Hello All- A Walk From Obesity is being held in Silver Spring, Maryland on September 24, 2005. I am helping to organize this walk. If you would be interested in participating or volunteering, please email me your contact information and an email address. Thanks- Valerie Campbell [email protected]

I've just received the letter of approval from my insurance company! My surgery date is April 12 - WOW That's less than a month away... I expected to wait MUCH longer. For anyone who's curious, I first saw Dr. Afram in DC in June/'04 . Insurance approval was pending until March 12th. Psych eval scheduled for April 5th, Phsyical on April 6th, Nutritionist on the seventh - surgery on the 12th. I'll be missing 4 or 5 days of work total - I live almost 2 hours from DC, and having to travel there during the day makes work not an option. I'm OK with that though. I have a great boss, and I'm sure the days I miss won't be an issue. YAY! I've been telling everyone - I'm so excited. I honestly never saw the day coming that my insurance approved me. Just wanted to let everyone here know that I am truly thankful for all your postings here which kept me with uplifted spirits throughout this whole process. Keep up the excellent work!!

The next Empower-Obesity Help support group meeting will be held on March 19, 2004 2pm-3:30 pm. The topic of discussion this month is Nutrition. We will have a cooking demonstration during the session. If you are interested in attending, the group meets in the Woodbridge/ Dumfries area of Northern VA. Please email me for directions : [email protected] Valerie

Hello all, I have a few concerns and I want to know what you think I should do... Please read the attached letter I am sending to Dr. Harrington (Washington Adventist Hospital in DC) and give me your feedback !! ****************************************************** Dr. Harrington, I am writing this formal letter of complaint to express concern of a few issues. For the past year and half, I have consistently referred patients to Dr. Fullum's practice, as I am an active member of a popular website that offers online support to those who are obese. Upon attending the support group meetings, these patients have been handed your package instead of Dr. Fullums', despite the fact that they tell the staff that I referred them and that they want Dr. Fullum. Prospective patients are being told that "you trained Dr. Fullum", which to a patient, it seems logical that they would use the person who "trained Dr. Fullum." Because of the numbers of persons who came back to me upset that they were given a package for your services, prompting me to make a phone call to get it switched, I decided to start attending support group meetings with the patients I referred. I was literally flabbergasted when I sat in a meeting in September and listened to you repeatedly make comments about Dr. Fullum that were less than favorable. You made mention several times, that "you and he do things differently and that you had been at this a lot longer than Dr. Fullum had" and also mentioned five times that " I trained Dr. Fullum." I, as well as the four others I brought with me, felt that you were subtly and intently trying to cast doubt on Dr. Fullum's ability and I was very upset about it. I waited for the patients to go by the desk and pick up packets and of course, they were pushed your packets. I walked up to the table and asked Devin to change them. I had the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with you last March when you operated on one of my fellow support group members and I, myself, just out of the hospital, had to call you to discuss the patient because of severe pain she was experiencing and she repeatedly asked for you and was told you could not be reached. She had severe gas, which is normal, however, the fact that you do not do leak tests, which she understood from support group meetings and from discussions among other post-ops, would be administered to her a day or so AFTER surgery, was so much of a concern that I received a call from the patient at home, three days after my surgery. When I called you and explained that the patient, (who should have been with Dr. Fullum, a doctor with impeccable bedside manner,) had never been hospitalized, had surgery, or been to the doctor much, for that matter, was frightened that she was dying. I was appalled at your nonchalant attitude and I implored you to go in and explain to the patient what was going on so that she would feel at ease and would stop calling me every fifteen minutes. Upon calling the office again, I was able to reach Dr. Rickford and he agreed to go talk to the patient. To further prove my point, I referred another patient recently and they were told that you trained Dr. Fullum, when they told Alfreeda that I referred them to Dr. Fullum. The patient was also told that you could readily give her a surgery date. What you are doing, truly is unethical and not Christian-like at all. As an avid supporter of my surgeon, whom I believe literally walks on water, I was hurt that another African American would undercut another colleague in that manner. It is not only embarrassing, but also defamation of character. My question is, if you "trained Dr. Fullum" , as you are so quick to point out, then why are you not Director of Bariatric and Laparoscopic Surgery at three area hospitals? Dr. Fullum is a graduate of Howard University and of Yale, which more than makes him qualified on his own merit. Additionally, Dr.Fulllum has a personal relationship with Christ, which would make him that much more qualified. I wanted to express my disdain of your practices and to let you know that I am aware of what you are doing, as is God. It truly saddens me. I would think that you would be more than supportive of another African American colleague being that there are very few of you in the field. Just know that what you reap, so shall you sow. Because of His Blood, Valerie R. Campbell ****************************************************** I am so pissed off !! He keeps stealing patients that I refer over to my surgeon ... What should I do??? I did finally tell Dr. Fullum what was going on after he stole Haiti Gurl... VAL