Lelito-psychologist in Buffalo pls help others!

Since there is much concern about Dr. Lelito and he is the only psychologist that you can see in Buffalo before wls surgery is approved I thought it would be helpful for all to share for others that will have to see him so the process is not held up for them like it has for most everyone who has seen him.

First I will share my experience and my moms:

When I first went to see him in July I walked into his office and immediately felt negavitiy. He took one look at me and said I did not weigh enough to have surgery. This was untrue. Yes my BMI was a 35/36 but I have a co-morbidity.

He will ask how you cook and what a typical eating day looks like. I told him I was currently on ww would he like to know what I am eating now whle dieting. He said yes, so I told him a typical diet menu.

Make sure you stress that you bake, grill, or broil food.

He will ask how many times a week you eat out and fast food. I told him I go to Tim Horton's 2-3 times a week and only for a bage with 3 or more grams of fiber. This didn't matter since in the report he put I eat fast food out too much.

When he asked my mom this same question she said 4 times a week. His reply was, "whats so hard about peeling a banana?" How rude!

When he asks how often do you go out to eat or eat fast food tell him NEVER! This will save you.

I told him I was depressed and on medication for it. BAD IDEA! due to this he recommended that I go to counseling before I get an appt. with the surgeon.

Do not tell him you are on medication or see a psychiatrist etc. You will need a letter from the psychologist and possibly need to go for counseling!

Call and obtain a copy of the report from his office. When I received the report and got the call from Synergy about having to get additional info yet from another dr. and go for counseling. I called him.

Our conversation was very short b/c he hung up on me. I was not rude but honest. I told him that he put another roadblock up for me and I felt negativity the minute I walked into his office. He told me I was being combative and hung up!!!!

I know he recommends nutritional counseling for many. He did not for me and I believe it was because I told him what I ate while dieting. He wants to see if you know how to eat when on a diet.

Please share your experiences about him to help others that may go to see him.

And please, if you have had a problem with him and been approved already write a letter to Synergy or the other bariatric group in Buffalo. This is the only way to do something about this!

I got the rude comment about how it only takes 10 seconds to peel a banana, so why didn't I do that if I was not willing to cook. I told him that a banana would be a very poor choice, as it was high on the glycemic index. He didn't know what to say. I don't think he liked me much, either.

I agree that in order to bypass his rath future patients should go in there and say that they never eat out and that they bake, broil, or boil everything at all times. However, being forced to be dishonest is no way to start this journey. We have the right to be linked with professionals who will help us to achieve our goals without belittling us. Believe me, when this is done I am writing letters to Dr. Caruana, Dr. Posner's group at Kaleida, and to the American Bariatric Society (which he supposedly belongs to). He is certainly NOT an asset to the healthcare field.

Thank you Laurie. I couldn't have said it any better.
I am in the process of writing the letter now and will also send it to those three groups.

I had the same experience as everyone else he is an A$$

I had him too! Don't tell him u are an emotional eater. I could not stand him!

HE WAS SOOOOO RUDE TO ME AND MY MOTHER!!!  He did approve me but he wrote 3 lies about our conversations in his patient notes (I have them)  He didn't even get my dignosis right!  He wrote that I had endocrine CANCER when I had only a hyperplasia atypia of the ENDOMETRIUM (!!!!~a dr didn't know what endometrium was????~SCARY!) Anyway, I was on the phone with his secretary a week later because he had still not mailed my paperwork and she said it would be OK for my mother to go in and pick up the folder.  So my mom and I went there (I sat in thhe car~I was still having a hard time wwalking) and she came back down saying that he YELLED at her (my mom is a quiet kind old lady!) and told her that he WOULD NOT RELEASE THE FOLDER TO HER, and that she was being sneaky trying to get it blagh, blagh, blagh...so I went up and his secretary apoligized over and over to me for saying mom could come up and Dr L hid in his office!  LOSER~  I hate him.  He made me cry at my evaluation and inturrupted everything I was trying to explain to him about my previous mental heath issues.  A$$HOLE.  I passed but probably only because he called me at home the next day and I agreed to go to counseling with him (I KNEW I NEVER WOULD).  WHAT A *****!!!  

I am usually pretty positive about people but this guy was UNBELIEVEABLE.  Funny thing is I only chose him bc/ he is near my home.  I could have gone anywhere.  Don't go to RON LELITO under any cir****tances.  

Wow! My mom had the same type of experience. He will not release his report to her after several months. We are assuming that he did not approve her. He yelled at her too when she called to pick up the report. He said he didn't want her to see it and would not release it to her!

The report he wrote for me is not accurate either. He said I exhibited mood swings-crying off and on etc.  I did cry at one point but I was talking about my weight!

What everyone can do is write, write, write letters to their doctors offices so they will finally understand. Telling them has not worked yet.

What other doctors can you use?  I know Caruana's office will only use him. Does the other group let you use whomever? If so, maybe there is hope for my mom. Please let me know!

btw- I love the song Stella Blue!

I was at Synergy.  I was dumped by Panemangelore (Caruanas old associate) when he "left" the practice in Aug 2007. (very suddenly)  Caruana wouldn't take my insurance so I had to start all over with a new place (Buffalo General Comprehensive program) I got my evaluaton w/ dr A$$hole for Panemangelore but they accepted all my paperwork @ BGH. I was allready approved at Synergy.  They gave me a sheet of about 6 places to go.  I guess things have changed if they are sending everyone to Lelito.  Ugh.

  I ran into another RNY~er who had a bad time with him at BGH.  We had a byatch-a-thon about him in the waiting room  ;)

 

EDIT~  PS...send your MOm to high street.  Most places will take their evaluation.  I forgot the name of the place but it's affiliated with Buff Gen and right next door.  They were on the list I had and so was Suburban Phsychatric in Amherst.  I just went to Lelito bc/ it as close and he had appts quick.  BIG MISTAKE!!!  I have seen 2 dr's at Suburban and one at High st.  WAY BETTER  :)

 

EDIT #2(lol) I love the song SB too  ;)

The Dead are playing a reunion show in State College PA tonight!!! A fundraiser for Obama.  I wish was there!  ;)

I know! I was supposed to be there.  But I am on the pre-op dieting awaiting my surgery Thursday!

Congratulations!  That's great!  I havn't been on tour in soo long!!! Only saw Bobby at the Landmark (Syracuse) this spring.  I was dealing with post op issues for most of the summer (abcess had to go back in the hospital 2 months out)  I was way to fat to go anywhere for a while before that. 

 

PS~Phil is playing 14 nights in NY!!!  WOWZA!  That would rock. 

 

:)