Fills in Portland OR area or Lewiston Id area

[cw1993]

I am again seeking help. Since my fill is due around the holidays I would like to have my fill done near my area. Has anyone heard about Dr. Kelly in Portland or a doctor who does fills in the Lewiston ID area ? Also how important is the flourascope. I see many patients do not have one. Those of you who have had it "done blind" I would like to hear about you experience. Thanks

[mlgpdx]

Good morning! I live in Portland, OR and have used Dr. Kelly Fitzpatrick 2x for blind fills. blind vs: fluroscopy is a subject that is brought up often here on the forum. You will get responses on the pro's and cons for both. Most important, for me, is that I have someone local that I can use and return to in case the fill I get is to much and I need an unfill OR if for some reason I just need to talk to someone who is near to my home. I love Dr. Kelly! She has given me 2 fills and 1 slight unfill, each time she has hit the port on the first try and I've never had any pain.

After surgery I felt I needed to return to Dr. Ortiz for my first fill because i watned to make sure everything was "fine" and that I didn't stretch my pouch etc... I felt I really needed fluro my first time but, for me, I've been 100% satisfied with a blind fill since. It's been said, and I agree, that it's good to get fluro once a year just to check and make sure everything is "ok". I hope this helps. There are a lot of P=towners on this forum so you will get some good feedback.

Congrats on getting banded and welcome to the forum. WE are all always here for you.

[cw1993]

Good morning! I live in Portland, OR and have used Dr. Kelly Fitzpatrick 2x for blind fills. blind vs: fluroscopy is a subject that is brought up often here on the forum. You will get responses on the pro's and cons for both. Most important, for me, is that I have someone local that I can use and return to in case the fill I get is to much and I need an unfill OR if for some reason I just need to talk to someone who is near to my home. I love Dr. Kelly! She has given me 2 fills and 1 slight unfill, each time she has hit the port on the first try and I've never had any pain.

After surgery I felt I needed to return to Dr. Ortiz for my first fill because i watned to make sure everything was "fine" and that I didn't stretch my pouch etc... I felt I really needed fluro my first time but, for me, I've been 100% satisfied with a blind fill since. It's been said, and I agree, that it's good to get fluro once a year just to check and make sure everything is "ok". I hope this helps. There are a lot of P=towners on this forum so you will get some good feedback.

Congrats on getting banded and welcome to the forum. WE are all always here for you.

Thanks for the info. I have heard of Dr. Kelly and have family in Hood River so this would be an easy trip for me. Thanks again.

[Pat in Washington]

I am again seeking help. Since my fill is due around the holidays I would like to have my fill done near my area. Has anyone heard about Dr. Kelly in Portland or a doctor who does fills in the Lewiston ID area ? Also how important is the flourascope. I see many patients do not have one. Those of you who have had it "done blind" I would like to hear about you experience. Thanks

I got my last fill from Joan Richardson at Clearwater Medical in Lewiston 208-743-8416. She does fills Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. It went well and was a relief to have someone close. And she only charges $100.00.

[dianna]

Joan Richardson and I have been friends for years. We have worked together for years at our local hospital. Joan has finished her F.N.P....Family Nurse Practitioner a few years back. Joan is banded herself. She trained over in the large Pacific Northwest area to become certified and trained in lap band fills. She is GREAT!!!! She does a blind fill...and I have never had a problem. Nor have my many friends who have gone to her! Her fill charge can't be beat either!!! $100.00 If you are considering getting a fill and you are close to Lewiston, ID. I would check into her! You won't be disappointed!

Hope this helped!

Dianna

[sunshinegirl]

I've had 4 fills, 3 done by a nurse and 1 by a doctor. They were all blind and there were no problems finding the port nor was there any pain.

[determination]

I am again seeking help. Since my fill is due around the holidays I would like to have my fill done near my area. Has anyone heard about Dr. Kelly in Portland or a doctor who does fills in the Lewiston ID area ? Also how important is the flourascope. I see many patients do not have one. Those of you who have had it "done blind" I would like to hear about you experience. Thanks

Hi, I live in Enterprise, OR. I have been searching for a place to get a fill also. Dr. Ortiz's office sent me a list of doctors that he recommends.

One of them is in Richland, WA. His number one on my list is Eugene, OR. (too far to go)

I was searching some more when I was on my lunch hour and found an "USA Fill Center" in Meredian, Idaho. I know OCC approves those, because Dr. O has a recording on there. Anne

P.S. Let me know where you decide to go.

[julieburns]

Hi, I live in Enterprise, OR. I have been searching for a place to get a fill also. Dr. Ortiz's office sent me a list of doctors that he recommends.

One of them is in Richland, WA. His number one on my list is Eugene, OR. (too far to go)

I was searching some more when I was on my lunch hour and found an "USA Fill Center" in Meredian, Idaho. I know OCC approves those, because Dr. O has a recording on there. Anne

P.S. Let me know where you decide to go.

You may have the answer by now but there is also a fill center in Salem OR. I have gone there and she is great!! No fluoro though but I don't think that is important from my experience of having 2 w/fluoro and an overfill under fluoro and then an emergency unfill without fluoro. I hope you find a fairly close and convenient dill place.

Best of luck and keep reading and posting, it will really help you feel confident about your decision.

[Guest CaraMBA09]

I am again seeking help. Since my fill is due around the holidays I would like to have my fill done near my area. Has anyone heard about Dr. Kelly in Portland or a doctor who does fills in the Lewiston ID area ? Also how important is the flourascope. I see many patients do not have one. Those of you who have had it "done blind" I would like to hear about you experience. Thanks

Personally, I would never do a fill without a fluoro. I am glad I got to see the amount of restriction occurring and to be sure I saw the pouch was okay.

