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appointment with Dr. Bela Chheda from the Open Medicine Institute

andreasvq

andreasvq

Messages
22
Location
Belgium
Hi everyone,

I thought it might be useful to say that I have scheduled an appointment on March 14 with Dr. Bela Chheda from the Open Medicine Institute in Mountain View, CA. She just joined OMI as the 3rd doctor so the waiting list is stil short.
I am really excited to have finally found a doctor/clinic that might improve my health a bit.
I will keep you guys posted how everything goes!

Stay strong!
 
Strawberry

Strawberry

Senior Member
Messages
2,109
Location
Seattle, WA USA
Oh my word that is exciting news! For both you, and OMI! Definitely keep us all posted. Everyone has been thrilled with Dr Kaufman, so I am certain Dr Chheda will be a great addition.
 
andreasvq

andreasvq

Messages
22
Location
Belgium
Strawberry said:
Oh my word that is exciting news! For both you, and OMI! Definitely keep us all posted. Everyone has been thrilled with Dr Kaufman, so I am certain Dr Chheda will be a great addition.
Click to expand...

Exactly! I have not read anything about Dr. Chheda but I am sure she won't dissappoint.
 
andreasvq

andreasvq

Messages
22
Location
Belgium
Strawberry said:
I just checked their website, and she isn't even listed there yet. So you must be one of her first clients!

Best of luck and travel safe. OMI is the best thing I have done for myself in a long time.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Travelling will be difficult but it's worth the effort for me. Can I ask you what your experience was at OMI? What treatment did you do? And are you recovering?
 
Strawberry

Strawberry

Senior Member
Messages
2,109
Location
Seattle, WA USA
My experience was great! Although it is still too recent for any recovery, I just went in December. So far he has me on Valtrex and B vitamins. I am supposed to be self injecting B12, but I have not yet been trained to put a needle in my bum. :nervous:

One thing I would say, especially with traveling from outside the US is contact the clinic and find out what you can or can't eat to get the SIBO testing done in the clinic. What ever I ate for breakfast made it so I couldn't have it done there at my appointment. That is no problem as my doctor can do it locally, but I don't know what services you would have at home, or shipping options. So probably best to have all tests performed at the clinic, or see if there are tests you can get done locally before your appointment? There is at least one person here from Europe that just went, if I could remember her name I'd tag her... Hopefully someone else can.

Also, even if you don't normally use one, get a wheelchair in the airports.

Search this forum for "Kaufman" or "OMI" and glean all the information you can. Or ask!
 
andreasvq

andreasvq

Messages
22
Location
Belgium
Thank you for all the information! Wish you the best on your journey to better health!
Do they do the SIBO testing at the first appointment? They didn't email me about that.
Anything else I should know for my first appointment?
 
valentinelynx

valentinelynx

Senior Member
Messages
1,310
Location
Tucson
Strawberry said:
My experience was great! Although it is still too recent for any recovery, I just went in December. So far he has me on Valtrex and B vitamins. I am supposed to be self injecting B12, but I have not yet been trained to put a needle in my bum. :nervous:

One thing I would say, especially with traveling from outside the US is contact the clinic and find out what you can or can't eat to get the SIBO testing done in the clinic. What ever I ate for breakfast made it so I couldn't have it done there at my appointment. That is no problem as my doctor can do it locally, but I don't know what services you would have at home, or shipping options. So probably best to have all tests performed at the clinic, or see if there are tests you can get done locally before your appointment? There is at least one person here from Europe that just went, if I could remember her name I'd tag her... Hopefully someone else can.

Also, even if you don't normally use one, get a wheelchair in the airports.

Search this forum for "Kaufman" or "OMI" and glean all the information you can. Or ask!
Click to expand...

