The saga continues

When the hospitalist came in yesterday morning and told me the gastro guy wants to run all the tests outpatient I said OK.  So when I got home yesterday I called his office and they can't schedule me because they don't have the paperwork from the hospital yet. They don't know the urgency and have the right code to open up the urgent appts. So they tell me they will call me today. So, I get up today, no call. I called them and they still don't have the papers from the hospital. I told the lady on the phone how urgent this is and so she put me on hold and found my file they started. The doc flagged it, but no instructions. So I have to wait until TOMORROW while she messages him again. Part 2-I called my PCP on call last night because I was really weak and shaky, like I was when I collapsed and fell. I told him I wanted to go to a different ER because of the poor treatment I got where I went. He suggested that I actually GO up to the bariatric clinic today and walk in there, so they can see my skeletal self, and see the urgency of my request, and try to get an appt. with one of the bariatric doctors there. He seems to think one of them can do a revision so I don't have to go to Las Vegas to get this done. So I have a call in to my PCP (not the on-call) to see if she agrees. I think I may have better results if she calls up there and advocates for me, rather than me just walking in. So I await that call. And I called the hospital yesterday to complain about my treatment there. I think i will have to follow up more on that. I got the assistant to the VP of patient affairs. I got a call back from the nursing supervisor on the floor where I was staying. She said she would look into what happened and I should have been treated better. Oh, and forgot to tell you what the dietician said.  She came in yesterday and said, I don't have experience with WLS patients. You probably know more than me about your nutrition.  She suggested I get in touch with a dietician at OHSU as well. The bad news is, since I checked in to the hospital day before yesterday, I've lost another 5 lbs. I'm down to 96 now. It's getting urgent. I don't think I will have time to run tests, but rather just get this revision done and hope that answers it. Oh, and I got an e-mail from my surgeon last night. It said in the subject line: Hi Kim, you need a revision. Body said: Hi, I think you need a revision. DrR. How the heck am I supposed to react to that? I don't even know if I trust this guy anymore. There is so much out of my hands. And I try to advocate for myself and do the best I can. I just hope I'm making the right decisions for my health. I know there are no guarantees, but I don't want to make a mistake that could cost me my life. Your continued prayers are appreciated. I'm so drained.

What a terrible thing to read the way the hospital, gastro guy, and Dr. R treated you!  Your PCP is doing the best that he knows how. The way that Dr. R. is treating you post-op is so reprehensible and callous that I would have reported him to the Nevada Board of Medical Examiners.  It appears that Dr. R. is washing his hands off you now.  I hope you save all correspondence to and from Dr. R. and his office as evidence for a possible malpractice lawsuit if it comes to this. Since the need for help is urgent right now, the best bet is to go to ER at OHSU and get yourself admitted to the bariatric unit so that the bariatric surgeons would have to see you.  Have your PCP back you up on this. I pray that your situation gets resolved before it gets much worse.

GO TO OHSU NOW- OR CALL (503) 494-4373 bARIATRIC SURGERY CENTER- get someone to take you there & maybe you can get hold of SUSAN FEE Bariatric Nurse Practionr....

I have been reading about your medical issues in both the Oregon and main boards.  Apparently, you did not say if you are taking any nutritional supplements such as multivitamin supplement, calcium supplement, or vitamins ADEK?  If not, then your serious malabsorption, tremors, and other medical problems may be caused by lack of nutritional supplements.   I am not a doctor, but you should check with Susan Fee at the bariatric clinic at OHSU at the phone number given by Lowellian.  She is a NP and can write prescriptions as necessary.  Or, she can talk with one of the bariatric surgeons and advise you. If you still are very seriously ill, then you should go to the ER at OHSU, as I mentioned in my earlier post on this thread.  It looks as if time is of the essence and action should be taken.

I have been and continue to take my supplements religiously.  All my vitamin levels are within a normal range.  This includes the B vitamins and fat soluble vitamins.  This is part of the dilemma of why I'm continuing to malabsorb if my vitamin levels are still within normal.   I am going to prepare a packet consisting of a print out of the diagram of the surgery I had, the phone numbers for my surgeon, PCP and hospital, and overnight bag.  In the meantime, hopefully my PCP will call.  I will plan to call and/or go to OHSU with or without the advocacy of my PCP.  I think I will respond back to Dr. R's e-mail urging him to comply with my request to send my surgical records to my PCP as was requested last Friday.   I'm off to eat, then take a shower, then get my stuff together.  I hope this sounds like a reasonable plan.

I stand corrected.  Your plan is reasonable to me.  We want you to get better.

Kim - your plan sounds really reasonable.  If you go to OHSU, you don't have to go up the hill to the hospital.  Go to the Health/Wellness Center right off I-5 by the Ross Island Bridge.  The Digestive Health Center is on the 6th Floor.  Linda

Oh thank you! That will save me looking.

Sounds like good plan!

What a nightmare, you poor thing.  Please keep us updated. I'm praying for you!