Oregon or Washington

[Guest organizer31]

I am looking for a fill / follow-up doc in Oregon or Washington. I live in Vancouver, WA (a suburb of Portland, Oregon) but am willing to travel a little to get a good doctor at a reasonable rate who sees patients other than their own.

[hagerteresa 3]

Tom U-Bank, Portland Surgical specialist

Kelly Fitzpatrick

I think there were a few more in portland and then one in Coos Bay, Klamath Falls, Bend was iffy they would take me. I can get you phone numbers of those two Portland ones. I haven't needed a fill yet but am planning on using Tom U-Bank when I need one. Hope that helps, Teresa

[Guest organizer31]

Thanks. I would like those numbers if you don't mind giving them.

How are you doing with your band? If you haven't needed fills yet I assume that the band is still doing it job?

Thanks again.

Darci

[hagerteresa 3]

Hi Darci,

I sent you a personal email too with Tom Eubanks number. I am still looking for Kelly Fitzpatricks phone number too. I don't know why I am still losing honestly. I do watch my calories and follow all the other rules as much as possible. The only excercise beside my house cleaning job and whatever daily life style walking I do is Water aerobics twice a week, but alas... I am still losing and I am darn happy about it too. I have heard that heavier people do lose more quickly at first but it will get harder later. I think the closer you are to goal the harder it is by my observation. I lost 3.3 lbs each week for the last two weeks and closer to 4 lbs the weeks prior to that and am now at a 46 lb loss 10 1/2 weeks out. I saw one lady on here recently who weighed something like 425 initially and was banded almost 3 weeks after me and has lost close to 75 lbs. I was amazed. Nothing would surprise me. I think I will keep losing at the current restriction for at least a couple of more weeks but who knows???? I always dread going in and weighing like it was my old diet failure days and then I am always happily surprised to see a loss. How have you done? Let me know who you get a fill with and how it goes. I'll keep looking for Kelly's number. Someone else mentioned something about knowing a fill doctor in Portland on another thread so I asked her who she knew. Still waiting for a response. Teresa

[Guest jessg]

Ki Hyun Oh (253) 275-6030 FEDERAL WAY, WA

Dr. K. Clinch (425) 899-5500 KIRKLAND, WA

S. Ross Fox 1-888-599-SLIM TACOMA, WA

These guys are listed from cheapest to most expensive.

Hope this helps!

Jessie

[Rebecca 0]

hi Hagerteresa, I would like the numbers of Oregon fill doctors too, if you wouldn't mind. (These are doctors that will do the fill even if they didn't do the actual surgery, right?). I have gotten one fill, but having to wait a while to get together the $ for another. thanks! Rebecca

[StartingOver 6]

I see Dr. Ross Fox in Tacoma. His number is listed in a previous post on this thread.

[hagerteresa 3]

Hi Rebecca,

Fills are a bit of a problem in Oregon right now. My beloved Dr. Eubanks lost his bariatric insurance due to a by-pass problem (from what I understand) and can't do fills anymore. He was an awesome doctor and miss him greatly. His prices were also very reasonable. I keep meaning to try and call his office again just to see if he is back in business again but doubt he is. Otherwise there is Dr. Tersigni in Coos Bay (haven't tried him, I think a non-flouro fill is $300 and flouro is available but only used if he has a problem accessing the port) There is a doctor in Klamath Falls too but I don't know anything about them and I know the Bend doctors don't take Mexico patients (or at least they didn't when I checked a couple of years ago). Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Best wishes, Teresa

P.S. What part of Oregon do you live in?

[hagerteresa 3]

My friend tried Dr. Neil in Washington because she was having port problems. Her insurance was willing to help fix the problem but that doctors office refused to return her phone calls for months so she could schedule port surgery and didn't want to deal with insurance inconveniences. Once she did get a hold of their office they whined and cried about the inconvenience of billing the insurance for certain percentages of the procedure but said they would help her and get it figured out...2 months later she still has the same port problem and they haven't called her back and this is after she gave them almost $600 and drove 10 hours round trip to have it looked at. At one point the nurse practitioner told her that maybe she needed to go back to Mexico for port surgery!!! I had gone with her for that first visit to Neils office so I could meet him and get established as a patient in his office. Now she is going to see Dr. Tersigni for help. I was going to be Dr. Neils patient but after that whole incident I can tell he really doesn't care for his patients or their well being. I won't pay for that kind of service, especially after having such a good doctor. I have heard bad things about Tersigni and his bed side manner but at least he is willing to follow thru with helping my friend. AND he is the first band doctor who has even suggested that she have an endoscopy just to rule out erosion. Best of luck, Teresa

[Rebecca 0]

Thanks for the info Teresa. I'm in Hillsboro, Oregon. Sorry to hear about Dr. Eubanks' troubles. I can call him and check for updates if you have the number. (He doesn't come up on obesityhelp.com's list of bariatric surgeons in Oregon). A friend of mine with a lap band has had fills in Mexico and fills in the states. She said they are MUCH more generous with the fills (and cheaper of course) in Mexico. They just go for it and give you a good tight fill. Here they want to give you drips and drops and overly cautious about it. :0( Which ends up not as effective, and more expensive with all the return visits to get a little more. So . . I think she gave up on the Washington doctors and will just return to TJ mexico for fills. I'll still stay open to finding someone who is closeby if I can find a good one. Otherwise, will just have to head back to mexico too, if I want to make progress on this weight thingy . . :0)

[Figment 0]

I was the 5th Patient at OHSU to have the Lap Band in April 2003. The port was not placed correctly and my 1st Doc had moved new MD had to fix port tubing kinked. My port is 2 fingers above my belly button and is tilted since that is where most of by belly fat is. New MD has a hell of a time to fill my port. My last fill was June of 04 tried in Jan of 05 however he could not access port even under fluro. I have 4.25 cc and do not dare try to get any more because if it is too tight he would be unable to unflill quickly. I have only lost 68 lbs since having the band. MD wants to repostion port that would mean another surgery. Would like to have a second oppion prior to having port moved. Dr. Patterson refused she would not look at another MD work.

[Rebecca 0]

Let me get this right. You had your lap band put in here in Oregon, and still having trouble getting proper follow-up care? and I thought Patterson was just snotty to Mexico patients. don't understand the trip.

[Figment 0]

No Dr. Patterson will not look at another Doctors work period. What is so Ironic is the MD that is following me now having a hard time with the fills. Was an intern under her prior to setting up practice at OHSU. I do like my MD however the 1st surgeon screwed up and I am not sure if I want to have the port moved. This would cause a lager scar and the tubing would have to be more exposed for possible leaks. All I was asking for was an other oppinion prior to even thinking about another surgery.:phanvan

Banded 04/04/2003

Starting weight 258

current weight 192

goal weight happy with 150