Does anyone even come here?

Robin: wow. glad they found out that and hope surgery goes well for you!

Nicci: Omro is my hometown too!  Still live there. Like the small town atmosphere but hate small town gossip! :)

I haven't heard much about Dr. Kemmerling. I have to have surgery at a Center for Excellence and Theda Clark is closest to me.  Went to another seminar last night and got a good feel from Dr. Georgen.  I am planning on going ahead with changing insurances so I can get the surgery in 2011. Am hoping to have it in January but will have to see how long it takes the insurance company to approve.


Hope everyone has a great day! Jilli

Hi Jilli,

My parents still live in the area, too. I do like Omro. I think it's a cute town. I come through every couple of weeks or so! I graduated in '86, so you're a little younger than I am. We  probably knew each other, though! 

As for Kemmerling,  I was one of his first lapbanding patients, I went on TV and let Channel 2 News follow my story up to the point of the operating room... and when I had complications, Kemmerling actually got angry with me... and then just ignored my complaints until I found a surgeon in Chicago who told me I was only days from dying due to a twisted stomach and kinked intestines. When I had called Kemmerling, telling him that I hadn't had a bowel movement in 2 weeks and was in absolute agony, he said, "What do you want ME to do about it?"  The doc in Chicago was a specialist, from Argentina, and one of the first docs to do the lapband procedure in the US. I quote him verbatim when he saw the fluoroscopy X ray: "What the F*CK did he DO to you?!"  It took 5 minutes to diagnose me, but Kemmerling never bothered to actually try to HELP. He just would tell me to "find a hobby." He implied that the horrible referred left shoulder pain I had was "all in my head." Turned out that my diaphragm was badly damaged and leaving the band in for an extended period probably damaged it even further. If I had left my well being in his hands, I wouldn't be here today, I am sure of that.

He also ripped my nostril by shoving an Ng tube in without any lubrication... told me, "This is gonna hurt and you're NOT gonna like it." Then he left me to sit in a hospital hallway, bleeding from my nose, crying AND I got my period during the whole Ng tube insertion, so I was bleeding all over. He had no compassion for me at all.

When I was only there for a consultation, they called my name and I followed the nurse into a room and she started telling me all this personal information, like weight, vital statistics, etc... and I said, "Wait a minute. I haven't even HAD surgery yet. I'm not sure what this information is about." And then she realized that she had another patient with a similar name to mine... and she just happened to be in the bathroom. So I was privy to all her personal information due to their error. I should have probably realized then that I should find a different doctor! HIPAA Laws, what're those, right?! 

I'm sure Kemmerling knows that I have no respect for him and hold him in such low regard because I've told him as much. What he did to me was inexcusable and I don't care how many people claim to have had good experiences with him, I know what he is really like.

I have heard good things about Dr. Chua AND it is well worth your time and effort to possibly look into having surgery in Milwaukee and then doing follow up closer to home, if possible. What surgery type are you choosing, Jill?

Sorry for the book. I just don't want anyone to go through anything like I did.

wow! That is a horrible experience! The whole place seems to be not very professional. With your surgery being one of the first, I sure hope they have gotten better. I know at the seminar last night a lady had been referred to Midwest Bariatrics from the GB place due to her large BMI/size.
I am going for the RNY. I have not seen much positive long term information from the lap band. Plus I dislike needles so it is not a good choice for me. I also don't like the idea of something foreign in my body.
I've been overweight/obese my ENTIRE life. I know that I need something that is not reversible. It is a whole new life for me and I am expecting the change. I am being very forward thinking with the whole process. I have researched it for 3 years, attended 3 sessions, am starting to see a counselor that deals with bariatric patients. I am also going to start attending the support groups pre-surgery. I think that the more informed you are the better the success rate and chances are of being successful.

Did you have the lapband removed and then do a RNY or just have the lapband removed and back to "normal". (if you can call it that after all those horrible complications)

Thanks for the info Nicci!

It sounds as if you're well prepared! I agree with you... the more informed, the better. You can't learn TOO much, right?

I'm back to "normal." I had the band removed back in 2005 and was doing O****il I had a hysterectomy. I gained quite a bit back after that. BUT, I feel SO SO SO much better and I work out like a crazy person, which I couldn't do when I was in pain with the lapband, so I guess it's one of those "live and learn" situations, right?!  I am not a candidate for any other type of surgery right now because of the amount of damage done by the lapbanding surgery.

I wish you the very best! I hope all goes perfectly well for you, Jill!

Nicci

Hi Jilli,
I too am sad this board doesn't get used much, perhaps it will now??  I check in every couple of weeks, but missed your original post somehow until now.

I'm Anne, from the Wautoma area.  I'm having my surgeon consultation on Dec 27th with Dr. Chua in Milw.  I hope that means I'll have a January date. 

