does your doctor yell at you?

You know, Kelly.  I'm not sure why I feel like I need to follow up with him.  I guess I can just have tests run through my PCP.  Luckily, I'm not having any issues.  Maybe I could find another surgeon.  Is there really any reason to head back to the surgeon if you're not having problems?  (other that the vitamin levels checked?)

Not really.  What you need done at one year out is labs, a bone density scan and your vital signs checked.  Which your PCP can do just as well as a surgeon.

Now, if you need to see a dietician, your PCP probably doesn't have one in the office.  But you can find dieticians that are not associated with bariatric surgeons.

Your PCP could also phone your surgeon if he/she has questions about what labs you need done or anything.  I just take a list to my PCP and ask her to order those.

You will need a surgeon if you develop surgery-related problems, but otherwise, your PCP should be able to handle it.

No...mine is very supportive. And flirty. He's this little Indian man with a soft voice and the amazing ability to make women blush at the slightest compliment.

Only from this type of surgeon could a creature of such vanity and self-promotion such as myself emerge.

 When my husband and I went to our 18 month check up first the nurse came in ( surgeons nurse ) she calls him the. " big guy". She told us that there has been times he has made patients cry..and yes he did raise his voice at my husband.

Why did he raise his voice.. This his second WLS. And very last ditch effort.. I would yell at him too and I have..

There are very few general surgeons that have a full background in general surgery endoscopy,trama,critical care medicine in addition to baratric surgery.. My surgeon 

That same day my husband stopped smoking..

Years ago my PCP was very irritable with me.  I had been seeing him once a month for weight loss. I was doing great and each time he was so pleased with me.  I came in the middle of the month with strep throat to see an associate.  Because I was very dehydrated(they put me on IV) and hadn't eaten for several days my weight was way down. The next time I came to see him for weight I had gained the weight back I lost when sick, but I was still down from the previous weigh in.  The Dr. was in a bad mood to begin with.  I guess he had asked for all his appointments to be rescheduled that day because he had to prepare for a presentation.  They did not reschedule me.  He was upset that I had gained weight.  Then I made the mistake of asking him to look at my ear because it was hurting.  He was very put off by that.  I needed antibiotics and he would have to write me a prescription.  He made me feel like he didn't have time for that.  I was told I shouldn't have asked him to look at my ear, but I needed another appointment for that.  I guess I was wasting his time, but it wasn't a waste of my time to make a second appointment later in the day for an ear infection.  I quit going to him after that and gained back all the weight I had lost. 

My former family doctor would lecture me, on how weight loss is all about moving more and eating less. He denied me a referral for surgery, for years, because he thought it was easy enough to do on my own, without going to such drastic measures.

So, while he didnt yell, he certainly wasn't supportive. I constantly felt like a failure, every time i saw him and was turned down for my request to be referred for WLS. Every problem i ever had was related to my weight, and he wouldnt treat any of my complaints seriously.

i have a new family doc now. Things are good.She supports my decision to have surgery and listens to my difficulties.

No.  My surgeon has never yelled at me or lectured me.  I really haven't had any surgical issues, however, so that may play into it. 

I do understand that to him he is responsible for the surgery and anything that is directly related to the cutting me open.  Stuff that might arise from that surgery (but not directly related to the actual procedure) is to be handled by my PCP who will refer me if needed, to any specialist. And I am comfortable with that.  He is not a neurologist so why should he treat me for any issues that might be related to that field?  He will listen and then tell me to see my PCP and if they need to consult they will...fortunately all part of the same university medical center.  

My PCP has been the same one for over 20 years now and he has never yelled at me either.  I expressed my fear once that he would be mad at me because I hadn't taken a med he had wanted me to start but he simply explained that all he could do was suggest and whether or not I chose to follow his suggestion was my own choice.  And that didn't make him mad.  Cool.  I can deal with that.   

I am so glad you brought up this subject.  I am in complete fear of my next appointment in March to see my doctor.  My last visit I say he yelled at me but it was more of brutal honesty.  It hurt to hear him talk to me that way.  I was stunned and now I am afraid to see him again.  I have not lost anything in 2 months.  Well thats not entirely true I have gained and lost the same 3 pounds in 2 months.  I am beyond frustrated.  I have thought about changing my appointment to give me more time.  I don't know what to do.  I do know I will not let him talk to me again the way he did and I plan on telling him how stressed out he has made me.  Thank you for bringing this subject up and letting me vent. 
Tammy

When you say brutal honesty... I think the honesty part is good.  Your doctor should always be honest with you.  I mean, you don't pay him to lie to you, right?

But brutal?  Do you just mean that the truth itself hurt, or do you mean that the way he told you the truth hurt?

For instance, if I told my doc I was eating ice cream every day and she said "You realize that is why you gained five pounds, right?"  That would be the truth and I wouldn't like the truth.  But that is very different than her saying "Well, no wonder you gained five pounds!  What's wrong with you?  Why are you doing such a stupid thing?" that would be inappropriate.  She should tell me the truth, but do it in a respectful way.

I hope you do let your doc know if he is speaking to you in an inappropriate way, and if he doesn't cut it out and apologize, I would find a new doc.  But you do want one that will be honest with you.

My surgeon is awesome - he hasn't yelled or lectured or anything. He's pretty much only the surgeon - he doesn't do the follow up appointments once you get past early post-surgery. However, I really like him. Other people say his bedside manner isn't that great, but he's cool in my opinion. He's fantastic at what he does. I'm grateful for his expertise.

However, I'll be seeing the Bariatric Specialist associated with my surgeon's program. He came to see me twice in the hospital and I like him already. I don't think that he'd yell (he's a very polite guy with a huge smile), but I'm sure that if I need some sense talked into me, he'll do it.

I think that the reason people dread seeing their docs is because they know they haven't been doing something that the doc expects them to do. Like quit smoking or lose weight or take all their antibiotics, etc. I've totally been there.

That being said, I've had some doctors and nurses who were REALLY rude to me for reasons of THEIR OWN. People have bad days that have nothing to do with me. If it's really inappropriate I tell someone. Or once I had to leave a practice and find a new doc. :(