word of mouth

liveinphx
on 12/31/09 10:09 am - Phoenix, AZ
On December 31, 2009 at 11:08 AM Pacific Time, StacysMom wrote:
 Boy!  MWG sure has a lot of "haters" out there.    She has never attacked me and, if she ever did, I can defend myself.   I can tell you that quite a bit of what she has to say is TRUE.   I have verified quite a bit of it with public sources that anyone can access if they bothered to look.  

She was instrumental in exposing someone (and yes, it was someone in "good standing") on these very boards, who was a PAID employee of the doctor and program that she was pushing, supposedly only as a "happy patient" of said doctor/program.    Because of MWG's unrelenting actions, the person was forced to come clean - and it took over two years to accomplish!   Without MWG, that person would still be pushing said doctor and misleading many, many newbies and others who come onto these boards for help, which they assume is coming from peers, not advocates for some surgeon's business.

If anyone needs to be reminded of this, I still have the link to the government website where the proof was ultimately found!  And, I will be happy to post all the info about what happened on these boards for over two years.   

Are you saying this person NEVER had surgery with this particular surgeon and she was lying about her personal experience with that doctor? I am trying to clarify exactly what you mean.
If the issue is the person was "pushing" that particular surgeon MWG is famous for her "pushing" of her beloved choice of surgeons and many on this board believe she is paid to do this though I have no proof of that.

Whatever you do is it truthful, necessary and kind?
StacysMom
on 12/31/09 3:52 pm
 I guess I can say who it was, because she, herself has come clean about it on a thread which was curiously taken down - hmmm.   It was JRinAZ, who seems like a very nice person named "Joyce", who was put in a very compromising position by her employer.   She was employed by Dr. Gitt of North Valley Plastic Surgery who owned AZ Weight Loss Solutions which employed Dr. Schlesinger, who actually DID do Joyce's revision surgery.   Joyce and some of her friends who also used this doctor, were pushing him relentlessly on both the AZ and revision boards until stopped by MWG (and a few others, including me).  

Joyce kept insisting that she was NOT paid by Schlesinger and only knew him because they both worked in the same medical building.   This continued until proof was found at an online government website where Dr. Gitt was applying for the patent/copyright(?) on the AZ weight loss solutions logo as the owner of the company.   Even after it came out that Gitt owned Schlesinger's practice, she was still insisting that Schlesinger "didn't sign her paychecks".     Duh, they were BOTH employed by Dr. Gitt and she didn't just know him because he "worked in the same building".   

Further complicating Joyce's advocating this doctor, were her comments on other boards where she was complaining about him/her surgery/her labs/his attitude, etc., while blowing rainbows up everyone's butts about him on OH where it was her job to promote him.

While I do not read nor monitor these boards as much as others, I have read MWG's posts about her doctor and her surgery, etc. and what you may think is "pushing" is NOTHING (NOTHING!) compared to what went on in 2008 with the Schlesinger advocates, some of whom may not have even been real patients.

MWG is very good at compiling info, especially regarding MX surgeons.   She has a medical background and is knowledgeable on who to ask for what type of info needed.    Some of the ways she goes about this are absolutely brilliant.  It is unfortunate that her manner has angered many here.   But, to "throw away the baby with the bath water" is foolhardy.   Even if you may not like the messenger, sometimes the message IS worth hearing.    

I've found so mu*****orrect info being disseminated that it's frightening.   Anyone who is willing to stick their neck out and be chastised for going against the pack is worth listening to (in my book), even if I may not like what I hear.    There may be a kernel of info which causes me to look into something further and that alone is worthwhile.    

