DISTURBING E-MAIL

DR BYRNE WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO ANSWER MY E-MAIL TO HIM SO I JUST POSTED IT ... AS ALWAYS, HE ACTED IN A MANNER OF THE HIGHEST CHARACTER & INTEGRITY. YOU'RE RIGHT MS TINA ... I ACTUALLY HAD A VERY IMPORTANT BUSINESS MEETING TODAY THAT I CANCELLED WITH A POTENTIAL CLIENT JUST SO I MIGHT BE ABLE TO CLEAR THIS UP ... I WEIGHED MY BUSINESS NEEDS AGAINST THE FACT THAT SO MANY OF MY LCBBuddies COULD BE HARMED BY THIS NEWS IF THEY FELT THAT THEY WERE BEING WATCHED & REPORTED ON. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP TRASH & DRAMA LIKE THIS IS TO EXPOSE THE LIES IMMEDIATELY. IF THE PERSON/PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE DON'T STOP, I WILL TAKE FURTHER STEPS TO PROTECT OUR GROUP ... I HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN TO MS SUSANN, OUR CHAIRWOMAN. THOSE OF US WHO HAVE PUT OUR HEARTS, TIME & EFFORT INTO THIS GROUP FOR SO LONG, WE DON'T TAKE THIS TYPE OF DRAMA LIGHTLY. JUST THINK IF SOMEONE HEARD THIS GARBAGE & DIDN'T JOIN A SUPPORT GROUP BECAUSE OF THEIR FEAR OF BEING WATCHED & THEIR ACTIONS REPORTED TO THEIR SURGEON ... THAT PERSON MIGHT NOT SUCCEED OR MIGHT HAVE A HARDER TIME BECAUSE THEY FELT THEY HAD TO GO DOWN THIS JOURNEY ALONE. WE JUST CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN! GOD BLESS YOU, MS TINA ... DAWN NICk

Well I hope everything will work out for the best. I know I love all of you. And I hope this all will blow over. I haven't been to the meeting but I will. Also, I couldn't have done the things I have without all of the support...I love you all, Jennifer

OF COURSE THINGS WILL WORK OUT JUST FINE BECAUSE WE WATCH OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER! YOU COME JOIN US ANYTIME, MS JENNIFER! WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU IN PERSON & GET TO KNOW YOU PERSONALLY! GOD BLESS YOU ... DAWN & NICk

HERE IS DR BYRNE'S RESPONSE TO MY E-MAIL TO HIM ... AS ALWAYS, HE HAS TAKEN THE HIGH ROAD & RESPONDED POSITIVELY WITH ENCOURAGEMENT TO ALL OF US ... IF IT HAD BEEN ME, I'D HAVE BEEN RATHER ANGRY ... BUT, HE IS TRULY A MAN OF INTEGRITY & REALLY DOES CARE ABOUT US! Dawn, Thanks for your e-mail. You are correct in your assumption that I have nothing to do with collecting information about who does what regarding other support groups, attendance at support groups or whatever. As you know we have a hospital based support group which is a mandatory part of our Center of Excellence designation. We encourage all weight loss surgery patients to attend. If they don't want to, that's fine. If there are other folks such as yourselves who prefer to meet elsewhere on a different night with a different agenda, we strongly encourage and endorse it. I love to hear about it from patients who come back for clinic visits. The more support you all give one another the more successful you are likely to be with maintaining your weight loss. I have very little to do with the support group here at MUSC. Debbie our dietician organizes it. I like to remind our patients that it is a "weight loss surgery" patient support group, not "Dr Byrne's support" group as some people call it. I have my own support groups: my family and the great team of people I work with here at MUSC. Keep up the good work. Post this reply wherever you think it will help. K Byrne MD SO, WHOEVER IS FLOATING THESE RUMORS, KNOCK IT OFF NOW! AS FOR MY LCBBuddies WHO CARE ABOUT ONE ANOTHER, YOU ROCK LADIES & GENTS ... KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK & HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON! GOD BLESS YOU ... DAWN & NICk

ONE LAST WORD ABOUT THIS SITUATION ... ANY TIME ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONERNS, COME TO MS SUSANN OR TO ME FIRST BEFORE TALKING ABOUT IT WITH OTHERS ... WE WILL FIND OUT WHAT IS TRUE & WHAT ISN'T. THE PROBLEM ISN'T IN TALKING WITH ONE ANOTHER ... THE PROBLEM IS TALKING WITH ONE ANOTHER ABOUT THINGS THAT COULD HURT SOMEONE & NOT EVEN KNOWING IF WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS TRUE. OUR LCBB LEADERSHIP'S INTEGRITY WAS QUESTIONED TODAY & DR BYRNE'S REPUTATION COULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED ... &, ALL BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T EVEN OCCUR - NO ONE WAS REPORTING ANYTHING TO DR BYRNE. I MISSED A BUSINESS APPOINTMENT & SPENT HOURS TRACKING DOWN PEOPLE INVOLVED, E-MAILING, POSTING ... MS SUSANN SPENT TIME ON THIS AS DID OTHERS ... & FOR WHAT? IT ALL TURNED OUT TO BE BOGUS ... NOT EVEN TRUE. BUT, THE RUMOR HAD TO BE STOPPED AS IT WAS ALREADY SPREADING. WHAT WE SAY & DO AFFECTS OTHERS ... &, CAN CAUSE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PROBLEMS & HURT AS IT HAS DONE TODAY. WE NOW HAVE 2 FRIENDS ANGRY AT ONE ANOTHER ... A DOCTOR WHO HAD TO TAKE TIME OUT OF HIS BUSY SCHEDULE TO EXPLAIN/DEFEND HIMSELF ... &, THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE MAY LOSE MEMBERS FROM OUR LCBB GROUP. WHAT A WASTE ... GOD BLESS YOU ... DAWN & NICk

Thanks for nipping this in the bud. Its a shame that something like this happened, but it just proves our strong our bonds are that everyone wanted to end this immediately. I have found so much love, support, friendship, and good times through this board that I will not allow anyone to mess that up. Love you lots Dawn, thanks for all that you do Mary

THIS TOO WILL PASS BECAUSE WE TRULY CARE ABOUT ONE ANOTHER. EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICER FOR THIS NOT TO HAVE HAPPENED, LET IT DRAW ALL OF US CLOSER TOGETHER ... &, REMIND US TO THINK TWICE BEFORE WE SAY THINGS THAT MAY CAUSE HARM OR HURT TO OTHERS! GOD BLESS YOU ... DAWN & NICk

Dawn, I am sorry that you had to go through this. I am also sorry that my name somehow got pulled through this. I am so green in what I know in this group. The only thing I can tell is my own personal experiences, and for 2 months out, isn't much. Thank you for believing in me, guiding me and being a friend. Deb

STILL BELIEVE IN YOU ... AM HONORED YOU THINK I'M WORTHY TO GUIDE YOU & LOVE BEING YOUR FRIEND. GOD BLESS YOU ... DAWN & NICk

Well, just to make it even more interesting.....I got the same email!!! And I don't even live there!!