Walter

[Guest guest]

Walter,

I have read your posts and the flames and comments that have followed. It

all leaves me very sad. I too, am a lawyer, and I fully support your

decision to represent whomever you choose. I believe that you ARE one of the

good guys and it saddens me that you have made the choice not to represent

Dr. R's patients. I used your web site in my own " unsuccessful " insurance

fight and it was very helpful. I stopped short of litigation because my

husband was unwilling to sue his employer and provided that did not mean I

did not get to have the surgery, I felt he had the right to make the decision

about litigation. However, I have EVERY intention of someday testifying

before a congressional committee about the need to make it illegal to deny

coverage for WLS.

I guess what troubles me most is that your decision seems to imply that you

know what is best for an individual. Even if you are right about this

surgery, and I personally believe that you are not for many of the reasons

that have already been presented to you, I know that Dr. R's patient

population is one of the best educated around about the risks and benefits of

this surgery and WLS in general. ( And God knows, we all think we are very

smart TOO, as has been pointed out to you over and over in earlier posts!)

We reached the decision to have this surgery after carefully considering all

the options, just as you must have when you made the decision to have your

surgery. I understand a lawyer's reluctance to do anything to assist a

doctor who is basically a quack, but we all know that this is not in any way

the case with Dr. R nor do I think you tried to suggest that he was not a

good surgeon, only that the surgery he performs is suspect.

It makes me wonder about your " study " of other surgeons you " support " . Do

you represent clients who seek to have " open " surgeries? I, for one, would

not even consider an open surgery for weight loss, even though I was 200 lbs

overweight because I concluded FOR ME that the risks outweighed the benefits.

That being said, I certainly support the decision of OTHERS to elect to have

open surgeries.

Do you represent clients who are seeking surgeries from doctors with high

complication rates, or who have significant death rates? What were the death

and complications rates of the physicians whose guidance you sought in

reaching this decision? Do you know? Do they know? Basically, what I read

in your concerns is that you are afraid that down the line, patients of Dr. R

will develop serious complications....ulcers and cancer. Those of us who

have had the surgery and who believe that Dr. R has been honest in providing

us the information on complications from past patients that is available to

him do not believe that this is a significant risk.

Do you have clients whose doctors have had patients who have died from blood

clots, infections, leaks, and other major and common complications of other

procedures? My point is, which I admittedly am rambling on to make, is that

you have to be very careful about playing God when it comes to WLS. I

believe that each patient has the right for himself to evaluate the surgery

THEY choose to have, or if they have the surgery itself. I will admit, when

someone comes on the list and is considering surgery of another type, my

heart sinks because I think this IS the best option, but that is simply my

opinion. I support each person's right to make that decision for themselves.

I hate it when people on the list try to talk that person out of their

decision or make them feel bad for the choice they have made.

We are ALL on this journey together whether we like it or not. The one thing

we all have in common is that we have known first hand what it is like to

live in an obese body and we have sought the hope of a new and better,

healthier life. To fight among ourselves about which way is the right way to

go about this process dehumanizes each of us. We have the right to choose

for ourselves. As I said before Walter, I support your decision to represent

whomever you desire, it just saddens me to see that in doing this you imply

that you know better than the patient himself what is the best option for

him. I believe THAT is a choice that no one, not even a spouse has the right

to make for another.

We need you, and others like you, to help individuals fight the fight. Your

decision is a loss for patients seeking to make the best decision for

themselves. I think my appeal letter was one of the best pieces of legal

work I have ever done despite the fact that it was not successful. I have

provided copies of it to MANY others fighting the same fight. I was fighting

for my life and the life of the MOTHER of my three young sons. Who knows....

maybe this will spur ME on to expand my practice and get the experience I

think I need to assist others in this cause that I so desperately believe in.

In any event, I DO hope you get answers to the questions that you have and

reconsider your role in this important issue.

Safe journey,

MGB 03 MAY 00

Safely on the other side!!!!

Dr. Rutledge clos.net

Self-funded company plan administered by Interactive Medical

Denied on appeal as an excluded benefit

Self Pay