I am wondering if anyone else working through St. Francis South / Dr. Clark is as frustrated with them as I am?? I am 6 mos. post-op. I bet my appts. have been rescheduled and messed up 4 of the six times I should have gone. This started from the very first post-op which was put off two weeks to just now. I was supposed to go Dec. 15th for a month check and am put off to Jan 5th! That is three more weeks! In November I went to my appt. at St. Francis and they did not have it on the record! I found my card with the date and time on it! I had to take off a whole day of work to go for a 15 min. appt! Or else wait until Dec. 15th which would have been 7 weeks, and then they would have re-scheduled it too. And in November I did not even SEE Dr. Clark, just the nurse practioner. I am trying to change my life and they are not much help! I read other threads and they seem much more happy with theirs. Anyone else this upset!??

I am wondering if anyone else working through St. Francis South / Dr. Clark is as frustrated with them as I am?? I am 6 mos. post-op. I bet my appts. have been rescheduled and messed up 4 of the six times I should have gone. This started from the very first post-op which was put off two weeks to just now. I was supposed to go Dec. 15th for a month check and am put off to Jan 5th! That is three more weeks! In November I went to my appt. at St. Francis and they did not have it on the record! I found my card with the date and time on it! I had to take off a whole day of work to go for a 15 min. appt! Or else wait until Dec. 15th which would have been 7 weeks, and then they would have re-scheduled it too. And in November I did not even SEE Dr. Clark, just the nurse practioner. I am trying to change my life and they are not much help! I read other threads and they seem much more happy with theirs. Anyone else this upset!??

Hello, I am going to have Dr Mandelbaum perform my lap band and I think that he and Clark are in the same building. Can you switch Doctors?

I have heard people saying Dr. Mandelbaum's name. I have no idea if he does the same things as Dr. Clark. For your sake, I hope not. Dr. Clark has a lot of emergencies. Then it puts you off at least two more weeks. I went a full 6-7 weeks after surgery because they put me off. This has happened two more times in the past 6 mos. Once I took off work an entire day so it would not be too long. I cannot do that all the time. And that time THEY messed up and did not write me on their schedule! One day I went at 4PM and a lady who was a year out told me she always waited at least an hour and the place was packed! Now, I just went two weeks ago and all was fine. Not that busy, not that long. I actually saw Dr. Clark. One meeting I only saw the Nurse Practitioner. I just think they advertise this great after care and I have not seen it. Hopefully it will get better from now on?? I am not sold on the fact that it will. I have hit a terrible plateau too and I really need some fills. But they have been awfully far apart. Still not really feeling it.

But, I do not want to discourage you! I bet Dr. Mandalbaum and his office do better than this. But we all have to deal with St. Francis. Just let me know how your experience goes.... I am interested to see if I am the only one with these problems.... :wink2: I still need at least one more fill, I am not feeling the restriction too much at all. Hang in there!!

Don't you think right now that they are really telling you that the after-care will be so great?? That is what I thought and it is not what has happened honestly.

Keep in touch and good luck!!

i'm having surgery w/ dr. clark on march 25th. everyone has seemed really helpful so far, but i haven't met with him yet either. will i even get to talk to him before my surgery? i hope this turns out to be a positive experience for me. :cursing:

I have not been on the Lap Band site for quite awhile. Like sometime in January. Don't worry about the surgery. It is OK. Dr. Clark is a nice doctor. I am surprised you have not met him at all?? That is odd. He is a nice man though and the surgery will not be bad at all. I really lost a lot of weight during the first three months and then I have been really on a huge plateau. I have had fill after fill and am just now feeling something. I really was very, very frustrated with them about the fact that they kept cancelling and putting off my appts. I will say that has been better. I will have to say though that while they are nice, I do not get the real feeling they CARE that much. It just seems like a job to them. Maybe your experience will be better. See how it goes, don't sweat the surgery though! I do not want to say anymore right now. I want you to go in there and be encouraged! I was banded in July of 08.

Hey--keep me posted on how you do! I would love to hear how your progress goes. Seriously.

:cursing:

Hi Snereb27 hope you are doing well.

I am scheduled for my surgery on March 24th by Mandelbaum, he is also in the same practice with Dr Clark.

I met Mendaulbaum during orientation and that was the only time. I had all my pre op testing done and went to the nutrition class yesterday (were you there)? and my case management is next Wednesday.