She happened to mention "bougie" size once and I had no idea what a "bougie" was nor what it had to do with the sleeve procedure.   Most patients don't even know that there are different "bougie" sizes and that the bougie size determines the size of the sleeve.   This is just one example of what I learned from MWG - and it was something I never even knew to ask.
liveinphx
on 12/31/09 9:10 pm - Phoenix, AZ
On December 31, 2009 at 11:52 PM Pacific Time, StacysMom wrote:
 I guess I can say who it was, because she, herself has come clean about it on a thread which was curiously taken down - hmmm.   It was JRinAZ, who seems like a very nice person named "Joyce", who was put in a very compromising position by her employer.   She was employed by Dr. Gitt of North Valley Plastic Surgery who owned AZ Weight Loss Solutions which employed Dr. Schlesinger, who actually DID do Joyce's revision surgery.   Joyce and some of her friends who also used this doctor, were pushing him relentlessly on both the AZ and revision boards until stopped by MWG (and a few others, including me).  

Joyce kept insisting that she was NOT paid by Schlesinger and only knew him because they both worked in the same medical building.   This continued until proof was found at an online government website where Dr. Gitt was applying for the patent/copyright(?) on the AZ weight loss solutions logo as the owner of the company.   Even after it came out that Gitt owned Schlesinger's practice, she was still insisting that Schlesinger "didn't sign her paychecks".     Duh, they were BOTH employed by Dr. Gitt and she didn't just know him because he "worked in the same building".   

Further complicating Joyce's advocating this doctor, were her comments on other boards where she was complaining about him/her surgery/her labs/his attitude, etc., while blowing rainbows up everyone's butts about him on OH where it was her job to promote him.

While I do not read nor monitor these boards as much as others, I have read MWG's posts about her doctor and her surgery, etc. and what you may think is "pushing" is NOTHING (NOTHING!) compared to what went on in 2008 with the Schlesinger advocates, some of whom may not have even been real patients.

MWG is very good at compiling info, especially regarding MX surgeons.   She has a medical background and is knowledgeable on who to ask for what type of info needed.    Some of the ways she goes about this are absolutely brilliant.  It is unfortunate that her manner has angered many here.   But, to "throw away the baby with the bath water" is foolhardy.   Even if you may not like the messenger, sometimes the message IS worth hearing.    

I've found so mu*****orrect info being disseminated that it's frightening.   Anyone who is willing to stick their neck out and be chastised for going against the pack is worth listening to (in my book), even if I may not like what I hear.    There may be a kernel of info which causes me to look into something further and that alone is worthwhile.    

She happened to mention "bougie" size once and I had no idea what a "bougie" was nor what it had to do with the sleeve procedure.   Most patients don't even know that there are different "bougie" sizes and that the bougie size determines the size of the sleeve.   This is just one example of what I learned from MWG - and it was something I never even knew to ask.
   Anyone who is willing to stick their neck out and be chastised for going against the pack is worth listening to (in my book), even if I may not like what I hear.      
In this case then you must love hearing me cause I continue to get chastised for telling MY experience with MWG despite what she and her devotees do in retaliation and I do mean retaliation.

She happened to mention "bougie" size once and I had no idea what a "bougie" was nor what it had to do with the sleeve procedure.
  
This is your example of her "cutting edge" info? Even a person doing a modicum of research on the sleeve will encounter the term "bougie" as it relates to the sleeve procedure. I started my research on the sleeve in 08 and it was one of the first terms I came across. I do see posters still asking questions about it from time to time but for the most part they are brand new folks questioning everything about the procedure.
I am curious, did you have the sleeve or a different procedure?

Whatever you do is it truthful, necessary and kind?
liveinphx
on 12/31/09 9:20 pm - Phoenix, AZ
Even after it came out that Gitt owned Schlesinger's practice, she was still insisting that Schlesinger "didn't sign her paychecks".     Duh, they were BOTH employed by Dr. Gitt and she didn't just know him because he "worked in the same building".   
Joyce and I have tangled on the boards in the past and I have called her on some of her posts related to surgery in Mexico so I am truly not one of her followers.
I am taking issue with some of the logic you are using however.
I have NO idea if Joyce got paid by "HER" employer to laud Dr S who is another empolyee of Gitt's or not.
I work for the County goverment, everyone in the county is employed by the same employer.  The floor I work on is shared by other county offices. If I were to say flattering things about another someone that works for on of the other agencies on my floor does that mean I work for them directly. I think not.
As I said the issue for me is NOT about Joyce, Dr S or any other surgeon and who does or does not work for them.
My issue  is that, despite the "proof" you have about MWG being "right" about in this one instance does not change her overall unacceptable behavior and tactics.

