Finally decided...

JRinAZ
on 3/18/10 3:14 pm - Layton, UT
Mwahahaa!  You and Redgal should have a lil get together and enjoy thumbing through the Joyce files!  Does anyone besides me think that sounds just plain creepy?  Who does that?! 

Let's stick to the real deal.  A gal is flipping a coin as to whether to go with Schlesinger or Blackstone.  Rny or DS?  I gave my opinion based on MY experience. 

So how about we be adults and use the block button when it comes to my posts if they offend you somehow?

I understand that you have a passion to take down Schlesinger.  That's where we part ways for sure.  My passion is to help my peeps (others who are in my shoes or who have been in my shoes) find their way to a healthy life.

Focusing:  To DS with Schlesinger or not to DS with Schlesinger?  THAT is the question!  I vote to go with Dr. Keshishian or Dr. Rabkin in CA for a DS .....or......if that's financially impossible then Dr. Juarez, Dr. Blackstone, Dr. Podkamini, Dr. Fang, Dr. Sprunger or Dr. Schuster for an Rny.  A sleeve is also a good option because one could quite possibly revise to a DS in the future if the weight loss did not hit their personal goal.  The above mentioned surgeons also do the sleeve.





Joyce 
Rny 2/11/03-> ERny 12/26/07-> Duodenal Switch 5/12/2010   
     www.dsfacts.com , www.dssurgery.com , & www.duodenalswitch.com

                  

StacysMom
on 3/18/10 3:41 pm
 "I understand that you have a passion to take down Schlesinger. "

Let me make something perfectly clear!   I HAVE NO "PASSION" TO TAKE DOWN SCHLESINGER OR ANYONE ELSE!!   

The only thing which concerns me is the lying and exaggerating of experience and outcomes on this board.   This doctor said he had done 200 DS surgeries back in October of 2009 and, just based on his advertisement at the practices where he worked, this is impossible!   Read on:

He worked for Barix clinics from the late 1990's until they closed down in AZ in August of 2006 - THEY DID NOT DO THE DS SURGERY THERE.  

As far as anyone knows, he was AWOL from August of 2006 until the summer of 2007, when he turned up at AZWLS (Arizona Weight Loss Solutions, owned by Dr. Gitt) - and the AZWLS website made no mention of the DS as being one of the options that he performed.  

Suddenly, he left AZWLS in February of 2009 (with no advance warning to patients, BTW) and turned up at Tempe St. Luke's in March of 2009, where their advertising and website made NO MENTION OF HIS PERFORMING THE DS!  

Out of nowhere in October of 2009, a profile for Dr. Schlesinger popped  up on OH where he represents himself as a DS surgeon with 200 of them under his "belt".   And, at the same time, the DS was added as a surgical option at Tempe St. Luke's.  So, one is to assume,  from March of 2009 where he was setting up a brand new practice, to October of 2009 (THIS IS ONLY AN EIGHT MONTH PERIOD!),  that this doctor became trained in and performed 200 DS surgeries??   This would include getting new patients in his pipeline and getting them through their insurance hoops (usually with 6 month diet requirements) and in surgery in such a short time.     Add to that, the difficulty in getting an approval for the DS from any insurance company, which usually involves multiple rejections!

I DON'T THINK SO!   I can certainly understand that the DS surgery is a great option to have available, however, I believe that a patient should know what they are getting when they are knocked out under anesthesia.    If someone wants to be a "guinea pig" for this doctor to "cut his teeth" on, that is none of my business, however, they should know the truth and not just believe what some doctor tells them.  This goes for ANY doctor, not just this one.   
dflprdfan
on 3/19/10 12:09 am
Wow - I didn't know my confusion would cause so much hatred and immaturity - I just wanted some answers and some advice and I thought I could get that from this board. I am truly not interested in which of you are battling on this website or even why. Did it occur to any of you that my post was written out of confusion and stress and that your ranting and fighting only causes more confusion and stress?

I don't know anyone personally here and I have not been on here long enough to make any real connections with anyone, but I have seen Joyce post some good advice to others over the last 8 months and I appreciate her taking the time to do so. Even if what you are saying about her is completely true (and I don't think it is), as a human, she is allowed t change her mind. I am not  sure you keep attacking her because I am quite sure you have changed your mind about several things in your life as well - even about things you thought were so cut and dry.

Please take the time to look in the mirror - the obvious anger you feel toward others is only eating you. Everyone on here is trying to make the best decisions with as much information as they can gather and we are all trying to become healthier and happier. If your agenda is not to help others in their journey to do so, please stop posting and visiting as you are only posing as another pitfall for us to go around.