I would guess that it is standard procedure for their office that unless you schedule an appointment with the surgeon that you will not see him until the actual day.

My experience of the office has been good thus far, I was told that my surgeon will do my fills for the first 90 days that Eve Olson will be doing them because she is educated on weight loss and gain and the surgeons are just that

(surgeons)

Her office is in the same building.

Bio Teacher, glad to here that the office is getting better, maybe it just took them a while to get use to the new office (although that's no excuse)

Take care and keep in touch

thanks bioteacher and jujuvee.. i hope this is a positive experience for me. I was at the nutrition class yesterday, i was sitting in the front row at the table by myself.

i was a little intimidated after the class, but just need to keep reminding myself I can do this.... it will be hard, but necessary to get healthy.

it will be helpful when i start going to the support groups, the whole process has been so quick for me, which i'm glad for, but at times is a little overwhelming since i'm alone in this endeavor.

thanks for the encouragement though! :-)

hey there bioteacher, I have had some no so good thoughts on St Francis also, not real happy right now

it has 4 months since surgery (Nov 19th) I have lost 51 lbs, my big problem is that I went on vacation, ate things I shouldn't have, didn't exercise for 2 weeks and not I am in trouble and dont' know how to get back on track, went to St Francis support group and found out it was more of presentation type of meetings, gee the night I went it was about plastic surgery to make us look better and the next one is on cooking classes, no one to talk to or give advise....I am not sure on how to get back on track, got in real trouble at Dr office because I gained 4 lbs and didn't see him, but seen his assistant and she wouldn't give me a fill.....I was told I had to lose in the next month and go back to St Francis to talk with Dietician.....felt really bad when I left Dr office, sat in parking lot and cried. I lost 51 lbs in 4 months and when I seen Dr Clark last month was told I was above average and doing good, this month told how lousy I was and had bad habit and needed to get it under control, gee is lesson not to tell the truth that I feel off the "band wagon" on vacation. I am not a fan of St Francis, no one calls you back and are really short with you when you ask questions. Am dissapointed in after surgery care. I am trying to find a different a support group, if you find one let me know

Well, well how interesting to hear someone ELSE say exactly what I have thought for several months now! Since I am not losing they have decided they will NOT fill me either. I have visited the dietician several times already and last time I got so angry they sent me to talk to the counselor. I need more in my band and it is not up to me. I have not hit any sweet spot and they just do NOT believe me. That nurse is NOT very nice. She just is not, glad to hear I am not the only one who thinks so. You are so right about the calling in and stuff too. They are not that great. I went to a couple of support groups too--you are right they are simply presentations--not helpful! I am thinking of trying to find a new fill doctor. I understand that the other Dr. in our office--Mandalbaum is not like that. Clark is OK but I never see him just the lovely nurse who thinks I am just a stupid overeating dumby. I cried the last two times I left there. I try to be calm but by the time I leave I am upset as heck! PLEASE KEEP IN CONTACT! You ARE doing better than me! Hang in there and we can surely commiserate together! Please write back! :cool2:

wow... i have been thinking the same things about the "support" groups, although I did go to the cooking class one and the nutritionalist said that the next one will be "hosted" by the counselor so hopefully it will be more helpful.

it seemed that i was losing about a pound a day but all of a sudden i stepped on the scale last night and it 'appears' that i've gained a pound or two. dr. clark.

i hope that this whole experience will be a positive one i don't know what to think of the staff at the weight loss clinic... i guess for them it really is just a job and maybe we're expecting too much for them to actually "care"... maybe not, i have no idea. I guess we just need to support one another and care for each other... if you need someone to vent to... my email is snereb27@yahoo.com, we'll just have to stick together!

Hi bioteacher and snereb, yes we need to keep in touch and maybe we can help each other thru this trying time and sure is nice to know that I am not alone in my thoughts and experience. I have decided I am not going to let St Francis get me down and I don't have to play thier silly games. I did some research and found a site called obesity action coalition - Indiana Resources. I Found several support groups around Indy and thought I would do some calling tomorrow. I found out that there is one in Franklin. Closest for the southside of Indy. I want to find out if it is presentations or gain thru experience groups, which is what I am looking for. If ya'll want me to let you know what I find out I will.

yeah, that would be great if you would keep me informed. I actually live on the northeast side of Indy, so if you find any near Geist or Castleton, that would be good to know as well.

thanks for your help. have a great day!