"I am a firm believer in 'taking your medicine' whether you like it or not; but, I have to honestly say that this is one of the worst protein drinks that I have tried in my almost two-year post-op life. It was chalky and gritty within five minutes of mixing and the aftertaste was very unpleasant...I could not get past the second sip. "
"My first impression of Dr. Bruce Hardy was how very professional he was yet, at the same time very personable and caring. That impression only grew stronger as the consultation went on. His nurse, Jean, whom I had spoken to a couple times on the telephone for about a total 1 1/2 hours, is absolutely wonderful and the most helpful person I have ever met in a physician's office ever. She let me know in advance what my insurance required before submitting for approval and thanks to her, I was able to bring all information with me at the time of my initial surgical consultation. My request will be submitted on 01/02/04. At this time, I can honestly say that there is nothing that I do not like about Dr. Hardy or his staff; they appear to be caring, capable, and compassionate, as well as quite knowledgeable and honest. The best thing you can do before you go for your initial consultation with Dr. Hardy, is speak with Jean, to find out what the insurance requirements are, so that you can have them ready to go as soon as possible for submission. Dr. Hardy advocates aftercare very strongly. All routine post-op visits for the first year following the procedure are at no charge to the patient. Dr. Hardy believes that there should be no reason to not keep your follow-up care appointments, so he eliminates the financial reason. Dr. Hardy gave me a pamphlet explaining the post-op diet and follow-up care guidelines that he requires us to comply with. Upon speaking of the risks of the surgery; Dr. Hardy was very open and honest about the fact that there are no guarantees and that there are always risks, which he outlines in great detail. He has performed 300+ Open Roux-en-Y(s) and has lost only 1 patient. This patient weighed over 700 pounds and died from a blood clot five months post-op. This patient had a medical history of blood clots and was an EXTREMELY high risk patient. Thus far in my journey, I would have to rate Dr. Hardy a 10+ on a scale of 1-10. Bedside manner in a surgeon is great, but surgical competence is the most important, and Dr. Hardy appears to have both."
