2/6 Surgery Date..dr. D. Kim..forest Park Medical Center-Dallas

[former_vbg 198]

I was an out of state patient at Forest Park with Dr. Stewart. Overall, it was ok, but personally I was not happy with Forest Park at all. I found many of the nurses to be either rude or just simply unaware of what people need who go through WLS.

Many of the nurses had very poor skills in drawing blood. On morning #2, they wake me at 4AM to draw blood. THey weren't wearing gloves which is an OSHA violation. I'm ok with not using gloves to find a vein, but not wearing gloves when drawing blood is a problem. Yes, I am probably more of a risk to them than them to me, but it still made me furious. It also took FIVE different nurses, before finally calling the Phlebotomist (sp?) to come up and he dres blood the first time. I have had blood drawn multiple times before and there has never been a problem drawing blood on me.

I was also upset that I was told prior to arriving there that this was a hospital. It is NOT. If anything goes seriously wrong, you have to hope they can stabilize you to get transported to a fully functioning hospital. The day before I went in to get my paperwork done and I realized this, it TOTALLY freaked me out. I asked one of the nurses about what would happen to me if something went wrong. She pointed to this mobile thing on wheels that had those paddles they use to recucitate people and it had some other things in that station I don't remember. Bottomline, better hope you don't have anything major go wrong and if you do that you can get transported in time to get taken care of.

Another issue with the nurses was on day #2, I had ALOT of pain in my lower left which I knew to expect. I asked for a trapeze bar because it was painful trying to pull myself up to get out of bed. Know what the nurse told me? She told me to raise my hands up and pull myself up higher in the bed and then swing my legs out. I was like WTF, do you not realize I just had major abdominal surgery? Finally, after complaining to the ON-CALL doctor, I got the trapeze bar several hours later.

The one that topped the cake for me was on day #2, the Forest Park staff Doctor who oversees the patients for the surgical docs who do our surgery walks into my room that afternoon WITH my chart held by her hip saying, "I see you had the DS surgery, you should be ok to go home today". My heart sunk when she said that thinking.... I BETTER NOT have had the DS surgery. I just looked at her and said, "I wasn't supposed to have the DS surgery". So, then she says, "what surgery did you have?" If I had been feeling better I probably would have lept up and strangled the lady. Ok, maybe not, but I sure felt like it. I told her I was supposed to have the Sleeve. She says, "Oh, ok and then after a few more exchanges, she walks out". A few minutes later, I beeped the nurses station and asked to speak to the head nurse. I was LIVID! I told her that this doctor was NOT going to make the decision of whether I would be released if she couldn't take 30 seconds to read my DAMN chart before she walks in my room. Her response was, "well, she is busy, we have lots of patients". I'm like, I don't care how many patients she has. It's her JOB to at least know what procedure people have had before making stupid statements like that.

I could go on. I guess my suggestion to you is to make sure you have someone there that can be your advocate. I was ther by myself and this just added to the stress.

Probably the only positive thing I can say about Forest Park is they do have Patient Advocates and that lady came to see me before surgery and then afterwards. I told her exactly what I thought of the facility. She was very kind and understanding, apologized for the ongoing issues I had been having and promised to make notes with her reports. Maybe my complaints have helped, but not sure. I would NEVER go back there- ever. I will also make sure that before I ever have another surgery that I find out if it is a hospital or surgical center. I would be ok w/a surgical center for something less invasive- but never something like this but that is me.

[Dooter 1,457]

Let me know if I missed anything! Good luck, your surgery is going to go great, and you'll be so happy you did it.

OH OH!! When do they do the leak test? Soon after the surgery is over? I hope?

[Dooter 1,457]

Well, I'm REAAALLY hoping that this will be the kind of thing that will fluctuate with the days or months. Kinda like having a bad restaurant experience. You might have the best meal of your life one week and the next ...bad service, lousy cook, etc. I know this is more important to get right, but you take my meaning...

I was an out of state patient at Forest Park with Dr. Stewart. Overall, it was ok, but personally I was not happy with Forest Park at all. I found many of the nurses to be either rude or just simply unaware of what people need who go through WLS. Many of the nurses had very poor skills in drawing blood. On morning #2, they wake me at 4AM to draw blood. THey weren't wearing gloves which is an OSHA violation. I'm ok with not using gloves to find a vein, but not wearing gloves when drawing blood is a problem. Yes, I am probably more of a risk to them than them to me, but it still made me furious. It also took FIVE different nurses, before finally calling the Phlebotomist (sp?) to come up and he dres blood the first time. I have had blood drawn multiple times before and there has never been a problem drawing blood on me. I was also upset that I was told prior to arriving there that this was a hospital. It is NOT. If anything goes seriously wrong, you have to hope they can stabilize you to get transported to a fully functioning hospital. The day before I went in to get my paperwork done and I realized this, it TOTALLY freaked me out. I asked one of the nurses about what would happen to me if something went wrong. She pointed to this mobile thing on wheels that had those paddles they use to recucitate people and it had some other things in that station I don't remember. Bottomline, better hope you don't have anything major go wrong and if you do that you can get transported in time to get taken care of. Another issue with the nurses was on day #2, I had ALOT of pain in my lower left which I knew to expect. I asked for a trapeze bar because it was painful trying to pull myself up to get out of bed. Know what the nurse told me? She told me to raise my hands up and pull myself up higher in the bed and then swing my legs out. I was like WTF, do you not realize I just had major abdominal surgery? Finally, after complaining to the ON-CALL doctor, I got the trapeze bar several hours later. The one that topped the cake for me was on day #2, the Forest Park staff Doctor who oversees the patients for the surgical docs who do our surgery walks into my room that afternoon WITH my chart held by her hip saying, "I see you had the DS surgery, you should be ok to go home today". My heart sunk when she said that thinking.... I BETTER NOT have had the DS surgery. I just looked at her and said, "I wasn't supposed to have the DS surgery". So, then she says, "what surgery did you have?" If I had been feeling better I probably would have lept up and strangled the lady. Ok, maybe not, but I sure felt like it. I told her I was supposed to have the Sleeve. She says, "Oh, ok and then after a few more exchanges, she walks out". A few minutes later, I beeped the nurses station and asked to speak to the head nurse. I was LIVID! I told her that this doctor was NOT going to make the decision of whether I would be released if she couldn't take 30 seconds to read my DAMN chart before she walks in my room. Her response was, "well, she is busy, we have lots of patients". I'm like, I don't care how many patients she has. It's her JOB to at least know what procedure people have had before making stupid statements like that. I could go on. I guess my suggestion to you is to make sure you have someone there that can be your advocate. I was ther by myself and this just added to the stress. Probably the only positive thing I can say about Forest Park is they do have Patient Advocates and that lady came to see me before surgery and then afterwards. I told her exactly what I thought of the facility. She was very kind and understanding, apologized for the ongoing issues I had been having and promised to make notes with her reports. Maybe my complaints have helped, but not sure. I would NEVER go back there- ever. I will also make sure that before I ever have another surgery that I find out if it is a hospital or surgical center. I would be ok w/a surgical center for something less invasive- but never something like this but that is me.

[former_vbg 198]

That's going to be different with each Dr. My Dr. did 2 different leak tests but all before my surgery was completed. There wasn't one done once I got to my room. I would ask your Dr. when he does them.

OH OH!! When do they do the leak test? Soon after the surgery is over? I hope?