Really frustrated with surgeon

[excited2lose 0]

I had an appointment set up for this morning-it has been set for 2 weeks. I called prior to talk to my nurse-who is never any help on the phone. Anyway, the appt was for 10:15. I get there right on time, they take me back immediately. I had my 1 year old with me. Tick, tick, tick... 11:45 rolls around and no one had even attempted to tell me what was going on-no doctor, no nurse. My daughter had a half day at school so I had to go. I packed up our stuff and went to the lobby (i couldn't find anyone back near the examining rooms). A nurse was standing by the desk and I said "Hey, I am sorry, but I can't wait anymore." She just stared at me. I said "I have to go, but I have been waiting an hour and a half. I have to go get my daughter." The nurse LAUGHED in my face, rolled her eyes, took my file and turned her back on me. No one said "Hey, let's reschedule" or "I'm Sorry!" Nothing. I just turned around and walked out. I had tears in my eyes (I know, I am a baby-but I REALLY wanted to see the doctor today. I have a lot of questions.). I left and I thought "Oh, they will call me. They know my number."

Do you think one person has called me today? No. I feel like they don't care at all! This was a huge procedure and I guess I was hoping for a little sympathy and caring. Nope. If you remember, I wasn't too happy with him after the surgery, but he redeemed himself with me. I guess I need to just follow up with my GP because I am so tired of this. :001_smile:

[ishary 0]

I had an appointment set up for this morning-it has been set for 2 weeks. I called prior to talk to my nurse-who is never any help on the phone. Anyway, the appt was for 10:15. I get there right on time, they take me back immediately. I had my 1 year old with me. Tick, tick, tick... 11:45 rolls around and no one had even attempted to tell me what was going on-no doctor, no nurse. My daughter had a half day at school so I had to go. I packed up our stuff and went to the lobby (i couldn't find anyone back near the examining rooms). A nurse was standing by the desk and I said "Hey, I am sorry, but I can't wait anymore." She just stared at me. I said "I have to go, but I have been waiting an hour and a half. I have to go get my daughter." The nurse LAUGHED in my face, rolled her eyes, took my file and turned her back on me. No one said "Hey, let's reschedule" or "I'm Sorry!" Nothing. I just turned around and walked out. I had tears in my eyes (I know, I am a baby-but I REALLY wanted to see the doctor today. I have a lot of questions.). I left and I thought "Oh, they will call me. They know my number."

Do you think one person has called me today? No. I feel like they don't care at all! This was a huge procedure and I guess I was hoping for a little sympathy and caring. Nope. If you remember, I wasn't too happy with him after the surgery, but he redeemed himself with me. I guess I need to just follow up with my GP because I am so tired of this. :001_smile:

You need to send them a bill for your time!!

Seriously!

I would write out a letter explaining the rude treatment that you received from the office staff and include an invoice for the time they left you to sit and include gas and mileage as well.

Send a copy of the letter to the Chief of Staff.

[Tiffykins 673]

I would call and write a letter, send it certified mail with signature required to the office manager, and CC the doctor.

Explain to them very professional how discourteous that staff was to you, the long wait time with zero notification or warning that you may have to wait.

I'm a great, angry, yet professional letter writer, so if you want help, I'll be more than happy to help you.

They need to know that you are dissatisfied, that you feel you left without anyone caring about your aftercare, or if you were having any problems.

[excited2lose 0]

So at 4 pm today I called them. I asked them if they were ever going to call me and she just laughed. Ugh. I said "Look, i need to know what happened today. I understand there are emergencies and sometimes things just run late. I totally understand. But no one came to tell me or even tried to reschedule when I said I was leaving. I thought you would at least call me today but nope. Does post op care not matter to you?" (I Know this was a little snarky, but they really upset me today) She said "Well, we would have eventually called you...at some point." Ugh. So I said "Look, I am going on vacation next week and I really need to talk to the doctor." She said she would get the message to him right away-he was in the back and he would call me before he left today. She also said that she was taking a message to their patient advocate and she would also call me today.

Do you think either one called? Hell no.

[Mary Gordon 3]

have you tried another surgeon?

[Tiffykins 673]

What an a$$hat. I'm sorry you are having to deal with them.

I wouldn't even speak to her again. I would call and speak directly to a patient advocate, and/or the office manager immediately.

If this office is part of a center of excellence, you know when patients leave they lose funding. If your surgeon doesn't care, find a new one.

[MidwestGirl 8]

OMG. I would be irate! That is ridiculous! Wow, I'm sorry you're dealing with these jerks. I would do what both ishary and Tiffykins suggested and then, like Mary, find someone else if possible. Excuse my language, but those assholes don't deserve your patience or your business. Screw 'em!

