Has anyone out there used Dr. Smith in Park Rapids, MN? I had my consult in Feb, but because of my insurance, it's been kind of a drawn out process. I have my psych consult next week, then hopefully find out about approval and surgery date 1-2 weeks after I've already quit drinking pop and smoking almost 8 weeks ago, I'm pretty proud of myself because I've had a friend and a grandma pass away since then. Good luck to everyone out there!

I had my surgery with Dr. Wroblewski and Dr. Smith saw me over the weekend. They are both awesome surgeons and have a top notch program. I highly recommend either surgeon. Good Luck. If you have any questions let me know- I had surgery in January and I don't regret one minute of it.

I should add that another girl I know had Dr. Smith and loved him and has been successful with her surgery....

Thanks so much for the encouragement and putting my mind at ease I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions. How was the pain after surgery? Were they able to control it? If you work, how long did they have you off work? I work in packaging so I lift heavy boxes all day and I have horses so I'm hoping to be ready for when we start baling hay.

I hope everything is still going well with losing weight

Well, I had surgery on a Thursday and was discharged on a Sunday which is pretty standard for bypass. Pain was well controlled through PCA and liquid medications. I actually was a little sensitive to the Fentanyl PCA they gave me and was gorked for the first two days and the meds made my nauseous. However, we had a plan in place for nausea and they gave me plenty of meds ie Zofran IV, pherergan IV and scop Patches. Once we realized I was gorked from PCA they changed me to oral liquids and I did much better. You will be sent home with oral liquid hydrocodone too. The first week I was home all i did was sleep, drink and take pain meds because to be honest with you they keep you busy at hospital and wake you often that you don't feel like you sleep much. The ride home from hospital was rough 2 hour so make sure to bring a pillow to help hold on your abdomen.

I am a RN and work acute care and work 12 hour shift and also lift heavy patients. For the first month you have lifting restrictions. First two weeks nothing over 10 pounds and no driving. Then until month 20 pounds. I took 6 weeks off and am happy I did. I started to feel like a normal person by a month out but was happy to have the six weeks to figure out Protein drinks, Water, Vitamins and all the fun stuff. So you will probably need 2-4 weeks off if you can go for four do it.

I am a little over four months out and am happy with everything. I have lost over 60 pounds with about 40 more to go. Love all the staff at Essentia in Park Rapids. They are so helpful and nice. You have selected an awesome program and great surgeon. You won't be disappointed. Initially, the first week after I said i would never do surgery again but with time out I would do the surgery in a heart beat. If you have more questions please feel free to ask. I actually had two co-workers do the surgery prior to me at same place so I quizzed them like crazy..

Thanks so much for the info! I am uber excited because i just got the call that I am approved for surgery and will be having it in 2 weeks

I am a little nervous about the nausea from the pain meds. I had back surgery 2 years ago and as far as I am concerned, that is not the best time to find out I'm allergic to morphine. I never realized how much back muscles were used for throwing up until then, once they gave me something for the nausea and the itching i was fine.

One thing I'm wondering about is loose skin. I've heard it helps if you work out to help tone things up. But it's minor, I'm more concerned with getting healthy.

How did you handle telling family, friends, and coworkers you were having the surgery? I haven't told many people because i don't want to argue, I'm not doing this for them, I'm doing it for me. My husband told his family last weekend that i was planning on having Surgery, i guess my sister in law was against it, i wasn't too surprised though, she is a nurse practitioner who works in gastroenterology so I'm guessing she only sees when it goes wrong, not all the people it goes great for.

As far as vitamins go, where do you get yours at? I was looking at the bariatric advantage website and there vitamins are so expensive.

I buy the Bariatric Advantage Calcium chews and Bariatric Advantage B-1 Thiamine from Amazon. The chews now come in Carmel 500 mg- I am required two take 2 a day. When I buy the 250mg I take 4- easier on the pocket book if you buy the Carmel 500. I initially started with the chewable calcium wild cherry but it was too chalky. That comes in a huge container. I was using Bariatric Advantage B-12 but the sublingual don't melt like they should so I buy spring valley b-12 2500 mcg sublingual from Walmart-love them. I use the Cervoite Jr that I tested when I went to the class and again I buy from Amazon.

I will continue to buy Bariatric Advantage calcium and thiamine but that is it. You can also ask someone at Park Rapids what other brands they would suggest.

Did you ever go to a weight loss support group? I haven't yet because the closest one is over an hour away.

No- they are far for me too. I live in southeaster ND about 45 minutes south of Fargo. Fargo is the closest and that is too far for a support group. I wish we would get one as we have tons of successful people from the area. I use online stuff like this site and then belong to one on facebook.

Fargo is the closest for me too, But I'm from west central mn

Did you have to have, i think it's called a nasogastric tube in your nose after surgery and if so how uncomfortable is it?

No NG tube- I worried about the same thing because the booklet they give us says we do. You will wake up with two JP drains on each larger incision right and left. Those stay in until you leave to help drain the blood and also watch for leakage. They will give you blue ice chips with dye that you will have for the first 48 hours and if you would have a leak they would be able to tell from the drains. I will admit for me the drains hurt when they got pulled out but it is fast and over with in a blink of an eye. I had my surgery on a Thursday and went home around noon on a Sunday. I think I said before I was sensitive to the PCA pump and patch for pain they gave me but once they disconitnued that by Saturday noon I was a new person and up in chair and walking. Prior to that could hardly get out of bed from nausea, and being so gorked from pain med. This is not the norm and another patient who had bypass after me same day was walking marathons around hospital by Friday. They will introduce liquids to you after your swallow study the next day. I initially went down around 2 am and then again at 7am- have to say the stuff they make you drink tastes like dog poo- told them would be better if it was cold and not warm and didn't help I was nauseated. Other then that things went well....

I had my surgery with Dr.Smith at Essentia in Park Rapids on 12/30/13. I highly recommend him. The program is informative, the staff was supportive all through the process. I'm sick at home with bronchitis and have spoken to the nurses there for advice a few times on my medical leave, which they have been most helpful with.

HI girls, Im Dee, I live in Vergas, MN and work in Detroit Lakes. Im 4 years out..Because you were talking about vitamins, I decided to chime is, is that ok?

Right after surgery, of course, I did chewables, and Bariatric Advantage, but HUNDREDS of dollars later, and 4 years out, I get my vits at Walmart or CVS, my lipid test are perfect, so I decided to stay with Walmart & CVS,,WAYYYYYYY cheaper!!!

You say 4 years later walmart is ok? Is that because you are 4 years out or did you just realize it now? My wife says Eco drink has a lot of the vitamins I need . I gag on pills and the calcium look so big you must have them forever .