, but at the time I welcomed it, because

it allowed me to ease into the whole surgery concept with something

less serious than the DS. Even still, I was so petrified before the

panni that I had a mini-panic attack on the way to the OR -- despite

the fact that the anesthesiologist had all ready given me the shot

that's supposed to " relax " you.

>

> As to labor costs in Delano, your comment about table grape pickers

> is again cute. However, you don't mention that Delano is a half-

hour

> from Bakersfield which is a large city with a plethora of jobs

beyond

> grape-picking.

Whether there is a plethora of jobs available in Bakersfield, or two,

three, four or even five plethoras (plethorae?), the simple fact of

the matter is, it costs much less to live in Delano (or Bakersfield)

than it does in LA or San Francisco. For example, compare median

house prices in the three areas.

Median home sales prices:

Bakersfield $92,000 (City of Bakersfield website)

Los Angeles area $225,000 (year 2000, Bankrate.com)

San Francisco Bay Area $470,000 (year 2000, Bankrate.com)

A lower cost of living allows employers either to pay lower wages for

the same level of employee, or to attract better qualified employees

for the same wage. That's Econ 1.

> Tom, I started out looking at Dr. Anthone. Because of his love

> affair with the panni, I moved on. You may have loved it but it is

> not my cup of tea.

Trust me, I did NOT love it. But he also didn't force me to have

it. He merely recommended it. I chose to go along with his

recommendation.

> I am well able to pick a surgeon for reasons

> that go far beyond his being " nice. "

I never said you or anyone else wasn't. I just said that it

would be very unwise for anyone to make the surgeon's staff a

primary factor in what surgeon to choose.

Regards,

Tom

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/18/01 8:25:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

brinaho@... writes:

> The surgeon will most likely spend less time with us and it is the office

> staff that we need to depend on, to trust, and to keep us well informed. If

> I have to deal with people screaming at me for asking questions for most of

> my calls to the office, I don't think I feel very good about the surgery and

> I think my recovery time could be made faster. If I have a potential

> complication, I want to be able to feel good about calling the office and

> not fearing that I'm intruding. If I was afraid to call, I could have a

> negative complication that could take my life. I am Paying these people's

> salaries, I expect nothing less than excellent customer service, good

> surgeon OR not.

>

>

I'm on your wavelength...when you're afraid to call...you're going to put

things off. I think while its important you pick the right surgeon...its

also important to go for the total package. Why should I be treated like

sh*t for calling when I'm hiring him to do a service. I should be able to

call anytime I want. I realize some offices are very busy but the patients

are the REASON they are busy...so deal with it...!! No one needs to be

treated unkindly or be brushed off due to them being busy. Besides, I know

I've gotten enough of that just because I'm fat....I don't need my surgeon's

office to do it to me too....

Just my 02.~

~~* AJ *~~

Age 37 5'8''

Post op 7/24/01 Open BPD/DS

self pay - Dr Baltasar -Alcoy Spain

07/24/01 BMI 64 - 415.1

08/06/01 BMI 59 - 390.2 -24.9 lbs!!!!!!!!!!~~~~

08/16/01 BMI 58 - 387.0 -27.9 lbs!!!!!!!!!!~~~~

Check out the Bellingham Support Group

and my personal page at WWW.WLSBellingham.homestead.com

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/18/01 8:25:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

brinaho@... writes:

> The surgeon will most likely spend less time with us and it is the office

> staff that we need to depend on, to trust, and to keep us well informed. If

> I have to deal with people screaming at me for asking questions for most of

> my calls to the office, I don't think I feel very good about the surgery and

> I think my recovery time could be made faster. If I have a potential

> complication, I want to be able to feel good about calling the office and

> not fearing that I'm intruding. If I was afraid to call, I could have a

> negative complication that could take my life. I am Paying these people's

> salaries, I expect nothing less than excellent customer service, good

> surgeon OR not.