I see Dr Kaufman at OMI also. Two things might help you:

1. the B12 injections don't need to go "in your bum." Subcutaneous injection is fine, easier, less painful. You can look up how to do it online if you like. It's simple, really. I usually inject in my "spare tire" area as there's lot's of loose skin there. :p The Rx is for such a high amount it leaves a red splotch (B12 is bright red) under my skin for a day, then my urine turns orange within a few hours (which can be startling if you don't expect it, like I didn't).

2. The SIBO preparation is not just what you eat in the morning. It is actually a pretty strict protocol. You have to be off of antibiotics and probiotics for a week. Then the day before the test you have to follow a very strict diet, basically chicken, rice, potatoes, meat, eggs, no spices, no sugar or artificial sweeteners, only teaspoon of coconut or olive oil, etc (I'm just briefly summarizing to show that it is a strict diet). You have to stop eating food at 9 PM, and then no food or water after midnight the day of the test. If you think you really want to do this test at your first appointment, I suggest you discuss this with the clinic in advance, and they will send you the protocol if it's appropriate.

Best of luck!
 
funkyqueen

funkyqueen

Senior Member
Messages
123
Location
South of France
Happy for you that you'll go to OMI, @andreasvq ! I think it's a really good thing ! :)
I came back from my last trip at OMI one month ago...
I never heard / never seen about Dr Bela Chheda, but I'm happy that Dr Kogelnik and Dr Kaufman find some help ;)

For the sibo test , if you are a smoker, smoking it's alsoo forbidden several hours before having the test
 
valentinelynx

valentinelynx

Senior Member
Messages
1,310
Location
Tucson
Vitalic said:
Binge drinking and crack cocaine is also strongly discouraged.
Click to expand...

LOL. Yes, but actually, the smoking thing has a reason beyond it simply being bad for you. The SIBO test works by testing the quantity of certain gases that you exhale. It is measured in parts per million. Smoking will affect your lung function and probably also the concentration of gases in your exhaled breath.

Alcohol is discouraged because of its effects on the gut biome.

Crack cocaine would probably be a bad idea because it is inhaled and thus can affect lung function. Therefore, I would recommend [KIDDING!] that you restrict your cocaine use before SIBO to insufflation (snorting) or IV (injection). [TO THE LEGALLY MINDED: a. THIS IS NOT A MEDICAL RECOMMENDATION, and b. I AM KIDDING! (about using cocaine)!
 
sandiegotraveller

sandiegotraveller

Messages
4
andreasvq said:
Hi everyone,

I thought it might be useful to say that I have scheduled an appointment on March 14 with Dr. Bela Chheda from the Open Medicine Institute in Mountain View, CA. She just joined OMI as the 3rd doctor so the waiting list is stil short.
I am really excited to have finally found a doctor/clinic that might improve my health a bit.
I will keep you guys posted how everything goes!

Stay strong!
Click to expand...
Just curious how your appointment with Dr. Chheda went.../
 
G

getting better

Messages
1
Has anyone seen Dr Bela Chheda at Kogelnic's office in Mountain View. Can you speak to your experience with her? Is she competent and experienced with ME/CFS? Will she work with you in preparing for disability? Will she work with you as your primary care physician? Any other comments or observations about her practice that might be helpful. Thanks very much!
 
jess100

jess100

Senior Member
Messages
149
andreasvq said:
Hi everyone,

I thought it might be useful to say that I have scheduled an appointment on March 14 with Dr. Bela Chheda from the Open Medicine Institute in Mountain View, CA. She just joined OMI as the 3rd doctor so the waiting list is stil short.
I am really excited to have finally found a doctor/clinic that might improve my health a bit.
I will keep you guys posted how everything goes!

Stay strong!
Click to expand...
I hope you can soon post how your appointment was today with Dr Chheda........
 
jess100

jess100

Senior Member
Messages
149
Gingergrrl said:
@jess100 I hate even having to type this but if you go back through the thread (post #16), you will read that andreasvq passed away before he was able to see Dr. Chheda.
Click to expand...
Thank you gingergrrl- I saw that post a few minutes after sending my question to him. Heartbreaking.......Is anyone in contact with his family?
 
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