Sorry if I've offended anyone. It's been one of those days. :thumbup1:

[excited2lose 0]

OMG. I would be irate! That is ridiculous! Wow, I'm sorry you're dealing with these jerks. I would do what both ishary and Tiffykins suggested and then, like Mary, find someone else if possible. Excuse my language, but those assholes don't deserve your patience or your business. Screw 'em!

Sorry if I've offended anyone. It's been one of those days. :thumbup1:

No offense here. I have been cussing like a sailor all day today over this.

Tiff, this IS a center of excellence. My husband suggested also calling my insurance about it too. Any other suggestions? I will write a letter for sure.

The thing is-this is the only guy here that does sleeves. There is one other guy but he is really based out of Cincy and just has a satellite office here. I called another bariatric surgeon and asked if they would accept me for post op care and they said the surgeon (although she doesn't do sleeves) would review my case and get back to me.

I just wish someone would help me with my nausea and my cramping. If we could fix that, I would be good to go. I just wanted to ask him what I could do to help those two issues!

[Tiffykins 673]

I would call your PCM and get them to give you a script for either Phenegran or Zofran.

If my surgeon was being an a$$hat, I would go to my PCM to get some relief until I could get to a surgeon to see how my sleeve was doing.

When are you getting nauseated? I sucked on peppermints because they are naturally soothing on the tummy. If you can tolerate ginger, it can also calm your stomach.

Are you on a true acid reducer?

Have you been able to get in enough fluids? If not get some Pedialyte, gatorade, or Powerade to get your electrolytes up.

Dehydration can cause nausea.

What food stage are you at?

I'll try to help as much as I can. I can read it in your posts how frustrated you are.

That nurse/receptionist sounds like a totally tool, and I had the same issues with my band surgeon and his staff. The worse part was his office manager/head nurse was also his wife.

When I left his practice, I told him "I guess the reason you don't care nor were never notified about my complaints and concerns, is that you are obviously more concerned with keeping the one woman who is willing to get her knees and slob your knob for you at the end of the day happy, instead of the quality of life for your patients post-op."

I was passed the point of being polite and professional. I can't even type out what I told his wife when I went to pick up my medical records.

[excited2lose 0]

Tiffy said "slob your knob" :thumbup1: You made me laugh!

I am on mushies. I am seriously about to just go on the advice of that Cornell study instead of my surgeon. He has never mentioned when I go from mushies to soft foods. At this rate, I will never make it to soft food because it doesn't look as though I will ever see him again.

I feel nauseated when I have the cramping. The cramping happens after I eat anything. Sometimes it even happens after I have Water. Sometimes it ends with diarrhea. Other times it doesn't. Some times I also have a pain like where my gall bladder would be? (though it was removed 2 years ago) The pain is just awful. Usually if I lay on my side in the fetal position, it will subside within an hour or so. So the nausea and the pain go hand in hand. I am on prilosec 20g, 1 per day. I take it at night.

The peppermints don't have too much sugar? Sometimes I really really want something to suck on (don't take that dirty, my friends) like a candy (not a TON, just like once every other day or so) but I wasn't sure I could ever do that again.

[Tiffykins 673]

I think they have sugar-free peppermints that still have natural peppermint oil.

I also bought ginger root from the produce department, and took a tiny slicy, and let it dissolve in hot herbal tea. That helped tons.

That is definitely not normal, that's what happened when I was having gallbladder issues.

I hope you can find another surgeon to take you on. If all else fails, hit up an urgent care, or even the ER, and ask to get a CT of your sleeve.

Maybe that'll wake up your surgeon? You may need to get scoped if they can't find anything on CT.

[Tiffykins 673]

Sorry, forget to mention, if you're having pain with mushies do not progress to regular food. Maybe even go back to full liquids for a day and see if that helps any.

Have you noticed if it's happening when you eat or drink dairy? Like after your Protein shake made with milk? You could be lactose intolerant. I dealt with that post-op, and could only really eat yogurt. No milk, whey Protein supplements made me nauseated, so could that be a culprit?

[excited2lose 0]

Okay. I will do that for sure. I had hyperemisis with both of my pregnancies and sometimes the ginger did help, so I will try that for sure.

I am willing to stay home from my trip next week if it means I can get this taken care of. I am tired of feeling like crap!

[excited2lose 0]

Sorry, forget to mention, if you're having pain with mushies do not progress to regular food. Maybe even go back to full liquids for a day and see if that helps any.

Have you noticed if it's happening when you eat or drink dairy? Like after your Protein shake made with milk? You could be lactose intolerant. I dealt with that post-op, and could only really eat yogurt. No milk, whey Protein supplements made me nauseated, so could that be a culprit?

Well, last night I had some really ripe watermelon and it did it. (and some water) It does it after just about anything.

[Tiffykins 673]

Hmmm, I would cut dairy out for a couple of days, maybe pick up some Probiotics?

Actually, I have some extra high quality Probiotics, shoot me a message with your address, I'll ship them to you, they are tasteless dissolvable little crystals. And, they work great.