Dr. Houston and adopting patients

I was just wondering if it's just me or does Dr. Houston in Nashville NOT like patients that he's adopted from another surgeon.  I had to pay a $500 adoption fee to be moved to him.  I had issues with the hospital where I had my original RNY done.  I heard so many good things about Dr. Houston but I had my second visit last week and I have to drive 2 1/2 hours to see him but he only spends about 5 minutes with me.  I am way off track on my weight loss and realize that.  I want to get back on track and it's VERY hard.  But I'm concerned that there are other issues besides being off track that are keeping me from losing and in fact I have gained over 40 lbs. since my surgery.  But he hasn't even looked at my stomach.  I have to fill out a form every time I go there and last week I noted that I had swelling in my legs and he didn't even take a look at them.  He does nothing but talk to me for about 5 minutes telling me everything that I am doing wrong in my eating and acts disgusted when I tell him of something that I shouldn't be eating.

Am I the only one that has issues with this???

Thanks!
Cherri

How are you approaching him?  Are you asserting yourself?  When were your last labs done?   I respect the man, but when I see him, I have a list of questions and do not leave until they all are answered.  The practice of medicine is an art; so is being a patient.

No I'm not being very assertive because he makes me nervous.  He starts on me about my diet first thing and, since I know that I need to get back on track, I guess that's why I get nervous.  I just get aggravated because I feel as if there is something else wrong like my pouch has stretched too much and he doesn't even take that into consideration.  He knows who my last surgeon is, who's in Nashville too, and he said at the first appt. that my original surgeon does an excellent job.  So I'm thinking that he automatically thinks it must be me!!   My last labs were done a month or so ago during my 1st appt. with him.  They were fine except for my iron.  I'm anemic and he told me to up my iron pills. 

Get over your nervousness!  Of course this is very easy for me to say and do because I'm 60 y.o. and getting mouthier every year.  I also work in health care and have a love/hate relationship with doctors.  However, when I am paying them, they should be afraid of me.  LOL!

Yes it is easier said than done.  haha!  But I will try and I'll have a list to bring with me the next time.  I get mouthier every year too but not with someone in authority.  :)  But I AM paying him and driving too far to be spending only 5 mins with him and getting chewed out the entire 5 mins. lol  I think he's trying to prepare me for a revision but he hasn't come out and said it.

Well,he is right isn't he? you said yourself that you are eating things you shouldn't and need to get back on track. that is most likey why he feels like your pouch is fine,but you are misusing it...you know, user error. :)

I did not use him but would hve if there had not been an exclusion on my insurance for WLS. I have read from other patients of his that he thinks it is very important for patients to be compliant with the program, aaaand ddoesn't have a lot of patience for those who are not but I don't know that first hand.

GL,Holly

You're right, Holly.  He doesn't have a lot of patience for patients who are non-compliant.  He takes his work very seriously.  At my first follow-up visit, I was struggling to get my protein and vitamins.  He was firm yet not so intimidating as I thought he would be.  When I regained 10 pounds at two and a half years out (due to non-compliance), I got the full on attitude.  I've since lost that ten pounds by getting back to basics and won't have to see his LOOK in October at my 3 year follow up.  Can't quite describe his LOOK, I just know I'd rather not see it.

Hi Holly,

Yes he is right.  BUT, I stopped losing after 6 months and did not lose the 80% that my original surgeon said that I should lose even though I thought that I was being compliant.  I just thought that he would at least check my stoma out to see if there are any problems instead of assuming that it's all my fault.  Maybe I was asking too much. lol 

They are right, he doesn't have ANY patience with those that are not compliant. 

I will have to try harder.  My stomach has stretched though and it seems like I am hungry all of the time.  He did give me some appetite suppresants.

He most likely thinks it is good medicine,and it is, to make sure WE are doing everything WE are supposed to do before he starts doing a lot of invasive testing. Right now,he doesn't have any reason to think there is something wrong with your pouch.

What he is hearing from you ,by what you say,is that the problem is not with your pouch but with how you are using it.

What is a typical day of eating like for you?

Getting 60+ gms protein a day?

Getting 20gms or less a day of carbs?

Getting 64+ oz of sf liq a day?

Are you drinking with your meals?
Exercise?

He probably would like to see you get back to basics and you can probably turn this thing around without another surgery.


Eating carbs,esp white carbs,will make you hungry. The more you eat of them the more you want. Hunger can aalso be dehydration in disguise. Your body may be begging for water instead of food.

That's probably true. 

A typical day for me usually starts with: 

Breakfast:  light and fit yogurt, a hard boiled egg and/or a banana. 
Lunch:  Lean Cuisine (I was told by him that I need to stop eating those.  :(  ), a chicken sandwich or 1/2 tenderloin sandwich,
Dinner:  Some type of sandwich w/cheese and mayo or lean cuisine.
Snacks:  I like buying those biscotti's from bariatricchoice.com that have 15 cals. and 0 carbs.  They are expensive though.  I usually eat a few during the day.  In the evening, I sometimes have a bag of popcorn (big no no I know!), or a couple of skinny cow pops.

I think I'm doing fairly well with the protein.  My blood work came back ok anyway.  The carbs I am doing horribly on I know.  I am trying to do better on that but it is very hard.  Most of the time I won't drink with my meals unless I'm eating Mexican. I'm trying to drink more water.  The dietician said that I should drink 100 oz of sf liquid/day.  Good grief!   I do some walking but again I need to do more of that.  I have joined the Y. 

I don't have a lot of time to fix nice healthy meals but I don't know what I can have that doesn't have a ton of carbs and is easy to just bag and go plus helps with the crunch cravings.  :(