Be sure you go to someone good who has done 'blind' fills before. I have done lots of reading on this and inexperienced people who have to poke you NUMEROUS times run a greater risk of putting a hole in your tubing. They are not liable to replace it either and it is a $2500-3500 cost to fix.

I use Pacific Surgical in Olympia (you can google them). Erin the fill nurse was obese and has a lapband herself. She is amazing and wonderful. I think it is about a two hour drive north on I-5. I swear by them and her.

Good luck

[determination]

Joan Richardson and I have been friends for years. We have worked together for years at our local hospital. Joan has finished her F.N.P....Family Nurse Practitioner a few years back. Joan is banded herself. She trained over in the large Pacific Northwest area to become certified and trained in lap band fills. She is GREAT!!!! She does a blind fill...and I have never had a problem. Nor have my many friends who have gone to her! Her fill charge can't be beat either!!! $100.00 If you are considering getting a fill and you are close to Lewiston, ID. I would check into her! You won't be disappointed!

Hope this helped!

Dianna

Dianna - I know this post was awhile ago, but I was hoping that you could tell me where Joan works. I have decided to go to her. I had my first fill Feb. 11, '09 at the OCC and feel that I need another one soon. I never fill full and I am really having a battle. I hope you read this.

Anne - from Enterprise, OR

[Dusty]

Joan Richardson and I have been friends for years. We have worked together for years at our local hospital. Joan has finished her F.N.P....Family Nurse Practitioner a few years back. Joan is banded herself. She trained over in the large Pacific Northwest area to become certified and trained in lap band fills. She is GREAT!!!! She does a blind fill...and I have never had a problem. Nor have my many friends who have gone to her! Her fill charge can't be beat either!!! $100.00 If you are considering getting a fill and you are close to Lewiston, ID. I would check into her! You won't be disappointed!

Hope this helped!

Dianna

Dianna,

thank you, thank you, thank you for this information. I was just banded December 29th. I was looking at Spokane and Seattle for my fills. (I live in Clarkston)It is good to know of someone doing a good job with this in the Valley. i was also maybe needing a support group. Have any ideas on that? I wrote down Joan Richardson phone number and will give her a call soon.I am so looking forward to my first fill because I am already hungry all the time. I reallly dont want to gain the 10lbs that I just lost.

[janellody]

You may have the answer by now but there is also a fill center in Salem OR. I have gone there and she is great!! No fluoro though but I don't think that is important from my experience of having 2 w/fluoro and an overfill under fluoro and then an emergency unfill without fluoro. I hope you find a fairly close and convenient dill place.

Best of luck and keep reading and posting, it will really help you feel confident about your decision.

I was wondering if the person in Salem was good or not. My mom and I live in Salem and will need to find someplace to get fills... haven't decided if I am willing to go to Eugene or not yet!

[macleay]

I was wondering if the person in Salem was good or not. My mom and I live in Salem and will need to find someplace to get fills... haven't decided if I am willing to go to Eugene or not yet!

I've been thinking a lot about this. I'd like to do Salem for convenience and I have read one review about the doctor in Salem (I can't remember her name) that said she was really good.

Having said that, I've read tons of reviews about Dr. Fitzpatrick (Eugene and Portland) and she comes very highly recommended by Dr Ortiz's staff, even over the Salem fill doctor. They have nothing bad to say about the Salem one, but they raves about Fitzpatrick.

So Janelle, it'll be up to you--I'll have my first one with Dr Ortiz, as you know, and then I'll get my second before you will, so I'll let you know how they are. I jsut wish I could decide!!!

[MargieK]

Having said that, I've read tons of reviews about Dr. Fitzpatrick (Eugene and Portland) and she comes very highly recommended by Dr Ortiz's staff, even over the Salem fill doctor. They have nothing bad to say about the Salem one, but they raves about Fitzpatrick.

I have been to Dr. Fitzpatrick for my 2nd & 3rd fills and I would highly recommend her. I have to drive 4 hours to Eugene, and I probably would have been at my 'sweet spot' after the 2nd fill, but I didn't want to take any chances being so far away. She has a lot of experience and she knows what she is doing even though she doesn't do the fluoro. I had heard so many horror stories about being overfilled that I was willing to take it slow and now I feel like I am at the perfect restriction. She was really surprised though that I took so little for each fill. I felt so comfortable with her, and she insisted that I call her cell phone if I had any problems that night. I spent the night in Eugene and drove home the next day.

If it was convenient for me to go back to the OCC for fills, I would have done that. But now I also feel better about having someone relatively close by in case I need an emergency unfill.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Margie

[macleay]

I have been to Dr. Fitzpatrick for my 2nd & 3rd fills and I would highly recommend her. I have to drive 4 hours to Eugene, and I probably would have been at my 'sweet spot' after the 2nd fill, but I didn't want to take any chances being so far away. She has a lot of experience and she knows what she is doing even though she doesn't do the fluoro. I had heard so many horror stories about being overfilled that I was willing to take it slow and now I feel like I am at the perfect restriction. She was really surprised though that I took so little for each fill. I felt so comfortable with her, and she insisted that I call her cell phone if I had any problems that night. I spent the night in Eugene and drove home the next day.

If it was convenient for me to go back to the OCC for fills, I would have done that. But now I also feel better about having someone relatively close by in case I need an emergency unfill.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Margie

Margie, thanks so much for the recomendation for Dr. Fitzpatrick. The probably will be the best bet for Janelle and I. I haven't heard a bad word about her.