OSHU

I'm sorry to hear your having so much trouble.  I just had my RNY at OHSU and it did take forever to get all my paperwork in a row (at least it seemed that way).  I started the process in January, received my 1st appointment in June, final approval in August for a October Op date.  Unfortunately due to conflicting committments I had to change the date until November...so I know it takes a long time.

I did like my surgeon and his PA-RN's.  I had Dr. Deveney.  I had generally good care but I do have to say that some of the hospitals staff has a lot of learning to do or they need to get out of the 'people' business.  Especially the night nursing staff.  But to probably be fair to them, they had the least amount of staff to cover a full floor and with several 'late' admits to the floor they were kept hopping.  I wasn't pleased with the room accomadations, the bed I was given was the last on the floor and had NO privacy.  It was a semi-private room but the other person had to come into your curtained area to get into the bathroom...nice to wake up in the middle of the night with someone staring at you in the dark, or worse yet having the bathroom light come on and off everytime your roommate or the nurses needed to go into the bathroom.  So I give my room a rating of F for total failure.

The service at the doctors office has been pretty good except for the last time I was there.  I was told when to set my next appointment up for and tried to do that with the office staff.  There was no openings available for that person to use so I was told they would call me....days went by, I used the special MY Chart e-mail to request the appointment from the appointment people....days went by...no answer.  I finally e-mailed the Doctors staff...got a reply by e-mail several days later (but too late for me to make arrangements to travel the 100+ miles to the hospital) to come in and they would work me in because it was the surgeons last day until Jan 12th.  No wonder he was booked full...but that's not my problem.  I was then offered the option of coming up and seeing the NP.....the week before Christmas.  Heck no, last thing I wanted to do is travel that far the day before christmas to see a NP for a follow-up that they couldn't set up right in the first place.  (I traveled home from my op the day before Thanksgiving and it took over 4 hours the Portland traffic was so bad...and am I glad I didn't have to travel up there those 2 weeks before Christmas with all that snow...so I guess I can look at that as a bright side)  But that now leaves me with no follow-up until my 3 month check...at least I guess they will contact me then about a appointment????  I don't really know.

I too would suggest having someone along with you and make it known before your surgery that you want a private room because you will have someone with you at all times!  They will try to tell you they can't promice it, but they did really try hard to get it for my last roommate for the next day. 
I'm still waiting for OHSU Hospital quality control staff to contact me about problems I had in the hospital, so I guess I will have to do like Linda is doing and write the hospital directly to complain.  I feel that if I don't let them know what all happened to me during my stay they can't correct it for the next person.

If I was starting over....I'd go visit the new Bariatric's Center of Excellence here in Eugene.  They are based out of the New Sacred Heart RiverBend Medical Center and I've heard good things about their program, it was unfortunate that they didn't have their Medicare rating in time for my surgery but I've been told it takes 6mo to a year to get through their program too...so no matter where you go the process is long and frustrating....more time to really study up on what your changes will be though.

Good Luck  Vicki

Wow,.... well at least now I know that it is not just me.'
I guess I will just have to wait it out. But I am glad to hear you have had yours.
How is it goin for you so far?

Thanks for the info.

I am doing OK.  I have MS and so I expected a few extra problems  just because of that, and I was right. 

To give OHSU/Dr Deveney full credit, He really listened to me when I told him about my past op's and any problems I had with them, and then to he paid close attention to what i was telling him about how my MS can flare, and he was prepared for what happened.  He had me put straight into ICU after surgery and that was good when I started having problems.  I didn't want to breath o so they say, and had to be re-intubated and left on the breathing machine for ??? almost a whole day.  I don't really remember anything until Saturday Night and my op was on Friday.

I'm happy that you aren't going to et yourself too upset and have the patience to last through their process.  I think that actually nmight be their plan.  It certainly would how  .... gotta go,I'm  falling asleep while I'm trying to write and that's not good.  Talk to you tomorrow.

I started my process in July of 08 and will have surgery at OHSU next Friday. Just be persistent. Call every week. Be polite but persistent.

Liz