>

>

I'm on your wavelength...when you're afraid to call...you're going to put

things off. I think while its important you pick the right surgeon...its

also important to go for the total package. Why should I be treated like

sh*t for calling when I'm hiring him to do a service. I should be able to

call anytime I want. I realize some offices are very busy but the patients

are the REASON they are busy...so deal with it...!! No one needs to be

treated unkindly or be brushed off due to them being busy. Besides, I know

I've gotten enough of that just because I'm fat....I don't need my surgeon's

office to do it to me too....

Just my 02.~

~~* AJ *~~

Age 37 5'8''

Post op 7/24/01 Open BPD/DS

self pay - Dr Baltasar -Alcoy Spain

07/24/01 BMI 64 - 415.1

08/06/01 BMI 59 - 390.2 -24.9 lbs!!!!!!!!!!~~~~

08/16/01 BMI 58 - 387.0 -27.9 lbs!!!!!!!!!!~~~~

Check out the Bellingham Support Group

and my personal page at WWW.WLSBellingham.homestead.com

[Guest guest]

Hello Tom -

As to the ability to contact the surgeon, I haven't ever heard

anything about that being a problem with Dr. Anthone, who henceforth

will be referred to as St. . No, really, the questions I have

are about Dr. Rabkin's office. He has hired a number of people,

including someone with experience as an office manager, in an effort

to address the problem. Up until when I changed to Dr. K, I had yet

to see any positive results.

As to the man who died, check

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/status.phtml?

N=Holtzman973888385 and you can revisit the situation.

As to your training wheels analogy, remember how someone (it might

have even been you) mentioned that some surgeons just saw a video to

learn the DS? That would scare me and it would do so for far beyond

the 200 that you set as a benchmark.

I guess we do disagree on what it takes to reach journeyman status.

I just think that you haven't gotten to know Dr. Keshishian and

become as acquainted with him and his experience. If I weren't

firmly convinced that he was top notch, I wouldn't be there. I, too,

have a yellow streak that would make yours pale in comparison.

Your comparison of residency surgeries to minor league game

experience is a bit weak for the reason that in the games, the

competition is presumably of equal weakness. In the operating room,

in both pre and post residency, the human beings on the table are the

same, with the same propensity for problems. In the 300+ instances,

I am sure that Dr. K has seen most everything that he is likely to

see - probably thrice+. I kind of like his success rate, too.

These surgeons do have contact with one another for support, too.

Being in Delano doesn't equate to the Eastern Sahara.

After reading your description of your panni, there was no way on

this earth that I would have one. In truth, I think that your DS

surgery would have been better to prepare you for the panni and not

the reverse.

As far as the labor market, it doesn't much matter. What does is

that a surgeon has selected personnel in whom he or she has a

realistic confidence will do things they way they want and that they

will reflect whatever culture that doctor wishes to project. Among

the California 3, only Dr. K and his team pass muster.

You should have the medal, though, for your strenght and resolve that

you maintained through that panni ordeal.

Best-

Nick in Sage

[Guest guest]

Hello Tom -

As to the ability to contact the surgeon, I haven't ever heard

anything about that being a problem with Dr. Anthone, who henceforth

will be referred to as St. . No, really, the questions I have

are about Dr. Rabkin's office. He has hired a number of people,

including someone with experience as an office manager, in an effort

to address the problem. Up until when I changed to Dr. K, I had yet

to see any positive results.

As to the man who died, check

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/status.phtml?

N=Holtzman973888385 and you can revisit the situation.

As to your training wheels analogy, remember how someone (it might

have even been you) mentioned that some surgeons just saw a video to

learn the DS? That would scare me and it would do so for far beyond

the 200 that you set as a benchmark.

I guess we do disagree on what it takes to reach journeyman status.

I just think that you haven't gotten to know Dr. Keshishian and

become as acquainted with him and his experience. If I weren't

firmly convinced that he was top notch, I wouldn't be there. I, too,

have a yellow streak that would make yours pale in comparison.