Whatever you do is it truthful, necessary and kind?
StacysMom
on 1/1/10 4:13 am
 Your working for a county employer which also employs people on different floors in the same building is "apples & oranges" to what Joyce's situation was.   She herself has already come clean about her role in pushing Schlesinger on the boards.    The issue was that she was LYING about her situation and leading folks to believe that she was just "another happy patient" when it was obvious to anyone with a brain that it was WAY more than that.   I have nothing against any person who is happy about her surgeon and writes about it.   This was WAY beyond just doing that.  It was "gorilla marketing", using chat boards for business promotion.   It's a well known tactic in internet circles and Joyce was particularly good at it.   It helped that she WAS an actual patient of said doctor, albeit NOT a very  happy one as she posted differing info on other, more private boards.

This is OLD news, but I guess you missed the bruhaha on here about it.

Here is the link to the government website which finally proved that North Valley Plastic Surgery (Gitt's company) owned AZ Weight Loss Solutions (Schlesinger's practice)  - of course, you may still find some fault with this "proof" that I am posting.  

tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr

Each to his own.   You would need to go back and read all the stuff on the AZ and revisions board back to the beginning of 2008 to get the whole story.  You're coming at this a bit late.

Again, I understand you and many others have a problem with MWG's "tactics".  She can have quite the sharp tongue.    I still find her presence interesting, useful and yes, even entertaining!  


liveinphx
on 1/1/10 4:52 am - Phoenix, AZ

This will be my last post on this thread. You apparently are missing the point since this is NOT about Joyce, NOT about who she does or does not work for and not even about Dr S.
My point was and will continue to be that MWG routinely lies, mistates facts, makes things up as they suit her and becomes markedly abusive when she is challanged. She sees herself as an expert on all things related to bariatric surgery in MX. She attempts to villify any surgeon that she does not approve of whether or not she has any experience with that surgeon or even knows anyone who has used that surgeon.
She retaliates against her detractors and takes things "outside" of the chatrooms to include calling someone's employer to complain about posts on this board.
I have no doubt about Gitt owning AWLS and it would not have taken a rocket scientist to find that "proof".
I choose not continue this thread.

Whatever you do is it truthful, necessary and kind?
StacysMom
on 1/1/10 6:21 am
 I apologize.   However, when you put my words (i.e., "proof") in quotations, the way you did, I interpreted that to mean that you doubted that I actually DID do some research, so I felt compelled to send a link to said "proof".

I understand that this post is not about Joyce.   I only posted about the incident to provide "proof" that sometimes MWG is "right on the money", when others were ganging up on her and saying that SHE was the liar.  (Hmmm ... isn't something similar happening right now?)     I don't have the time nor the inclination to research everything she says unless it it is helpful to me or someone I know.   There has been other info MWG has put forth which also turned out to be absolutely true, but I feel no need to post further "proof" as some people believe what they want to in spite of evidence to the contrary.

I DO understand that many have a problem with her tactics, but I felt compelled to post some of the positives here because her info HAS helped me (and others that I have read), and no one else has stepped up to say that.   I guess I am the only brave one.   The rest must be afraid of the "gang mentality" I'm witnessing.

I read that someone thought MWG had called another OH member's employer to get her into trouble of some kind.  That is indeed "crossing the line".   Was that you?   I think you said that you "suspect" it was MWG -- so where is your "proof"?

Whether or not you answer is irrelevant.   You have made your point and I have made mine.  