I originally started my search with Dr. Georgen's associate Dr. Wasco.  I didn't care for his seminar, and when I went to Dr. Chua's I immediately fell in love with him.  It was so evident that he cares for each and every one of his clients that were there.  He has a group of clients give testimonials and answer questions about their experiences because as he says it, "I've never had the surgery, so i'll let the experts tell you what it was like for them." 

If you have any misgivings, I'd so highly suggest Dr. Chua.  I haven't found anything negative about him or his surgeries no matter how hard I dig.  Can't say the same about other surgeons.

Best wishes....I get through Omro quite often on the way to the 'big city' shopping.  Maybe we can have coffee somewhere and start a support group??

 Just wanted to say, "HI"! This is a slow moving board, that's for sure. I check it every once in awhile, but mainly stick to the DS forum. 

I'm Julie, but you can call me Jules. Huge Beatles fan. 

I had the DS 18 months ago and have never been happier. It's like a dream come true. I have energy and can play with my two girls (7 and 3****il they get tired! My joints don't hurt anymore and I'm wearing smaller clothes than I did in high school! 

I live in Walworth, near the IL border.

Nice to meet all of you! 

 Hi!

This is my first time out here...so bare with me.  I had my lap-band done by Dr. Kemmerling.  I would never recommend him to anyone!  I thought he was oh so great until I started having complications, which resulted in my lap-band being removed almost 2 years ago.  I even did a commercial for him...and then the way he treated me made me sick!  I had relfux very very bad - to the point where I couldn't sleep laying down, and if by chance I did, I normally would wake up with vomit in my hair and on my pillow - I did it in my sleep.  That seemed very odd to me and of course I went to him numerous times to see what was going on.  He prescribed I don't know how many different heartburn medications - which never helped.  God forbid he did a scan on me or anything. And, like I see posted in other comments, he got mad at me about it.  Really?!?!?  Ummm, I did almost everything right - even kept every monthly follow up appointment for the first year.  And then to get mad at me.  Then, the real kicker - I ended up quitting my job and staying home with my two children, so I had a change in insurance.  The first time I called his office after that because my vomit looked like coffee grounds (which I found out LATER was blood), I was told that I would need to pay $165 before he would even see me.  Unfortunately, I didn't have that just lying around the house.  Then, after my new insurance was all set up, I called the office again (mind you, this was about 6-8 months later) - he agreed to see me because now there seemed to be some kind of urgency when I said that it still was coffee ground consistency.  I see him and he finally orders a scan, finds out that my band slipped and made it's own separate "stomach".  He then tells me that he cannot perform the removal and that I need to find someone in my plan that would - and was a total jerk about it.  Thankfully I found Dr. Georgen at ThedaClark in Menasha - who by the way was absolutely wonderful!!!!  And never heard another word from Dr. Kemmerling - not even to see how things went.  And, I found it funny when I ordered my records from his office - all of the dates that were missing - totally unacceptable.  He is a jerk that is out to make the quick buck but could care less about his patients - when it comes down to it.
And, sad thing is, I am finding more and more and more people that have had complications because of his surgery.  2 years out after the removal and of course, I have gained about 80 pounds back, after losing 120. 
I was told by Dr. Georgen that the scar tissue on my stomach and esophagus is so bad that I will never be able to have the lap-band on again, and as of 2 years ago, my only option was the bypass - which totally freaks me out - I have not met one person that hasn't had complications with the bypass.  And fixing that involves a whole lot more than the band.  
So, just wanted to share my thoughts with you on Dr. Kemmerling.  And put it out there just how uncaring of a man he is towards his patients.
Thanks for listening!!!

I am SO sorry you went through this as well, FayeAnne. I am NOT happy to hear you had the same experience I did, but I'm glad you're talking about it.  He's a BAD doctor, he's a TERRIBLE person and I have nothing good to say about him at all. What he did to me immediately after surgery felt like an assault to me and I still have horrible nightmares about it.

Take care, FayeAnne. Thanks for sharing.

Nicci

ps. A local news station followed me right up to the operating room and then ran my story in 2 parts. I wish I had never agreed to give him free publicity. He certainly didn't deserve it and I feel like I led people astray now.

 That @ssh0le needs a serious kick to the groin with a steel-toed boot! 

Every time I see his stupid advertisements on TV, I yell, "Serial Killer!"  Can't stand him! It was funny... Channel 5 News here in the Fox Valley did some sort of WLS thing with him. (I'm sure it was a paid ad, but they made it seem like just an informative seminar) and they had the wrong YEAR, they had "bariatric" spelled wrong and I gleefully informed them of their errors. I also informed them of what a damned schmuck kemmerling is.  He REALLY IS. People need to know how bad he is for the sake of their heath! He's not JUST a bad doctor. He's a bad all-around person, too.