Your comparison of residency surgeries to minor league game

experience is a bit weak for the reason that in the games, the

competition is presumably of equal weakness. In the operating room,

in both pre and post residency, the human beings on the table are the

same, with the same propensity for problems. In the 300+ instances,

I am sure that Dr. K has seen most everything that he is likely to

see - probably thrice+. I kind of like his success rate, too.

These surgeons do have contact with one another for support, too.

Being in Delano doesn't equate to the Eastern Sahara.

After reading your description of your panni, there was no way on

this earth that I would have one. In truth, I think that your DS

surgery would have been better to prepare you for the panni and not

the reverse.

As far as the labor market, it doesn't much matter. What does is

that a surgeon has selected personnel in whom he or she has a

realistic confidence will do things they way they want and that they

will reflect whatever culture that doctor wishes to project. Among

the California 3, only Dr. K and his team pass muster.

You should have the medal, though, for your strenght and resolve that

you maintained through that panni ordeal.

Best-

Nick in Sage

[Guest guest]

> In a message dated 8/18/2001 4:59:35 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

> tlarussa@p... writes:

>

> << think that it is unwise, when choosing a surgeon, to place a lot

of

> emphasis on how much you like the office staff. After all, the

> person who answers the phone is most likely NOT the person who is

> going to cut you open and rearrange your insides. >>

>

Personally, I feel there should be great emphasis on how accessible,

agreeable, and organized a surgeons office staff is. It is a

secondary consideration, however, just having had a total knee

replacement, my surgeon went on vacation 3 days after my surgery.

Sadly to say, his partners share neither his bedside manner, care for

patients, or treatment options as my surgeon did. This did not

become a problem until such time as my surgeon left and I was unable

to reach him to contradict some orders his partners made. My

occupational therapist and physical therapist pointed out quite

clearly how my surgeon differs drastically from his partners. As for

the office, there was a mix up on my medications upon release from

the hospital. The " assistant " I was forced to deal with, made

matters that could have easily been rectified a post operative

nightmare. Let me tell you, when you first get home from the

hospital, it is not the time to be hassling with " protective "

or " ineffective " staff. Inaccesability is the absolute worst thing

you can deal with, when you wonderful surgeon is protected from his

staff. Now, I wonder why a surgeon would need to be protected from

their clients but as soon as I speak with my surgeon, we will have

this out.

Fortunately, I had befriended one staff memeber prior to surgery, and

I have had to back door my way into the office through her, and she

has been a godsend. Unfortunately, she is not the reception staff,

and if I had not had a private line through to her, I would be out in

the cold.

So remember, just in my point of view, the surgeons expertise while

critical is required during the surgery. After that point, if you

cannot get through to your surgeon for continued care, you have

missed the largest portion of care, that of recovery. This is my not

so humble opinion, and currently, and the amount of pain killers I am

on, am I feeling quite the goddess tonight, so please don't debate

me! (that was intended to be humourous, by the way!)

God speed, god blend, oh goodness,

Theresa

[Guest guest]

> In a message dated 8/18/2001 4:59:35 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

> tlarussa@p... writes:

>

> << think that it is unwise, when choosing a surgeon, to place a lot

of

> emphasis on how much you like the office staff. After all, the

> person who answers the phone is most likely NOT the person who is

> going to cut you open and rearrange your insides. >>

>

Personally, I feel there should be great emphasis on how accessible,

agreeable, and organized a surgeons office staff is. It is a

secondary consideration, however, just having had a total knee

replacement, my surgeon went on vacation 3 days after my surgery.

Sadly to say, his partners share neither his bedside manner, care for

patients, or treatment options as my surgeon did. This did not

become a problem until such time as my surgeon left and I was unable

to reach him to contradict some orders his partners made. My

occupational therapist and physical therapist pointed out quite

clearly how my surgeon differs drastically from his partners. As for

the office, there was a mix up on my medications upon release from

the hospital. The " assistant " I was forced to deal with, made

matters that could have easily been rectified a post operative

nightmare. Let me tell you, when you first get home from the

hospital, it is not the time to be hassling with " protective "

or " ineffective " staff. Inaccesability is the absolute worst thing

you can deal with, when you wonderful surgeon is protected from his

staff. Now, I wonder why a surgeon would need to be protected from

their clients but as soon as I speak with my surgeon, we will have

this out.