Happy new year! 
(deactivated member)
on 1/1/10 7:01 am
 Thank you Stacy. 
liveinphx
on 1/1/10 8:00 am - Phoenix, AZ
On January 1, 2010 at 2:21 PM Pacific Time, StacysMom wrote:
 I apologize.   However, when you put my words (i.e., "proof") in quotations, the way you did, I interpreted that to mean that you doubted that I actually DID do some research, so I felt compelled to send a link to said "proof".

I understand that this post is not about Joyce.   I only posted about the incident to provide "proof" that sometimes MWG is "right on the money", when others were ganging up on her and saying that SHE was the liar.  (Hmmm ... isn't something similar happening right now?)     I don't have the time nor the inclination to research everything she says unless it it is helpful to me or someone I know.   There has been other info MWG has put forth which also turned out to be absolutely true, but I feel no need to post further "proof" as some people believe what they want to in spite of evidence to the contrary.

I DO understand that many have a problem with her tactics, but I felt compelled to post some of the positives here because her info HAS helped me (and others that I have read), and no one else has stepped up to say that.   I guess I am the only brave one.   The rest must be afraid of the "gang mentality" I'm witnessing.

I read that someone thought MWG had called another OH member's employer to get her into trouble of some kind.  That is indeed "crossing the line".   Was that you?   I think you said that you "suspect" it was MWG -- so where is your "proof"?

Whether or not you answer is irrelevant.   You have made your point and I have made mine.  

Happy new year! 
My point is that I did not have PROOF it was her which is why I said she was my only suspect. She was the only one I was having a problem with at the time so she was my only suspect.
The point I was making which apprently you missed is the differnce between MWG and myself is that I did not say I could PROVE it was her only that I suspected it was.
I don't post things as FACT unless they can be proved. Calling someone a suspect does not mean I can prove it was them, hence they are only a suspect.
Whatever you do is it truthful, necessary and kind?
liveinphx
on 1/1/10 8:03 am - Phoenix, AZ
On January 1, 2010 at 4:00 PM Pacific Time, liveinphx wrote:
On January 1, 2010 at 2:21 PM Pacific Time, StacysMom wrote:
 I apologize.   However, when you put my words (i.e., "proof") in quotations, the way you did, I interpreted that to mean that you doubted that I actually DID do some research, so I felt compelled to send a link to said "proof".

I understand that this post is not about Joyce.   I only posted about the incident to provide "proof" that sometimes MWG is "right on the money", when others were ganging up on her and saying that SHE was the liar.  (Hmmm ... isn't something similar happening right now?)     I don't have the time nor the inclination to research everything she says unless it it is helpful to me or someone I know.   There has been other info MWG has put forth which also turned out to be absolutely true, but I feel no need to post further "proof" as some people believe what they want to in spite of evidence to the contrary.

I DO understand that many have a problem with her tactics, but I felt compelled to post some of the positives here because her info HAS helped me (and others that I have read), and no one else has stepped up to say that.   I guess I am the only brave one.   The rest must be afraid of the "gang mentality" I'm witnessing.

I read that someone thought MWG had called another OH member's employer to get her into trouble of some kind.  That is indeed "crossing the line".   Was that you?   I think you said that you "suspect" it was MWG -- so where is your "proof"?

Whether or not you answer is irrelevant.   You have made your point and I have made mine.  

Happy new year! 
My point is that I did not have PROOF it was her which is why I said she was my only suspect. She was the only one I was having a problem with at the time so she was my only suspect.
The point I was making which apprently you missed is the differnce between MWG and myself is that I did not say I could PROVE it was her only that I suspected it was.
I don't post things as FACT unless they can be proved. Calling someone a suspect does not mean I can prove it was them, hence they are only a suspect.
Oop**** send before I was done, I hate when I do that.
Since it appears you have such a problem with my posts about MWG perhaps you could PM me rather than us continuing to  hash this out on the boards.
Whatever you do is it truthful, necessary and kind?
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