Any recent patients of Dr."Fuzz" in W/S??

I'm looking for anyone on this board who may be a pre-op or current post-op patient of Dr. Fernandez at WFUBMC in Winston-Salem.  I would like to ask  some questions about him, and your experiences with him and his staff.  I'm just a lost soul searching for answers right now, so if you aren't going to be willing to answer my questions, please tell me up front instead of just ignoring my PMs.  I've had enough rejection in this life; I don't need people on this forum adding to it. Thanks so much!!  -Cathy

Since I am in Greensboro the closer option for me is to go To Central Carolina Surgery. But I did consider going to your doctor. But I can't be much help because I haven't met anyone in the Winston Salem program.

Just wanted to say Welcome Cathy. I am not a doctor Fuzz patient, way far from my neck of the woods, but thought I would say hello and good luck on this journey! The NC boards are a great place to come and I believe you will find that many are willing to  help and all. I hope your experience here is a plaesant one and try not to base your time here based on the rejection of the ones that do not reply. I know not everyone will respond but my theory if we find a few good loyal friends than that is a bonus. I would rather have quality versus quantity any day. I think things here are more quaint and cozy vs. the main or the RNY boards...not that there aren't great people there but there are just so many that post there that it gets harder to belong if that makes sense. Here we are a smaller crew and so you are less likely to get lost in the shuffle. Take care! Lisa

Hey Cathy: I also don't know Dr Fernandez and live just north of Charlotte.  As others before have said, this site is a great resource for questions.   It could also be that persons you wrote to aren't active here and rarely ck the board or their mail.   I am always on the board but sometimes don't even notice I have an email.  Welcome to our world and good luck on your journey! Take care, Pam

Hi Cathy My name is Donna and I had RNY by Dr. Fuzz in July of 2007.  I have lost 122 lbs to date and haven't had any problems. I am now living in Virginia but still consider this NC board to be my "home" board.  I would be more than happy to answer any of your questions about the program at WFUBMC that I can.  Not many of his patients are on this board much unfortunately but I know several people that have had WLS performed by Dr. Fuzz and all of them have been thrilled with their results.  So please feel free to PM me and I promise I will respond!! Also, everyone on this NC board is truly great and although I have only met a few of these fine ladies in person, I feel like all of them are my friends and truly do care about me the same as I do them.  I feel confident that if you hang around for a while, you will feel the same way.  It's a wonderful place to find support and there is no such thing as a dumb question.  Welcome ~ we're all glad you are here! Hugs, Donna

Cathy, I had RNY with Fuzz on Oct. 15th 2007. I am down 95 pounds and feel great. I would do it again tomorrow if I had to. I just got home from the hospital today with my 15 year old daughter who had thyroid surgery. If you want to pm me I will get back to you, but it might be a day or two. I adore Fuzz and all his staff. I go to all the support group meetings and enjoy the post op meetings a great deal. Best of luck to you as you look for answers and decide what is right for you. Beth

You stated in your note to Cathy that you went to all of the support group meetings in talking about Fernandez , I was just wondering if you were talking about Obesity Help support group meetings or those Dr. F's office offers. I have been wanting to get an OH Support Group Started in/around Winston-Salem as I live in Mount Airy and am in Winston-Salem quite a lot for all of my physicians are down there as are a lot of my friends because I used to live in WS.  Could you let me know!  I have been a member of OH for a while but I am usually up during the night because I am an insomniac and there are not many people on at night so I have not made very many posts to people during the day but I would like to start talking to you guys on the NC forums.  I am actually preparing to have plastic surgery to remove the excess flesh and skin in having a panniculectomy as soon as I find out from my plastic surgeon about insurance answers. I just pray it is meant to be. If it is approved, then I will know if it is not, I will know it is not meant to be. Please keep in touch and I hope your child is doing better! Hope to get to know you better and the others too. BTW, do you live close to Winston-Salem or outside of WS. Do you live very far from Mt. Airy, b/c I would like to get with a few people to talk? Best Regards and have a blessed week! Susan L. Carlisle

Cathy: I did not have surgery by Dr. Fuzz, but I did have surgery at WFUBMC. Actually, anyone who would be insterested, I have been talking to some people at OH and have started trying to see what it would take to get an OH Support Group Started some where close to there.  I live in Mount Airy, and I have lost over 300 lbs and am just getting ready to have a panniculectomy to remove approximately 36 to 45 lbs. of excess skin from where I lost the weight and have kept it off now for approximately 11 years.  Actually, if you read the OH magazine, there is a story about my life in this issue I think. Nikki Johnson did the story last Fall but they just notified me last week about sending me a few extra copies. I have felt soooo flattered that they felt I was worth doing a story on but I am happy and hope I can help others from the journey I have had. I am praying about becoming a motivational speaker. Cathy, I just lived in Greensboro to attend UNCG in 2006 until I got hurt on campus and had to withdraw. So I have had a few set backs with other parts of my health. But back to Dr. Fuzz, as I said he did not do my surgery, but I had surgery after my stomach shrunk shut but I also did not have a physician putting me on a diet before the surgery and I have a very hard time eating any food much I usually get down about 500 calories a day and I have no metabolism and when I lost the real weight the hard way, I lost it eating several times a day. Anyway, I was told by my physician I needed to see someone nutritionally about my eating because I have not been eating enough and I was given Dr. Fuzz's office number and spoke to his nurse and because he did not do my surgery but the head of the trauma and burn center did, they would not even consider talking to me through their nutritionists. It has given me a bad taste in my mouth with at least a nurse in his office.  I kind of get a sense that you are having reservations about Dr. Fernandez, if you are then for goodness sakes go to others until you find a physician that is going to give you the best pre-operative care, during healing care, and post operative, because it does not stop when you go home and I have found that if the physician does not have the time for me then I need to find one who does have the time with me because this is your life as my life is mine.  Should you want to talk, you can email me personally, and I can give you my contact numbers. [email protected]. Be Blessed and Take Care! With the best of luck and wishes! Susan C.

Wow - this really surprises me. Dr. Fernandez' nurse is so nice that I'm really surprised to hear this. You shouldn't need to go through his office though to set up an appointment with a nutritionist at Bapist. You mentioned you only eat 500 calories a day; are you terribly underweight - close to 100 pounds? I don't know how you are surviving like that. I will keep you in my prayers. I thought Baptist only just started doing gastric bypass in the last 5 years and didn't realize they had been doing them that long. I sure hope you can find some good care to help you with your nutritional needs. That sounds scary. What exactly do you mean by "no metabolism?" I've never heard of that.

I am surprised too that you talked to someone who wasn't helpful on Fuzz' staff. I am sorry that happened. They have all been so super nice to me and my family. Amber Norris is the nutritionist I see at Baptist. She is very nice and friendly. I go to the meetings that Fuzz has every month. The next meeting is Thursday night at Temple Emanuel in Winston if you are interested. It starts at 6PM. The temple is on Oakwood Drive. I have a daughter who lives in Mt. Airy and we live in Jonesville. I usually only get to Winston for doctor appointments but lately that has been way too often. My youngest two daughters see doctors at Baptist and so do I. Best of luck on your plastic surgery. Beth