Fortunately, I had befriended one staff memeber prior to surgery, and

I have had to back door my way into the office through her, and she

has been a godsend. Unfortunately, she is not the reception staff,

and if I had not had a private line through to her, I would be out in

the cold.

So remember, just in my point of view, the surgeons expertise while

critical is required during the surgery. After that point, if you

cannot get through to your surgeon for continued care, you have

missed the largest portion of care, that of recovery. This is my not

so humble opinion, and currently, and the amount of pain killers I am

on, am I feeling quite the goddess tonight, so please don't debate

me! (that was intended to be humourous, by the way!)

God speed, god blend, oh goodness,

Theresa

[Guest guest]

Tom,

Here is my Moltov Cocktail.

The surgeon will most likely spend less time with us and it is the office

staff that we need to depend on, to trust, and to keep us well informed. If

I have to deal with people screaming at me for asking questions for most of

my calls to the office, I don't think I feel very good about the surgery and

I think my recovery time could be made faster. If I have a potential

complication, I want to be able to feel good about calling the office and

not fearing that I'm intruding. If I was afraid to call, I could have a

negative complication that could take my life. I am Paying these people's

salaries, I expect nothing less than excellent customer service, good

surgeon OR not.

Nahodil

Re: Lap DS or Lap RNY or open DS or...

Hi all:

> The fact that Dr. K is in network for me is

> a huge selling point, but being able to call

> his office and get information without getting

> snapped at is even better.

I know I'm going to get my head taken off for saying this, but what

the heck, that's never stopped me in the past, so why should it now?

Here goes...

I think that it is unwise, when choosing a surgeon, to place a lot of

emphasis on how much you like the office staff. After all, the

person who answers the phone is most likely NOT the person who is

going to cut you open and rearrange your insides.

It amazes me how often I see people talking about switching SURGEONS

because they don't feel properly loved by the office staff at either

Dr. Rabkin's office or Dr. Anthone's office. Yes, both of those

offices can be a bit chaotic, slow to answer calls, etc., but let's

consider why, shall we?

First off, Dr. Rabkin & Dr. Anthone are located in major metropolitan

areas, where the cost of living is extremely high and the quality of

employee one can hire for clerk-type wages is pretty low. Dr.

Kesheshian, on the other hand, practices in Delano, which is in an

agricultural region. Wages & the cost of living in Delano are quite

low by the standards of San Francisco or Los Angeles, and jobs in

Delano are probably not real easy to come by, unless you are into

picking table grapes.

Second, Drs. Rabkin and Anthone are both world-class surgeons -- as

such, they are very much in demand, therefore their offices are quite

busy, and their staffs tend to be a bit frazzled. I don't mean to

offend the many (very vocal) persons on this list who adore Dr. K,

who is apparently an absolute prince among men, but...

When compared to Dr. Rabkin or Dr. Anthone, in terms of training

and experience Dr. K just is ... well, he's like a baseball player

who has just been called up from the minors -- great fastball hitter,

but can he hit a major league curve, and can he stay in the box when

the 105 mile-per-hour fastballs are coming in high and tight? He may

be the next Mark McGuire, but then again he may not. Time will

tell...

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Dr. K. He has an

excellent record thus far, and his patients appear to do quite well.

He seems to be very cautious and conservative when it comes to

matters of patient safety -- this is something that I HIGHLY approve

of in a surgeon.

And, as many have pointed out to me in the past, (pointed, as in with

a HARPOON), some patients simply prefer the dynamism of youth to the

steadiness of the more " seasoned " surgeon. Now that I'm older and

wiser (than I was three or four months ago) I can accept that as a

valid point of view.

