Yes, I had my surgery on the 24th.  Your Dr. in Park Rapids sounds Fantastic.  Had I heard more of him I would have switched in a heartbeat.  I love my Dr. but really wanted to have it lap and maybe your Dr. could have even with my Nissen needing to be taken down?  I didn't get the best of care while in the hospital but the majority was good.  I'm one of those people that don't want to bother anyone so it pretty much my fault!  I wi**** would have had more stuff for the type of surgery I was having.  That bar for getting up in bed would have been fabulous.  Plus the staff kept bringing me straws in my water and they didn't have SF popsicles so they were going to bring me regular ones.  This one nurse was blown away when she talked to the nurtition staff, she had "NO" idea the food restraints.  Had I not done so much research I could have really been in trouble.  I know there are many people that have had open and thats the only way they would go but the pain was sooo severe for me....I don't understand.  I don't like morphine so that might have been part of it.  I'm glad my Doc did my surgery because I think he's awesome I just wish he could have done it lap.  Part of the problem was I wanted to get it done in a certain time period or I could have looked for different Docs maybe?!  My fault!!  Your support group sounds great, maybe I'll try it in August?   I do have to say....Judi ROCKS....She and her husband came to visit me with a care pkg and it was a total lift to my spirits.  She arrived just at the right time.  I had been in soo much pain and things weren't going well with one nurse forgetting about me and not returning and poof, there was Judi with her angel wings on.  Truly, earlier that day...I had this thought..  I had already wrote letters to loved ones and if God wanted to take me he could!  Thats how bad it had gotten...I've since been doing better but there was that ONE point in time that was....What the blank did I just do?  I told both my parents if they have this surgery they are having it lap and maybe I will suggest your Doctor.  Thanks for writing such good reviews on him...

Omigosh, I know many who have went to Meritcare, and have switched to follow up with Dr Daniel Smith in Park Rapids, MN. They've had complications and the follow up at Meritcare is not good. I had mine done in Park Rapids, and highly recommend them. I started out with working with Meritcare, and I didn't like what I saw, nor the interaction with the staff. They did not answer my questions and left me on my own to do the research. I'm glad I did that, because it made the decision easy to go to Park Rapids. Some national information I found showed that the number of procedures Dr Smith did, and the positive outcomes were above and beyond what Meritcare had done and the related outcome of Meritcare patients. They received the Center of Excellence designation a few years ago and Meritcare had only earned it in December. Bigger is not always better, and I found some doctors only refer to Meritcare because they're obligation to do so due to the relationship of the referral network. Take the tour and attend the introductory program at Park Rapids, and do the same at Meritcare, and you'll quickly see the difference in programs. I'm from Fargo, and it is worth the drive for the piece of mind and confidence in the program for the level of commitment I'm making for life. Kati

I'm assuming you've had the surgery by now? How are you doing? It's disappointing the clinic didn't call you to tell you that you were approved. The surgeon I went to in Park Rapids would never allow that type of communication with a patient, so I'm sorry you got off to a bad start, hope the rest of the experience was better for you. What type of advance preparation did you get with your MD? I was so well prepared, that I've gotten to know the staff at my clinic that we've communicated by email. Hope it goes as well for you. Many of us attend a support group the third Thursday of the month at Dakota Clinic at 430p. Its well worth the time to attend.

I had my Lap Rny on July 19 and have already lost 22 pounds! I can't believe it!  I feel fantastic.   I had a few sore days, but got a ton better as soon as I got my butt out walking!  I have at least 80 more pounds left to go, but that will shed quickly.  I am having such a great time looking at the future clothes I plan to buy.  I have/had type 2 diabetes and that is now non-existant.  I am dealing with the drinking water issue.  They have told us not to use a straw, but it is so easy for me to gulp otherwise. I know cold water bothers me and I am trying to find when the time is that I can drink after eating.  I get that pain in the upper part of my chest otherwise.

Danni,this is for your hospital stay. I hope you can get this. I hope your recovery goes very well and your time in the hospital goes by very fast. Take good care of yourself so that you will be able to get back to your family activities soon. Best wishes to you and lots of very gentle hugs to help you through this time. Diana