For those of you interested - in light of the information I have gathered on the AZ forum and the DS forum, I have decided to look for a competent DS surgeon in California. My journey has been lengthened and I am mentally exhausted and almost ready to give up - but I am trying. I will keep you posted as I figure out what I am going to do.  Best wishes! -Lisa
JRinAZ
on 3/19/10 3:13 am - Layton, UT
Wow!  I'm so sorry that your thread got hijacked and that you've had to dip into drama when you needed direction and support.  I'm sorry for my part in it

OK...let's shake it off!  Congrats on finding your path.  Let all of us know how "we" can help you!  for every one of us that actually posts (ever so timidly) on this forum; there are hundreds that read.  Your journey can quite possibly guide others!

While you're making your plans then how about hitting as many support groups and get togethers as you can?  Meeting with people who walk the walk is inspiring!  There's a Westside support group tomorrow.  I can't make it to this one but the ladies (and gents) there are some of the best of the best!

For info, you can email their group facilitator DJ @ [email protected]

Chin up Lisa!  You've got amazing things ahead of you!

Joyce 
Rny 2/11/03-> ERny 12/26/07-> Duodenal Switch 5/12/2010   
     www.dsfacts.com , www.dssurgery.com , & www.duodenalswitch.com

                  

dflprdfan
on 3/19/10 3:42 am
Thanks Joyce for the info about the support group - I think I need it more this week than ever before, so I apprecaite the help! Maybe I will see you at one one of these days! -Lisa
Jeff B.
on 3/19/10 4:50 am - Gilbert, AZ
Lisa,

Congrats on deciding to change your life. All drama aside, I am thrilled that you are at a spot in your life where you are focusing on which surgeries to get, which surgeon to use and looking for feedback from your soon-to-be WLS peers! There are many out there watching WLS commercials eating tubs of ice cream. So kudo's to you for grabbing a hold on  your  life and making a change.

I wish you the best in whatever precedure you decide.

Jeff
StacysMom
on 3/20/10 6:19 pm
 Wow - I didn't know my confusion would cause so much hatred and immaturity - I just wanted some answers and some advice and I thought I could get that from this board. I am truly not interested in which of you are battling on this website or even why. Did it occur to any of you that my post was written out of confusion and stress   (no where did you say you were "confused" - the title of your post was "finally decided") and that your ranting and fighting only causes more confusion and stress?

I don't know anyone personally here and I have not been on here long enough to make any real connections with anyone, but I have seen Joyce post some good advice to others over the last 8 months and I appreciate her taking the time to do so. Even if what you are saying about her is completely true (and I don't think it is)  (Ask her - she'll tell  you it was true - she came clean on this very board and admitted that pushing her employers was in her job description and she was stuck between a rock and a hard place!  And, if she doesn't I have the posts!), as a human, she is allowed t change her mind. I am not  sure you keep attacking her because I am quite sure you have changed your mind about several things in your life as well - even about things you thought were so cut and dry.   

Please take the time to look in the mirror - the obvious anger you feel toward others is only eating you. Everyone on here is trying to make the best decisions with as much information as they can gather (The only thing I am "angry" about is that doctors lie to their patients and lie about their experience and manipulate patients into doing things that are not in the patients' best interests, but in the best interests of the doctors' pocketbooks! - How can a patient "gather" CORRECT information, if the doctors are doing this and having shills on chat boards talking them up?)  and we are all trying to become healthier and happier. If your agenda is not to help others in their journey to do so, please stop posting and visiting as you are only posing as another pitfall for us to go around. 

For those of you interested - in light of the information I have gathered on the AZ forum and the DS forum, I have decided to look for a competent DS surgeon in California.
   It's wonderful news that you have found an experienced DS surgeon!  You may not like to hear what I am saying, but my saying it may have helped you make the best decision for YOU based on actual FACTS, not just what some doctor is manipulating you into doing.     Before reading here - you were "all set" to go to a surgeon who barely has any DS experience!  !My journey has been lengthened and I am mentally exhausted and almost ready to give up - but I am trying. I will keep you posted as I figure out what I am going to do.  Best wishes! -Lisa

Furthermore, I have nothing against Joyce.   She seems like a very nice and helpful person.   My beef with her ended once she came clean about what she was doing and is no longer working for those doctors.   She took a lot of heat defending them and now they have hung her out to dry.   Not nice!

LISA, I HAVE BEEN READING THESE BOARDS FOR OVER THREE YEARS, AND (NO DISRESPECT, BUT) YOU ARE A NEWBIE HERE.   YOUR IMPRESSION OF THIS SITUATION IS BASED ON ONE THREAD ON ONE BOARD.   YOU TRULY HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON HERE.   IF YOU WANT TO EDUCATE YOURSELF, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO POST A LINK TO ALL OF THE POSTS GOING BACK AND FORTH ON THIS BOARD AND THE REVISIONS BOARD GOING BACK TO THE SUMMER OF 2008.   ONLY THEN WOULD YOU HAVE ENOUGH ACTUAL INFO TO FORM AN OPINION.

Wishing you the best of luck with your DS surgery  ... with an experienced DS surgeon, in California!  


Most Active
×