So, if you've looked at all the information on the different docs and

decide that Dr. K is your guy, then that's fine. But don't make such

an important decision based on how nice the office clerks are!

Remember: Larry Young said his surgeon's office staff was just great!

Okay, start lighting up your Molotov coctails...

Tom

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Tom,

Here is my Moltov Cocktail.

The surgeon will most likely spend less time with us and it is the office

staff that we need to depend on, to trust, and to keep us well informed. If

I have to deal with people screaming at me for asking questions for most of

my calls to the office, I don't think I feel very good about the surgery and

I think my recovery time could be made faster. If I have a potential

complication, I want to be able to feel good about calling the office and

not fearing that I'm intruding. If I was afraid to call, I could have a

negative complication that could take my life. I am Paying these people's

salaries, I expect nothing less than excellent customer service, good

surgeon OR not.

Nahodil

Re: Lap DS or Lap RNY or open DS or...

Hi all:

> The fact that Dr. K is in network for me is

> a huge selling point, but being able to call

> his office and get information without getting

> snapped at is even better.

I know I'm going to get my head taken off for saying this, but what

the heck, that's never stopped me in the past, so why should it now?

Here goes...

I think that it is unwise, when choosing a surgeon, to place a lot of

emphasis on how much you like the office staff. After all, the

person who answers the phone is most likely NOT the person who is

going to cut you open and rearrange your insides.

It amazes me how often I see people talking about switching SURGEONS

because they don't feel properly loved by the office staff at either

Dr. Rabkin's office or Dr. Anthone's office. Yes, both of those

offices can be a bit chaotic, slow to answer calls, etc., but let's

consider why, shall we?

First off, Dr. Rabkin & Dr. Anthone are located in major metropolitan

areas, where the cost of living is extremely high and the quality of

employee one can hire for clerk-type wages is pretty low. Dr.

Kesheshian, on the other hand, practices in Delano, which is in an

agricultural region. Wages & the cost of living in Delano are quite

low by the standards of San Francisco or Los Angeles, and jobs in

Delano are probably not real easy to come by, unless you are into

picking table grapes.

Second, Drs. Rabkin and Anthone are both world-class surgeons -- as

such, they are very much in demand, therefore their offices are quite

busy, and their staffs tend to be a bit frazzled. I don't mean to

offend the many (very vocal) persons on this list who adore Dr. K,

who is apparently an absolute prince among men, but...

When compared to Dr. Rabkin or Dr. Anthone, in terms of training

and experience Dr. K just is ... well, he's like a baseball player

who has just been called up from the minors -- great fastball hitter,

but can he hit a major league curve, and can he stay in the box when

the 105 mile-per-hour fastballs are coming in high and tight? He may

be the next Mark McGuire, but then again he may not. Time will

tell...

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Dr. K. He has an

excellent record thus far, and his patients appear to do quite well.

He seems to be very cautious and conservative when it comes to

matters of patient safety -- this is something that I HIGHLY approve

of in a surgeon.

And, as many have pointed out to me in the past, (pointed, as in with

a HARPOON), some patients simply prefer the dynamism of youth to the

steadiness of the more " seasoned " surgeon. Now that I'm older and

wiser (than I was three or four months ago) I can accept that as a

valid point of view.

So, if you've looked at all the information on the different docs and

decide that Dr. K is your guy, then that's fine. But don't make such

an important decision based on how nice the office clerks are!

Remember: Larry Young said his surgeon's office staff was just great!

Okay, start lighting up your Molotov coctails...

Tom

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Theresa,

Glad to see you back. I am glad that you are back on the road to recovery.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

Lisbeth

Dr. Macura

June 25, 2001

Theresa wrote:

> In a message dated 8/18/2001 4:59:35 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

> tlarussa@p... writes:

>

> << think that it is unwise, when choosing a surgeon, to place a lot

of

> emphasis on how much you like the office staff. After all, the

> person who answers the phone is most likely NOT the person who is

> going to cut you open and rearrange your insides. >>

>

Personally, I feel there should be great emphasis on how accessible,

agreeable, and organized a surgeons office staff is. It is a

secondary consideration, however, just having had a total knee

replacement, my surgeon went on vacation 3 days after my surgery.

