You bet it is!
So many Bariatric programs claim to be a "full program" and charge a program fee. Then you get an answering service when you call the office after hours and limited support groups.
24-7 Support is out there! Program fees pay for the tools and aids to help you succeed long term. There are a lot of important things that insurance does not pay for, including all the education and support that we learn is so important!
I love the fact that Dr. Owens gives his cell number to his patients. Its important to be able to connect to your surgeon after your surgery for questions or problems. Having to wait for an answering service figure out what you are saying, and be at their mercy to call the doctor quickly could really be a problem if you are having pain and vomiting and not sure if its normal after surgery or you need to go to the ER. One phone call ..That's it! Time saved..."Health time" saved!
He has two different locations and each location has support groups all at different times of the month so you can be sure to make a meeting. His Yahoo chat groups are there for you and now this blog.
His Rancho Cucamonga location puts out a newsletter with recipes, fitness articles, stories dealing with the emotional side of our weight loss journey and patient outings such as beach trips, bowling nights and dance lessons!
That's a "full" program! When I started the Bariatric Coaching I saw how much the patients loved having his number. I give my cell number out to anyone that needs support. Say you are nervous the night before your surgery and have no one to talk to? CALL ME. You are concerned about going shopping at the market after surgery. What do I buy? What am I looking for on these labels? CALL ME. Chances are there is a shopping trip I am planning with a few others and we can all go. If not, I need to go to the market too and we can go together.
That is 24-7 support. Sure its cheap to go Mexico but once you are home, then what? Sure there are those who say that they do not require support and all they need they can find online. I say everyone needs support. Why am I so sure? Because I lived it.
I come from a large family of six girls, being the youngest and last chance for a boy, I ended up with the name Stevie. My sisters and I were blessed with my mother's genes and eventually all of us had a weight problem. Thinking back, I started to gain weight around the 3rd or 4Th grade. I had watched my sisters try every crazy diet around and eventually I had tried pretty much all of them as well. Weight loss was a monkey on my back for most of my young adult life. After the birth of my daughter I knew I had to make a change. I had lost my mother when I was 22 and vowed that I would not do the same to my daughter. I gave careful consideration when choosing my procedure. Knowing my eating style and patterns I decided that the best tool for me would be one that provided portion control as well as a consequence if I abused sugar. I had RNY Gastric Bypass On July 10, 2006. My starting weight was 310 and have since lost 126 pounds. It has been wonderful to finally have physical freedom from my weight.
I also learned very quickly that I needed support. The emotional ups and downs, angry that I couldn't eat what I wanted yet happy that I couldn't at the same time. I needed to be with others like me. Thank goodness for the support group I had and the one woman that gave me her number and said "Call anytime, I'm here to listen". That is now my passion.
To know that I can help others and to be apart of Dr. Owens successful programs is so rewarding.
My name is Stevie - Call me anytime, I'm here to listen.
