TO MAMAOFFOUR AND EVERYBODY GOODBYE
I would like to thank you so much for your support information, kindness, love and welcoming spirit......you all truly are a great family.....goodbye..... 
I hate to see anyone leave our boards of support - I am active on others and I just don't know what I'd do without the insight, knowledge, and support provided by everyone I communicate with regularly. For my part, I believe I can only be of value to anyone if I offer unconditional support and try to be a good listener. I benefit the most when others are behaving likewise. I wish you the best with your surgery and hope that you will let us know how things are going for you. We're all in this together. Best of luck, Maureen
Whether you stay on the board or not is your own choice-- but, to be honest, having read some of the responses to which you alluded, I would probably make the same choice as you.
That being said, there are many non-judgmental people who are here on the fringes (and many who are active on these boards) who will always be available to offer what advice, guidance or experience we can (particuarly those of us who have made lots of mistakes and have, I hope, learned from them-- although I know that the jury is still out on me).
Also, and I appreciate that we are a long commute for you, if you want some post-operative in-person support, we have a fun peer-lead program at Norwalk Hospital on the First Wednesday and the Third Monday of every month. Our meetings start at 6 p.m in the First Volunteer Conference Room (and we validate your parking!). These meetings are free and open to all and are not affiliated with any particular surgical practice.
It seems a though Momo hit a sore spot with you and that does happen from time to time (with large groups like this), but you cannot let this run you off of the boards. Some one *****plied to one of my posts said it the best- People who go for this surgery are very courageous and can rise to the occasion. I know you can. 
Sweetie I am really sorry to see you leaving here. I check in here a lot but don"t post often. I am going to be totally blunt here and I apologize in advance if anything I say offends anyone as that is not my intention.
I used Dr. A and am a huge fan of his work. He is a ****y man though and really believes hi**** dont stink. That can put a lot of people off. My MIL used him, a friend used him and they have had a ton of success. I have been nothing but happy with my results so far. That said, I also did a TON of research on him and found that he meets my needs best. You need to do the research and find the surgeon who meets YOUR needs. The business withthe unpaid bill should not be enough to bar you from surgery. *hit happens, life happens. If you can pay off the bill now, do so. wait a week or so and contact his office again. Maybe he had a hard week, maybe he had a death in his family. You have come so far with the pre tests and everything else, you have begun to get healthier for the surgery by giving up caffiene ans watching what you eat. This is one more hurdle to get over but anything worth while takes work to achieve. He does have an email address that should be on your paperwork too...maybe stating your case in that form once the bill is paid will get through and he will reevaluate. As momoffour said it does make the most sense to go local, and with a surgeon with as good a track record as Dr A has...
All that said I truly hope that you dont leave the forums. There are always disagreements amongst close groups like this and despite them there is a world of knowledge and support to be gained here. Support groups, either in person or on line are a big tool to our success. If you do decide to leave the CT forum there are others here on OH.com that you could join and I could give you links to another great one if you send me a personal message.
Either way I wish you the best of luck on your quest for health. You have my phone number so feel free to keep in touch.
don't leave just because of one person.
We are all here for you and you should NEVER have to explain yourself as to why you want one doctor over another.
We each have our own reasons. It's no one else's business.
Just bypass her posts and continue to enjoy the board.
Hang in there.
Koukla
338/179
current age 53
If you find this board helpful to you - you should stay - if you don't like what someone has to say you have the option to ignore it - or to just say I disagree with you - you don't have to leave............you've been through a lot and are going through more - the support you'll find here will be helpful to you. Don't give up that support in a moment of anger - why not just take a little break and then come on back? We'll be here to welcome you with open arms (I promise). I'd like to see you be able to live a pain free life, that must be so very hard for you and your family - my prayers are with you....
I didn't post on the other thread but wanted to mention that when I was preparng for surgery my ob/gyn had recommended Tishler - I have the utmost respect for my ob/gyn and if I hadn't been so far down the path with Barba already I woud have looked into Tishler...A recommendation from Dr. Kates (my ob/gyn) is definitely a good recommendation. Oh and I believe that Dr. Barba is now a center of excellence - I'm not 100% sure on that..........
Who ever you go with - I wish you the best of luck! 
I refuse to be made a scapegoat- I simply said there was no reason for her to doctor bash because she was refused by Middlesex Surgical Associates as a patient for an elective procedure because of an unpaid bill. If I seemed mean I am sorry- but the point was- she is making a specific surgeon look bad/sound bad and sound uncaring. Dr Aranow is not uncaring. If he were he would not be doing what he does. Dr Aranow came to my bedside last spring in the hospital on his day off to see me because I was sick- nothing to do with the RNY- but because I was in the hospital under his care, and he was concerned about me, he came. Coatti or Blancafour or his PA could have seen me that day, but he did. As a nurse for 15 years, there are very few doctors who impress me. There is at least one who is a "popular surgeon of choice" on this board that I wouldn't let carve my turkey at Thanksgiving never mind perform surgery on me, but I don't publically bash him. (well very much anyway - occasionally I just have to speak up) Aranow impresses me immensely. As for him being ****y- he's a surgeon- it goes with the territory.I don't find him ****y- I find him blunt and to the point, confident, and very ready to let you know it's his way or the highway.
And again, she got caught in the policy of the practice, she told us her side, and as someone else said there is always another side. I find it hard to believe she had a $613 bill with the practice she didn't know about.
I am sorry I ever mentioned Aranow- but because I saw where you lived, I offered the suggestion, heck I didn't hear about Aranow until I checked my insurance to see who they had on their list of approved surgeons. It was only after I checked there, and saw his name that I found out about him.
Tischler, as Lisa said is also an excellent surgeon. He is in practice with a well respected group of doctors that I have worked with quite a bit. However, I would rather cut off a limb then be a patient at Hartford Hospital, or St Francis- or anywhere else other than Middlesex. I think the best nursing care is there. That's from a personal experience and a professional viewpoint.
Her post bashing Aranow could cause some people to be turned off by him and not consider him, and that would be a disservice to those people.
No one has told her to get off the boards, no one has told her she can't go to the Middlesex support groups. In fact because of my oncall schedule I don't attend the group meetings- so they are guaranteed momoffour free for your safety and piece of mind!!!!
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