Sadly to say, his partners share neither his bedside manner, care for

patients, or treatment options as my surgeon did. This did not

become a problem until such time as my surgeon left and I was unable

to reach him to contradict some orders his partners made. My

occupational therapist and physical therapist pointed out quite

clearly how my surgeon differs drastically from his partners. As for

the office, there was a mix up on my medications upon release from

the hospital. The " assistant " I was forced to deal with, made

matters that could have easily been rectified a post operative

nightmare. Let me tell you, when you first get home from the

hospital, it is not the time to be hassling with " protective "

or " ineffective " staff. Inaccesability is the absolute worst thing

you can deal with, when you wonderful surgeon is protected from his

staff. Now, I wonder why a surgeon would need to be protected from

their clients but as soon as I speak with my surgeon, we will have

this out.

Fortunately, I had befriended one staff memeber prior to surgery, and

I have had to back door my way into the office through her, and she

has been a godsend. Unfortunately, she is not the reception staff,

and if I had not had a private line through to her, I would be out in

the cold.

So remember, just in my point of view, the surgeons expertise while

critical is required during the surgery. After that point, if you

cannot get through to your surgeon for continued care, you have

missed the largest portion of care, that of recovery. This is my not

so humble opinion, and currently, and the amount of pain killers I am

on, am I feeling quite the goddess tonight, so please don't debate

me! (that was intended to be humourous, by the way!)

God speed, god blend, oh goodness,

Theresa

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Theresa,

Glad to see you back. I am glad that you are back on the road to recovery.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

Lisbeth

Dr. Macura

June 25, 2001

Theresa wrote:

> In a message dated 8/18/2001 4:59:35 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

> tlarussa@p... writes:

>

> << think that it is unwise, when choosing a surgeon, to place a lot

of

> emphasis on how much you like the office staff. After all, the

> person who answers the phone is most likely NOT the person who is

> going to cut you open and rearrange your insides. >>

>

Personally, I feel there should be great emphasis on how accessible,

agreeable, and organized a surgeons office staff is. It is a

secondary consideration, however, just having had a total knee

replacement, my surgeon went on vacation 3 days after my surgery.

Sadly to say, his partners share neither his bedside manner, care for

patients, or treatment options as my surgeon did. This did not

become a problem until such time as my surgeon left and I was unable

to reach him to contradict some orders his partners made. My

occupational therapist and physical therapist pointed out quite

clearly how my surgeon differs drastically from his partners. As for

the office, there was a mix up on my medications upon release from

the hospital. The " assistant " I was forced to deal with, made

matters that could have easily been rectified a post operative

nightmare. Let me tell you, when you first get home from the

hospital, it is not the time to be hassling with " protective "

or " ineffective " staff. Inaccesability is the absolute worst thing

you can deal with, when you wonderful surgeon is protected from his

staff. Now, I wonder why a surgeon would need to be protected from

their clients but as soon as I speak with my surgeon, we will have

this out.

Fortunately, I had befriended one staff memeber prior to surgery, and

I have had to back door my way into the office through her, and she

has been a godsend. Unfortunately, she is not the reception staff,

and if I had not had a private line through to her, I would be out in

the cold.

So remember, just in my point of view, the surgeons expertise while

critical is required during the surgery. After that point, if you

cannot get through to your surgeon for continued care, you have

missed the largest portion of care, that of recovery. This is my not

so humble opinion, and currently, and the amount of pain killers I am

on, am I feeling quite the goddess tonight, so please don't debate

me! (that was intended to be humourous, by the way!)

God speed, god blend, oh goodness,

Theresa

----------------------------------------------------------------------